Sing to me my bread & crackle sweetly in my ear

Every now and then you run across a gem. You know you’re onto something because it just resonates inside of you. It’s not something you can really explain, but you just know it when it happens. Well, it happened to me this past weekend.

I didn’t go to the Asheville Bread Festival and I was really bummed, but I had been pushing myself too hard recently, and I just had to rest. Instead of fighting it like I normally do, I took a break from everything and spent time catching up with myself. It rained most of the weekend so it was a good time to just hibernate.

While I was sitting there trying to relax (which if anyone knows me, is a feat in and of itself), I picked up a bread book that I had gotten recently. The book is called Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza by Ken Forkish. Note: They are not paying me to say this and they did not send me a free copy of the book. I bought it myself, and I just love it.

 

Mr. Forkish’s method is inspired by the processes of Jim Lahey (My Bread) and Chad Robertson (Tartine Bread). I think that’s one of the reasons I like this book so much. All of his formulas are based on 1000 grams of flour which makes it so easy to follow and adapt. In fact, he provides tips on how to adapt his recipes. Nothing is left to chance.  

I was so inspired by the book that of course I had to bake some bread. I chose a bread that utilized an overnight poolish so it didn’t require much hands-on time the first day. I finished it Sunday afternoon and it totally lifted my spirits.

I fell in love with this bread the minute I took it out of the oven. I placed it on the wire rack to cool and as I was taking photos, it started to sing. It was a delightful melody. It crackled ever so lightly like a lover whispering in my ear.  I don’t know if I was just so spacey from exhaustion or what, but all I could think at the time was “I’m in love.”

 

White Bread with overnight Poolish

Adapted from: Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza by Ken Forkish

Makes: One Loaf

Poolish:

Ingredient	Quantity
White bread flour	250 g	1 7/8 cups +1 tbsp.
Water	250 g 80 degrees F.	1 1/8 cups
Instant dried yeast	0.4 g	scant 1/8 tsp.

 

Final Dough:

Ingredient	Final Dough Mix Quantity
White bread flour	250 g	1 7/8 cups + 1 tbsp.
Water	125 g 105 degrees F.	1/2 cup
Fine sea salt	10 g	~1 3/4 tsp.
Instant dried yeast	1.6 g	1/2 tsp.
Poolish	500 g	all of the above

 

Baker’s Formula:

Ingredient	Quantity in Poolish	Total Recipe Quantity	Baker’s Percentage
Bread flour	250 g	500 g	100%
Water	250 g	375 g	75%
Sea salt	0	10 g	2.0 %
Yeast	0.4 g	2 g	0.40 %
Poolish			50%

 

Process:

1) Make the Poolish

The night before you plan to bake the bread, whisk the flour and yeast together in a large bowl and add the 80 degrees F. water. Mix by hand or with a wooden spoon until it is thoroughly blended. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature (65 to 70 degrees F.) for 12 to 14 hours.  When the poolish is ready, it should be bubbly and almost tripled in volume.

 

2)  Mix the Final Dough

The next day, after the poolish is fully mature, whisk together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a large bowl.  Pour the water (105 degrees F.) around the edges of the poolish to loosen it from the bowl. Then using a wooden spoon, pour the water/poolish mixture into the flour mixture.

 

For the next part, you’ll need to get your hands wet. Using wet hands, mix the dough by folding it to thoroughly incorporate all of the ingredients (refer to my post on making Tartine Country Bread) The dough should be around 74 - 75 degrees F.

 

3) Bulk Fermentation

Let the dough rest for 2 to 3 hours after mixing.  During this time, do two or three folds during the first hour after mixing the dough. I forgot to use 105 degrees F. water when I mixed the dough so I extended the bulk fermentation another hour to compensate for the overall temperature of the dough being lower.  I did several folds and turns during the first hour, then I let the dough rest for the remainder of the proof.

 

4) Shaping the loaf

Mr. Forkish has a slightly different process because he bakes his loaf in a Dutch oven and he shaped his loaves into a fendue shape. I shaped my loaf differently and baked it in my combo baker so this is the process I used.  If you choose to use a different baker, you might need to adjust the shaping/scoring part so you don’t burn yourself when inverting the dough into the pot.

I only made one loaf so I didn’t need to divide the dough. I removed the dough to a lightly floured surface.

 

Then I shaped it into a medium-tight ball and placed it seam-side up in a floured banneton basket.

 

5) Proof the loaf

I lightly floured the top of the loaf and covered it with a kitchen towel.  Then I let the loaf proof in the basket for an hour.  Use the finger-dent test to know when the dough is fully-proofed and ready to bake. This just means you press your index finger lightly into the dough and if the indention remains, the dough is ready.

