My learning curve...Normandy Apple Sourdough and Brownbread
Today was a good day so far. I was able to produce two great loaves of Normandy Apple Sourdough, two loaves of Brownbread, and I have a Olive Sourdough in the fridge for baking in the morning.
Here is the Normandy Apple Sourdough, using my starter Miracle Max for the build.
The crust browned up real nice, but I feared it may be a bit too crunchy. As the loaves cooled though the crust softened up nicely. The crumb is nice and moist with the apples making a really nice kick of flavor. The loaves arent even fully cooled yet and the first loaf is half gone. The family loves it. And to think they all looked kinda puzzled when I had so many starters growing in the kitchen.
Next up was Boston Brown Bread. I deviated from the recipe in that I used frozen blueberries in place of dried ones. I thawed, drained excess juice and then added with my liquids. I was hoping for a very overpowering blueberry flavor. I didnt quite achieve that though. The molasses in the recipe came out a little stronger than I would have thought. They are good still the same, but not exactly my cup of tea.
Okie Dokie, after that, I have a loaf of Olive Sourdough that has already been shaped, it is just doing an overnight retardation in the fridge. I will update the finished product after Mondays Bake.
TT
Comments
Great Pictures TT, They looks delicious.
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zainab
OMG, those breads look fantastic. Apple sourdough.... it sure sounds and looks like a good combination.
I'm going to ask a really stupid question. What are the round tins for? Is it for shape or does it serve another purpose? They look really cool.
To me, no question is stupid. The tins are just coffee cans with the labels peeled off, years ago logo's were painted right onto the cans. Nowadays the manufacturers just print a screen they can wrap around the can. Just peel them off, wash, and your ready to go.
(scuse me, TT,) I believe the coffee can approach, which is typical when making brown bread, is simply the New World version of the traditional English pudding mould--not talking Jell-O here, but pudding in the sense of a sort of steamed cake or sweetish bread. A true pudding mould would be a cylindrical affair with a tight fitting lid to keep the water out--nowadays it's often a coffee can and tin foil instead, if the bread isn't 'baked' in a pot of simmering water, then it's simply fun and a nod to tradition.
-TT, I think you obviously baked, not steamed this bread--am I right? And is it yeasted or otherwise? (I've never made brown bread, I've been meaning to for years...stop me if you've heard this before...) You are amazing, the sourdough apple looks fantastic, and to think it's your 'maiden' voyage, Good Lord.
Thanks for that explanation, browndog. I remember eating some kind of bread out of a can as a kid, but it was moist. It must have been steamed as you described?
It's looks very interesting. I might have to try something like that.
my mother used to serve it, I thought it was dreadful. I think it was even B&M like the beans and I'm sure it's still available. So I always thought I hated Boston brown bread as a result, which is awfully like hating spaghetti after being served Chef Boyardee. TT's looks wonderful. I believe Boston brown bread, as well as being steamed, is usually a baking soda bread. Pardon me for rambling, but there are breads traditionally baked in cylinders that are not expected to be steamed, Kulich, or Russian Easter bread, is the first one comes to mind.
I guess I didnt even answer the question posed did I? Thanks browndog for jumpin to my aid.
Sorry squid.
Yep, this was designed to be a bread made in a water bath I believe. However this is a baked version from Artisan Baking- Glezer. It is a yeasted bread as well.
Thanks again browndog, for compliments and your assistance.
TT
No probs, TT. Your enthusiasm is infectious.
You're making great breads. Your white bread on the front page made me want to GET OUT THE BREADBOWL! And the breads in this thread look delicious. I will get out the breadbowl for the applebread. Is the Boston Brown bread the one in Glezer's book? If it is and you say the molasses was too much I'll cut it back. I used to make this bread a lot and love it with cream cheese but I lost my original recipe. I have one coffee can but need another.. then I'm going to make it too. Great job with your partner JMonkey and the epic sourdough starter post. I look forward to the sequel. weavershouse
The Normandy Apple Sourdough was from Bread by Jeffery Hammelman. I highly suggest you try it, it is excellent. And it was fairly easy to make. Partly due to the fact that I just used an inexpensive dehydrator for the apples, so I didnt have to heat up the oven to dry them out. There is Apple Cider in it, but my taste buds really didnt pick up their flavor as much as the slices of apples brought to the bread.
