The Fresh Loaf

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CalBeachBaker's blog

August 11, 2023 - 3:43pm
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CalBeachBaker

Taralli Pugliesi - Italy

Today's bake: Taralli Pugliesi - Italy

Source: insidetherustickitchen.com - Emily Kemp

Note: Modified the mix times to utilize a processor (FP).

  • Flavor variations to try - Fennel seeds, red pepper flakes (chilli flakes), rosemary, oregano, black pepper, Parmigiano Reggiano. Use as much or as little as you like.

Substitutions: AP flour for 00

Discussion: I first experienced these in Italy and found them rather tasty, they're similar to a pretzel. If you're looking for an unusual quick to make party snack, these are just the thing. The dough came together in less time that it took to get the pot of water boiling.

Here's the steps:

  1. Add: Dry into the FP - run 15 sec.
  2. Add: Wet into the FP - run ~45 sec.
  3. Divide/Scale to desired weight
  4. Roll out/pinch together
  5. Boil
  6. Bake/Cool
  7. Try not to eat them all at once.

 

Make again? - Yes, definitely.

Changes/Recommendations: When boiling be sure to ensure that they don't stick to the bottom when you first put them in the boiling water, see that they are floating freely. Try different spice combos.

Ratings - Tasty

 


 


 






 

August 9, 2023 - 6:50pm
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CalBeachBaker

Muscovite Rye/Podmoskovny Rye (Russia)

Today's bake:  Muscovite Rye/Podmoskovny Rye (Russia)

Source:  theryebaker.com/muscovite-rye/  by Stanley Ginsberg

Note:

  • TDW increased from .811  kg to 1.420 kg.
  • Hydration increased from 68.59% to 73.23% due to using fresh milled flour.
  • Pan size increased from 9″x4″x4″/23x10x10 cm to 15.75"x4"x4"/40x10.16x10.16cm

Substitutions: Organic Rye-Flour-80% Extract-Medium for Russian medium obdirnaya,  rye.

Discussion:  A nice rye bread from Stanley's website. This turned out to be a really easy 1- day bread to make. I'm going to quote Stanley here for the bread's description because it says it all.

"It’s a beautiful bread, with a thin crust, an open crumb – thanks to gentle handling on the bench and a full 25 minutes of steam – and a flavor profile that features the nutty sweetness of the rye, complemented by a clean, delicate sour finish.

I’ve had this bread with everything from unsalted butter and roasted turkey breast to well-aged Stilton cheese and soppressata, and it was a great accompaniment to all of them. This truly is a simply, yet sophisticated Russian rye bread."

The light sour finish lingers and is really quite nice.

 

Make again? - Yes, definitely.

Changes/Recommendations: I would probably increase the TDW by 50% so that the pan was entirely filled and reduce bake time a little.

Ratings






 

July 27, 2023 - 6:46pm
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CalBeachBaker

Benny's SD Hokkaido Milk Bread - PBV

Today's bake:  Benny's SD Hokkaido Milk Bread w/Walnut, Sesame and Poppy Seed & Whole Spelt  - Plant Based Version

Source:  https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/72628/walnut-sesame-and-poppy-seed-whole-spelt-sd-hokkaido-milk-bread

Note: Increased  TDW to1665g  from 950g, Pan to 15.75x4x4 from 9x4x4, Water % to 20.4% from 15.4%

Substitutions: Aqua faba for egg, used flax-egg for egg wash.

Discussion: I have been watching Benny impress us with his various versions of this bread for some time now and was inspired to attempt this impressive bread. I decided to make plant based version by substituting aqua faba for egg and a flax-egg for the wash.

The original recipe is located here: https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/72628/walnut-sesame-and-poppy-seed-whole-spelt-sd-hokkaido-milk-bread

Here is Benny's video showing the shaping of the rolls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-58d3NYNAo

This is a fun to make, and very tasty bread. An option that Benny mentions is that you can cold-retard the dough for an increase in tang. I opted to go for a 20 hour cold-retard an all I can say is wow does it ever have a tang.

I really like this bread. The crumb has a creamy quality, the spelt flour provides a touch of sweetness and the nuts and seeds provide a nice rustic taste with a crunchy texture. Overall this is a nice, soft, rich tasting bread that can be eaten alone or with a mild cheese or other mild topping.