 

6) Prepare the oven for Hearth baking

While the loaf is proofing, at least 45 minutes before it’s time to bake, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. with the combo baker or Dutch oven or other bread baker on the bottom rack.  There’s no need to place a steam pan underneath because the covered pot will provide it’s on steam.

 

7) Scoring the loaf

For this part, be very careful that you don’t burn yourself because you’ll be working with a very hot pan. Keep your fingers, forearms and anything else away from the hot pot. I large heat-resistant oven mitt works great for this.

Carefully remove the preheated combo baker (using gloves) and invert the proofed loaf onto the bottom of the baker.  My loaf didn’t plop exactly centered in the pan so I shook the pot a little bit to even it out but it was still a bit uneven.

 

Then I carefully scored the loaf using a lame.  Even though the rings of flour were a bit off in the pan, I thought the scoring turned out pretty well.

 

8)  Bake the loaf

Cover the combo baker with the lid and place it on the bottom rack to bake. Bake the loaf for 30 minutes, then uncover the baker and bake the loaf for an additional 20 to 30 minutes. This is what the loaf looked like when I removed the lid.

 

The finished loaf should be at least medium dark brown all around the loaf. This has always been the hard part for me because I don’t like to burn my bread, but I was a good girl and left the loaf in for the suggested amount of time. However, if your oven is hot like mine, you might want to check the loaf sooner.

 

9) Cool the Loaf

Carefully remove the combo baker from the oven and gently tilt it to remove the loaf. I just reached in using my oven mitt and lifted it out. Place the loaf on a wire rack and let the loaf rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

 

After I let the loaf cool, I just couldn’t bring myself to slice it just yet. I wanted to look at it a bit longer. It’s very photogenic don’t you think?  I placed the cooled loaf in a paper grocery bag and let it sit overnight.

 

10) Slice and Enjoy!

The next day, I sliced the loaf and sampled it.  I was not disappointed.  It tastes great with butter or dipped in oil and particularly good toasted with sharp cheddar cheese. It also makes a great sandwich bread.  I’ve been enjoying it all week.

 

And so, my love affair with bread begins anew with this White Bread with Poolish.

I hope you enjoy this bread as much as I did.

 

This bread has been YeastSpotted in the weekly bread roundup hosted by Susan of Wild Yeast.

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy

Cuban Bread – About as simple as it gets!

If you’re looking for a quick and easy white bread recipe, this Cuban Bread is about as easy as it gets. It contains five simple ingredients: flour, yeast, salt, water, plus a little sugar and can be made in a couple of hours from start-to-finish. Now that’s what I call simple! 

Ilva of Lucullian Delights chose this Revolutionary Cuban Bread for the Bread Baking Babes.  I almost missed out baking with the babes this month, but this recipe is so quick and easy, I was able to make it in the evening even after a busy day in the office.

The final proofing for this bread is done in the oven while the oven is warming up.  You place the loaves in a cold oven with a steam pan of hot water underneath.  This differs from a lot of artisan breads that require preheating the oven during the final proofing of the dough, and then placing the loaves in the warm oven with a steam pan underneath.  I was intrigued by this process and enjoyed watching the bread unfold. The bread literally opened up during the bake like a beautiful flower. 

 

Cuban Bread Recipe

Makes: Two round loaves

From Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads

Ingredients:

• 700-840g (5-6 cups) of bread or all-purpose flour, I used all-purpose
• 18g (2 packages or 1 1/2 T) dry yeast, I used instant
• 15g (1 T) salt, I used Kosher salt
• 25g (2 T) sugar, I used raw sugar
• 450g (500 ml/ 2 cups) hot water
• sesame or poppy seeds for sprinkling (optional)

 

Directions:

1) Mix the dough by hand or mixer (15 mins)
Place 4 cups flour in a mixing bowl and add the yeast, salt and sugar. Stir until they are well blended. Pour in the hot water and beat with 100 strong strokes, or three minutes with a mixer flat beater. Gradually work in the remaining flour (using fingers if necessary), 1/2 cup at a time until the dough takes shape and is no longer sticky. I used about 5 cups of flour total.

 

2) Kneading the Dough (8 mins)
Sprinkle the work surface with flour. Work in the flour as you knead, keeping a dusting of it between the dough and the work surface.

 

Knead for 8 minutes by hand or with a dough hook until the dough is smooth, elastic, and feels alive under your hands.

 

3) Rising (15 mins)
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and put in a warm (26-37°C/80-100°F) place until double in bulk, about 15 minutes.