Brown Bread notes
To be completely honest I deviated a bit more than I first posted. After re-reading my post, I did not put in the fact that I used Spelt flour instead of the white corn meal. Also the recipe called for light molasses, which I could not find at the store, so I used regular molasses.
And yes, it is the Brown Bread from Artisan Baking - Maggie Glezer. They posted it as a beginner bread. I would say that part is correct, but it requires 4 different types of flour. Which in my opinion, most beginners probably wouldnt have in their pantry at one time. I had the corn meal, but really needed an excuse to put spelt in something, so I figured why not.
TT
I can't wait to make some of my own.
Just curious, did you keep the commercial yeast or go pure sourdough? If you did go with the yeast, was there still a pronounced sourdough taste?
Yep, I followed the recipe on this one, and kept the yeast in it. And yes, it definately has a sourdough taste. You can even smell it as soon as you pick the loaf up.
I never noticed before but as I was flipping through my different books with sourdoughs I found there are alot of sourdough recipes that still call for instant yeast. Do have any insite as to why?
I'd imagine that bakers include commercial yeast to reduce the "tang" and to speed up production. As for Hammelman's case, since the book seems aimed mostly at commercial bakers, I'd guess that the primary motivation would be to reduce fermentation time, so they can get more loaves out the door with less waiting around.
looks soooo fantastic!!!! I can't wait to make some!
Cheers TT!!!!! And uuuuuurrrrrraaaaahhhhh for Miracle Max! Maybe he's part of the few, the proud, the marines???? :D :D
Wow, TT, that looks so delicious and something I definitely must try, I am very impressed with how beautiful andd dlicious the crumb of the apple bread looks. What a crust, too! Great job!
Today I made two loaves of my plain ol' whitebread (yeasted), a loaf of Chocolate Bread from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads , and a big loaf of olive bread (sourdough).
The 2 white loaves came out good, I wasnt really surprised, done these a bunch lately. But my Olive Bread I really had high hopes for. Nope, not to be. I followed the instructions, and let the dough rest in the fridge overnight and all.
Oh, hang on crisis in kitchen
Im sitting here typin away on my laptop in the living room, and my wife goes "it sounds like one of your starters just popped its lid."
She says "I'll check", goes out to the kitchen and I here "bwah,ha,ha,ha, honey strange is loose"
I go into the kitchen and here he is-
All proud of himself, popping his lid off. At least we heard him when we were still up.
I upped his feeding trying to get him to go longer in between, he just eats it faster.
Anywho where was I , oh yeah, my Olive Sourdough. I got it out this morning to bake, got her warmed up and into the oven on the stone. Started the stopwatch on my watch and went out to start working in my garden. I kept hearing this faint, beep,beep, beep. But had no idea what it was, it was so faint. After a while it dawned on me, OH NO MY BREAD..running into the house- kids and dogs scattering out of my way and dang it....Burnt bread, cooled, cut open crumb, dang it - not salvagable, into the garbage you go.
Next up after garden work. Quick Chocolate Bread. Followed instructions to the T...It said bake for 1hr. at 350'F. I baked for 1hr,40min. and it still was not fully baked. The ingredients were very wet, orange juice, melted butter, melted chocolate, eggs, vanilla extract, orange zest, mashed potatos, honey, etc. After adding all dry ingredients it said mix to paste, did that, I thought wow, this is pretty easy. Hardest part so far was using double boiler to melt butter/chocolate. Hah!, easy huh, Oh well, I know my oven temp is good, I have an extra thermometer in the oven seperate from the oven itself, I had a good 350'F. Maybe it was the tater's, oh well..
Better luck next time..
TT
I'm very new to the site, but I drool daily when I get these fabulous pictures.
I am starting a bakery this summer and am regularly practicing with breads at home.
Can someone direct me to where I can find the recipes for the above breads. I want to run to the kitchen right now to make!
Thanks so much.
I love this site!
Miriam
The combination of apples is a great idea, I love apples especially wit cinnamon on them, but I never used them in breads, I love the bread.
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