Make again? - Yes, definitely.

Changes/Recommendations: Decrease the hydration level a little, I'd increased it to accommodate the fresh ground flour but I'd roll it back to the original % next time. I would also try to space the rolls more evenly next time, I think the erratic spacing caused uneven rise.

Ratings

 




Flax-egg applied. Note the uneven spacing - the first rolls were at the bottom and the latter one up top got squeezed.


 




 Tony

 

July 26, 2023 - 12:45pm
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CalBeachBaker

HERITAGE WHEAT ROSEMARY FOCACCIA

Today's bake:  HERITAGE WHEAT ROSEMARY FOCACCIA

Source:   Mastering Pizza - Marc Vetri

Note:   Makes 2, Pan Size = 14 BY 10 INCHES/35.56 BY 25.4 CM

Substitutions: None

Discussion: 

Pans - I used this bake to do a run of my new Detroit Pizza Pans after performing the 5 seasoning bakes.  I have to say that these pans performed admirably, they heat quickly and evenly and the dough came out reasonably easy for the first bake in them. I'm looking forward to future bakes of the various types of deep dish pizzas and other types of focaccia.

Focaccia - This yeasted focaccia is a 50/50 mix of bread flour and 100% spelt flour and the spelt gives the crust and crumb a hint of sweetness. The crust was crunchy and crumb had a nice chew to it. The focaccia went nicely with a blue cheese and a goat cheese.

As a side note, I have been reading Marc Vetri's books for some time and was inspired by him to get into milling my own flours. I had emailed his restaurant for information and recommendations on home mills and they were kind enough to reply with mill recommendations.

Make again? - Yes, it was tasty.

Changes/Recommendations: Decrease the bake time, these pans are really quite efficient and I think this bake got away from me a little bit. Grind the dried rosemary less. Maybe increase size by 25% and the hydration 1% or 2%

Ratings

 


 


 


 



 


 Tony

 

July 11, 2023 - 2:39pm
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CalBeachBaker

Le Pain du Soleil

Today's bake:  Le Pain du Soleil

Source:  Sourdough Recipes for Rustic Fermented Breads, Sweets, Savories, and More - Sarah Owens

Note:  Increased TDW  to 2@ 1.0kg/ea., Hydration from 77.27 to 81.09%  due to fresh milled flour.

Substitutions: Bloody Butcher corn for corn meal, toasted sesame seeds for black sesame seeds.

Discussion: This is another fine bread from Sarah Owens. Mostly bread flour with additions of red WW, rye, and corn flours. The corn adds a nice grainy mouthfeel and the sunflower and sesame seeds combination a subtle nuttiness that is a nice addition to the crunchy crust that developed.

Sarah indicates that this is to be shaped into a classic French couronne (crown) shape by making a hole in the dough's center and then expand it but I wanted to have some fun and explore the  traditional Couronne Bordelaise shape you see in the photos below.

Make again? - Yes, it was tasty.

Changes/Recommendations: reduce the size of the dough disk so there is more separation of the disk from the dough balls for better esthetics.

Ratings




The 6 dough balls laying on top of the flattened dough disk which has been placed over a small bowl and plate under the proofing linen.


Cuts in the dough disk to be folded down to make the dough flaps.


Finally, the dough flaps pressed onto the dough balls. The next step is to invert each loaf onto a peel with parchment paper and then insert the loaf into the preheated oven with baking steel or stone.

See the process notes in the Formula section for a full description.




 Tony

 

July 10, 2023 - 2:02pm
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CalBeachBaker

Scalded Rye Bread - Rzhannoye Chleb S Zavarku (Russia)

Today's bake: Scalded Rye Bread - Rzhannoye Chleb S Zavarku (Russia)

Source: The Rye Baker by Stanley Ginsberg

Note:Changed TDW from 1.744  kg to 2.900 kg. to accommodate a Pullman pan - 15.75"x4"x4"/40x10x10cm

Discussion: I used 100% milled flour so this was a thirsty dough and could probably have used a bit more hydration, maybe and additional 1-2%. 2 stages with a scald makes this is another nice rye bread for rye lovers, very hearty and dense with the nice caraway seed adding flavor as a highlight.