 

4) Shaping the Loaves (4 mins)
Punch down the dough, turn it out on the work surface, and cut into two pieces. 

 

Shape each into a round. Place on the baking sheet. I used a parchment-lined baking sheet.

 

With a sharp knife or razor, slash X on each of the loaves. I used my new lame.

 

If desired, brush or spray with water, and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds.

 

5) Baking the Loaves (205°C/400°F; 45-50 mins)
Place the baking sheet on the middle shelf of a cold oven. Place a large pan of hot water on the shelf below, and heat the oven to 205°C/400°F. The bread of course, will continue to rise while the oven is heating. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the loaves are a deep golden brown. Thump on the bottom crusts to test for doneness. If they sound hard and hollow, they are baked.

 

6) Cooling the loaves
Cool the loaves on a wire rack for about an hour before slicing if you can.

 

7) Slicing and Eating the Loaves

Now it’s time to enjoy.  This bread is really good considering the time it takes to make it.  I enjoyed it with peanut butter and just plain with butter.  It’s also good just plain.

This bread has been YeastSpotted. Please visit Wild Yeast to view all of the lovely breads in the weekly roundup.

 

Since this bread doesn’t contain any fat, it won’t keep very long so you’ll want to eat it right away or freeze it. This bread freezes really well so I froze one of the loaves to enjoy another day.

Happy Baking!

Cathy

Simple Milk Loaf: Artisan Bread Bakers

There’s something so satisfying about making a loaf of bread with the simplest of ingredients. I was thrilled when the Artisan Bread Bakers chose this Simple Milk Loaf as the Bread of the Month. Sometimes you just want a homemade loaf of white bread.

As I mentioned in a previous post, January is National Wheat Bread Month. I featured a Whole Grain Harvest Bread in that post because it’s a healthy and whole grain bread.  However, there are other types of wheat flours you can use to make bread, such as, white bread flour, all-purpose, and even spelt or rye. This Simple Milk Loaf is made with a mixture of white bread flour and all-purpose flour.

If you’re looking for a homemade sandwich bread as an alternative to store bought bread (without all the additives), this one is a good choice.

 

Simple Milk Loaf

Recipe from the Artisan Bread Bakers Facebook Group

Makes: 1 Loaf

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp instant yeast
• 12 oz whole milk, at room temperature, plus extra for brushing
• 3/4 oz golden or maple syrup
• 9 oz plain white (all-purpose) flour
• 9 oz strong white (bread) flour
• 1 ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• 1oz unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• olive oil, for greasing
• flour, for dusting
  

Method:

1. Simple mixing method: place all ingredients in bowl of mixer. Mix with dough hook until it comes together in a shaggy mass. Cover the bowl and allow dough to rest for ten minutes. Mix on low for ten seconds. Cover bowl and allow to rest for ten minutes. Continue with step 6.

2. Traditional mixing method: Place the yeast, milk and syrup into a large bowl and whisk together. 

3. Add the flour and salt and mix with your hands to bring together as a soft, sticky dough.  I used a dough whisk instead of my hands to begin with.

Then I switched to using my hands to make sure everything was incorporated

4. Pour over the warm melted butter.

Mix this into the dough with your hands.

Then cover the bowl and leave to stand for ten minutes.

5. Grease your hands and a flat clean surface with olive oil. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead for ten seconds, then form the dough into a smooth round ball.

Wipe the bowl clean and grease with olive oil, then return the dough ball to the bowl and leave for a further ten minutes.

6. Repeat this ten-second kneading and resting process every ten minutes twice, then leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes.

7. Grease a deep 5x8in loaf tin and dust with flour. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, shape into two balls and place side-by-side into the loaf tin.

Cover with a cloth or plastic wrap and leave to rise for one and a half hours, or until almost doubled in height. About 20 minutes before the bread has finished rising, preheat the oven to 410F.

8. Brush the top of the loaf with a little milk.

Then place into the preheated oven to bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350F and bake for a further 25-30 minutes, or until the top of the loaf is a shiny dark brown and the loaf has come away from the sides of the tin.

9. Remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.

 

10. Enjoy!

I had a piece of this bread plain with butter, but decided it needed something else so I had another slice with Pomegranate and Pear Jam, then I had a slice with peanut butter.  I didn’t take a photo of the peanut butter slice. However, peanut butter is the ultimate test for sandwich breads for me and this one passed the test. 

At this point, I gave the rest of the loaf to my boyfriend. He saw it and said, “I haven’t tried that one yet!” Well, the cat was out of the bag so I let him have some.  And since he liked it, I gave him the rest of the loaf.  You know me, I’ll make more.

