A Fair Showing
Just a few pics of breads that I took to the fair this year. I had a lot of fun, earned a few ribbons, and got a lot of bread out of it!
My favorite (for the moment) out of this bunch is one that I don’t think I’ve ever posted. I’ve only baked it a couple of times, but it is just so good… one of what I think of as “aromatherapy breads.” I know they all smell good, but there are a few breads that give off an aroma that, all by itself, would be worth the effort. This one is a light rye with coriander and raisins. It’s so straightforward I won’t even post a formula. Just add around 5g freshly ground coriander and a handful of raisins per loaf to a 20% whole rye sourdough and you are there. It’s really about the coriander and raisins, so just about any dough you like would work. Happy Baking!
Marcus
Comments
Hi Marcus,
What beautiful loaves. No wonder you earned a 'few' ribbons. Judges must know their breads :*)
Never thought of coriander and raisin mix….I have only used it when I make heavy ryes like Borodinskys. I have been experimenting with lighter ryes these past couple of weeks so maybe I will experiment a bit longer now…
Thanks for the inspiration.
Janet
Thank you, Janet! The raisin and coriander combo appears in Tartine Bread as a whole wheat variation, but coriander is such a natural, and classic, match for rye I couldn't help but try it out. I like all the contrast between the sour rye, spicy/citrusy coriander and sweet raisins - a lot of complexity from a relatively simple bread. If you like it in your dark ryes I think you'll be happy with it in the light ones too.
Now I really can't resist. I read that you added 5g to your dough….but…how much flour was in your formula? I know coriander is quite potent and do not want to over do it . :O
Janet
It is pretty strong stuff. It would be about 5g for 350g flour - 1.5% more or less depending on rounding. You could try 1% and it should give you the idea without being overwhelming.
1% sounds good and is what I typically use as a starting point when using cinnamon or cardamom…others, like anise I tread lightly.
Thanks for the numbers.
Janet
Beautiful, Marcus!
Thanks, Floyd!
Those are truly some "blue ribbon" bakes! I let the cilantro growing in my garden bolt and go to seed. I had no idea what to do with a ton of fresh coriander seeds, but your raisin and coriander might be the ticket. Thanks for posting, Marcus!
Thanks, Mary! I envy you with all that home grown coriander to play with. I have developed a taste for it, so it gets added to all sorts of things in my kitchen. If you like the taste it works great in bread, even if you only use a little. I hope you get a chance to try it out.
blue ribbons for all of them - you face stiffer competition than you find at most fairs. Glad you won your fair share - well done and happy baking Marcus.
Thank you, dabrownman, the ribbons were blue. There were some other good looking breads, but participation in the bread classes is pretty light, so I think I was the only entry in some of them. Half the battle is being obsessed enough to take time off in the middle of the week to bake a bunch of bread - score one for the slightly crazy! :)
Hello Marcus,
Your breads and baking are, and have been for some time now, at such a high level in terms of what can be found on the net, it comes as no surprise to hear that your breads did so well at the local Fair. Your respect for the craft shows in everything you post and I always look forward to seeing what comes out of your oven next.
The very best,
Franko
You are altogether too kind, Franko, thank you! I'm still just trying to learn that one more thing, whatever it might be:)
I'm excited to see what it is all about, but I'm at office and the link to the photos is broken. Will see them when I get back home. Were the coriander ground?
You certainly are worthy of all the praise above.
Thanks for sharing. I think I will try coriander-raisin combination in bread soon.
Khalid
Those are beauties, Marcus! What recipe did you use for the Miche?
Thank you, Khalid! Every time I bake this many breads I have even more respect for you and the rest of the market bakers who are generous enough to share your experiences here. Once a year is plenty for me!
Yes, the coriander was ground, fresh for the bread.
The big loaf is a slightly simplified version of the Schnaitsee Rye I posted some time ago. I didn’t do a two stage build this time and I threw some flaxseeds on it to make it a bit more eye-catching. Otherwise, it is basically the same bread. I only made one (scaled to 1800g) so I don’t know how the crumb turned out, but there were no blowouts and it didn’t shrink back on itself so I figure it was probably OK.
Beautiful baking and well deserved ribbons! What kind of bread is the first one on the post?
Thank you so much, Ian! I have included a link to that bread in my reply to Khalid, above. That was my something you don’t see around here everyday loaf. It was received with a, “Whoa, that’s a heavy one!” when I dropped it off, so I guess it made it’s point :)
Bravo!
The crust on those babies are just spectacular. No doubt in my mind, if I saw those breads at a bakery or local market, I'd drop my wallet and quickly snatch them up.
Also, thank you for suggesting the coriander and raisin combo. I've both on hand but haven't done much with either.
Zita
Thank you for the generous words, Zita! It's nice to hear from you, I hope all is going well at the Backerei.