Make again? - Yes, it was tasty.

Changes/Recommendations: Additional hydration as mentioned above.

Ratings

 






Enjoy

Tony

 

 

June 22, 2023 - 2:07pm
CalBeachBaker's picture
CalBeachBaker

Marble Rye - King Arthur Baking

Today's bake: Marble Rye

Source: King Arthur Baking

Note:Increased TDW from 1.124kg to 2.248kg to make two loaves, replaced an egg with a 'flax  egg', left out deli rye flavoring due to availability. 

Discussion: A friend purchased the ingredients for this bread and then asked that I bake it because it seemed too challenging which is to me like waving a red flag in front of a bull, so challenge accepted. I all seriousness this was a fun and easy bread to make. The only tricky part is placing the dough in the pans.

This bread is primarily AP flour and the main flavor comes from the caraway seed which I quite enjoy. There are notes of the cocoa and slight rye flavors from the rye flour, in addition.

My friend got the round loaf.

Make again? - Yes, it was fun and easy.

Changes/Recommendations: Get the deli rye flavoring and a tad more oil would make the dough moister.

Ratings

 








 Tony

 

June 13, 2023 - 1:23pm
CalBeachBaker's picture
CalBeachBaker

Blue (Bloody Butcher) Corn and Caramelized Onion Loaf

Today's bake: Blue (Bloody Butcher) Corn and Caramelized Onion Loaf

Source: Sourdough Recipes for Rustic Fermented Breads, Sweets, Savories, and More - Sarah Owens

Note: Substituted Bloody Butcher corn for Blue corn, increased TDW from 1.661kg to 2.5kg, increased hydration from 75.44% to 79.42% due to  fresh milled flour factor of 10%.

Discussion: This is another of Sarah's breads that I have enjoyed baking. I milled the corn and the Red Fife at the finest setting. This is a very tasty bread due to the onions and olive oil but you can definitely taste and feel the grainy texture of the corn which is quite nice and the corn and the onions also add nice flecks of coloring to the crust.

Make again? - Yes, definitely.

Changes/Recommendations: slightly decrease the quantity of olive oil.

Ratings


 


 





 

 

 

June 9, 2023 - 10:09am
CalBeachBaker's picture
CalBeachBaker

Pane di Altamura - The Italian Baker - Carol Field

Today's bake: Pane di Altamura

Source: The Italian Baker - Carol Field

Note: Increased hydration from 86.67% to 91.67% due to  fresh milled flour factor of 5%

Discussion: This bread has really expansive oven spring and blooming.  The crust is nice and crisp and the crumb a soft cake like quality.  The crumb tastes of dairy/cheesy and nutty flavors and the crust had notes of vanilla bean.

I recommend it to all who want a fun, easy to make bread that has an interesting visual appeal.

Make again? - Yes

Changes/Recommendations: Increase the TDW/number of loaves baked, slightly increase hydration due to the fresh ground grain.

Ratings


 

 Shaping Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phRWWndQW8s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXyowkDduNo   Shaping begins at the 12 min mark.

 


 




Tony

 

 

 

May 7, 2023 - 1:51pm
CalBeachBaker's picture
CalBeachBaker

Goat Cheese & Herb Babka

Today's bake: Goat Cheese & Herb Babka

Source: Clotilde Dusoulier - Chocolate & Zucchini  #cnzrecipes

Note:  Orig TDW 0.650kg & Pan 30x10x10cm; New TDW  0.900kg & Pan 40x10x10cm

Discussion: I was looking for something to bake for a gathering of friends and thought this would be a nice finger food. I also wanted to experiment with using a food processor to mix/knead the dough as detailed in 'The Italian Baker by Carol Field'.

I am happy to report that I watched as this bread vanished before my eyes within minutes and that the food processor did a fine job with this volume of dough.

The bread had a marvelous flavor mix due to the fresh basil, dried rosemary, and thyme mixed with the goat cheese and then brushed with EVOO at baking end.

Make again? - Yes, definitely a crowd pleaser.

Changes/Recommendations: Increase the TDW by ~20% to better fit my pan size.

Ratings



 



Tony

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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