 

Thanks for joining me in the Bread Experience blog. 

Next time, I’ll be featuring a bread with a mixture of white bread flour and whole wheat bread flour. Even though I liked this Simple Milk Loaf and got a lot of satisfaction making it, I think I prefer breads with at least some whole wheat flour.  It gives it more depth of flavor. 

 

If you’re looking for more recipes like this, click here.

Happy Baking!

Cathy

Old Order Amish Bread

This Old Order Amish Bread is a basic white sandwich bread, but I got so much enjoyment out of making it.  There's just something about working and kneading the dough.  This bread is wholesome and healthier than store bought bread because it has no preservatives. It makes you feel so good to know you've made it with your own hands.  Not to mention the heavenly smell of the fresh bread baking in the oven.

I enjoy making artisan breads, no knead breads and other beautiful breads, but every time I make a loaf of basic white or whole wheat bread, it reminds me why I started baking bread to begin with.  There's just something about the art (and science) of making bread that hooks you and keeps you coming back for more.

This particular bread-baking adventure started when my sister and I took my mom and step dad to a Mennonite restaurant this past weekend.  It's called 211 Main Street Restaurant and Bakery.  They make the most delicious cakes and breads.

I almost bought some bread but then I remembered, I bake my own bread.  Just kidding, but I was tempted.  I even tried to get the recipe for one of their whole grain breads, but to no avail.  Trish (one of the proprietors) said that Bob (the baker) doesn't really follow a specific recipe and never makes the bread the same way twice.  I think they just want to keep their recipe secret.  Can't say that I blame them. 

So, I did the next best thing...

I came home and looked through my cook books.  I found a recipe that I had been wanting to try for awhile but just hadn't gotten around to it.  I had bookmarked it for future reference. This bread recipe is from one of my favorite bread cookbooks: Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads.  It's not a whole grain bread but it sounded so homey and delicious, I just couldn't help myself.

According to Mr. Bernard, this bread is prized among the Old Order Amish families in northern Indiana. The recipe came to him by way of his wife's grandmother, who was a member of the order.  It is traditionally made with a premium bread flour milled from hard spring wheat, which is the type of bread flour that you usually find in supermarkets these days.  You can use all-purpose flour for this bread, but to be authentic, you should use bread flour.  I haven't tried making this bread with all-purpose flour, but the version I made with bread flour is wonderful. 

How to make this delicious and simple bread:

Old Order Amish Bread
Makes: 2 loaves

Ingredients:

• 5 to 6 cups bread flour (I used about 5 cups)
• 1 package dry yeast
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups hot water (120 degrees - 130 degrees)
• 1/3 cup cooking oil
  

Directions:

Grease two medium (8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch) baking pans.

In a large mixing bowl, measure 2 cups flour, the yeast, sugar, salt, water, and oil. Stir with a wooden spoon or beat with a mixer flat beater until it is well blended.  Add additional flour, 1/2 cup at a time, working it together first with the spoon and then with your hands, or if in the mixer, the flat beater and then the dough hook, until a rough mass has formed and the dough has cleared the sides of the bowl.  The dough will be elastic but not sticky.  If the moisture breaks through the surface, dust with flour.

I started with a wooden spoon, then switched to my Danish dough whisk to finish the job.

Turn the dough onto a generously floured work surface and knead with a strong push-turn-fold motion or under the dough hook for about 8 minutes. If the dough seems slack and doesn't hold its shape, add additional flour and work into the mass.

Wash and grease the work bowl, then return the dough to it.

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap.

Leave the bowl at room temperature until the dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Turn back the plastic wrap and punch down the dough.  Replace the plastic wrap and leave the dough until it has risen again, about 45 minutes.

Turn the dough onto the work surface, punch down, and knead briefly to work out the bubbles.

Divide the dough into 2 pieces.

Shape the dough into loaves, place them in the pans and cover the loaves with plastic wrap or wax paper.

Leave at room temperature until the dough has risen about 1" above the edge of the pans, 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees 20 minutes before baking.  Put the loaves in the hot oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes until the loaves are a golden brown.  The loaves will be done when a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out dry and clean.

Remove the bread from the oven, turn it out from the pan immediately, and leave on a wire rack to cool.

This bread makes excellent sandwich bread, is good for toast and is great with peanut butter and jelly. 

This bread freezes well so I double-bagged the 2nd loaf and put in in the freezer.

I want to make a bunch of loaves and freeze them. They keep well in the freezer for 6 to 8 months.

Thanks for joining me in the bread-baking blog.

Happy Baking!
Cathy