From aa77744a37ef3aefeb672fbff9efa49c211ff583 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Mohit Agarwal Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2024 16:55:12 +0000 Subject: Initial commit. --- 01-01-introduction.md | 10 + 02-01-bread-basics.md | 8 + 02-02-bakers-math.md | 47 ++++ 02-03-ingredients.md | 12 + 02-04-the-basic-four.md | 245 +++++++++++++++++++++ 02-05-commercial-yeast.md | 3 + 02-06-leavening.md | 84 +++++++ 02-07-salt.md | 29 +++ 02-08-water.md | 29 +++ 02-09-wild-yeast.md | 3 + 02-10-other-ingredients.md | 48 ++++ 02-11-sourdough-starters.md | 76 +++++++ 02-12-keeping-starter-on-the-counter.md | 68 ++++++ 02-13-maintaining-sourdough-in-the-refrigerator.md | 19 ++ 02-14-pre-ferments.md | 40 ++++ 02-15-process-and-technique.md | 7 + 02-16-mixing-and-dough-development.md | 214 ++++++++++++++++++ 02-17-baking.md | 77 +++++++ 02-18-storing-bread.md | 21 ++ 02-19-scoring-bread.md | 165 ++++++++++++++ 03-01-recipies.md | 4 + 03-02-buttermilk-and-honey-whole.md | 74 +++++++ 03-03-san-fransisco-style-sourdough.md | 75 +++++++ 03-04-poolish-baguettes.md | 61 +++++ 03-05-ciabatta-with-poolish.md | 62 ++++++ 03-06-25-percent-whole-wheat.md | 56 +++++ 03-07-40-pecent-rye-w-caraway.md | 61 +++++ 03-08-40-percent-rye-w-flaxseeds.md | 76 +++++++ 03-09-overnight-sourdough-pizza-crust.md | 90 ++++++++ 03-10-overnight-wholegrain-sourdough.md | 61 +++++ 03-11-thee-seed-sourdough-baguette.md | 98 +++++++++ 03-12-whole-wheat-cinamon-rolls.md | 125 +++++++++++ 03-13-whole-wheat-sourdough-english-muffins.md | 52 +++++ 03-14-whole-wheat-sourdough-sandwhich.md | 71 ++++++ 03-15-whole-wheat-sourdough-waffles.md | 48 ++++ 04-01-glossary.md | 115 ++++++++++ 05-01-further-reading.md | 3 + 06-01-contributors.md | 19 ++ 07-01-license.md | 13 ++ Makefile | 4 + 40 files changed, 2373 insertions(+) create mode 100644 01-01-introduction.md create mode 100644 02-01-bread-basics.md create mode 100644 02-02-bakers-math.md create mode 100644 02-03-ingredients.md create mode 100644 02-04-the-basic-four.md create mode 100644 02-05-commercial-yeast.md create mode 100644 02-06-leavening.md create mode 100644 02-07-salt.md create mode 100644 02-08-water.md create mode 100644 02-09-wild-yeast.md create mode 100644 02-10-other-ingredients.md create mode 100644 02-11-sourdough-starters.md create mode 100644 02-12-keeping-starter-on-the-counter.md create mode 100644 02-13-maintaining-sourdough-in-the-refrigerator.md create mode 100644 02-14-pre-ferments.md create mode 100644 02-15-process-and-technique.md create mode 100644 02-16-mixing-and-dough-development.md create mode 100644 02-17-baking.md create mode 100644 02-18-storing-bread.md create mode 100644 02-19-scoring-bread.md create mode 100644 03-01-recipies.md create mode 100644 03-02-buttermilk-and-honey-whole.md create mode 100644 03-03-san-fransisco-style-sourdough.md create mode 100644 03-04-poolish-baguettes.md create mode 100644 03-05-ciabatta-with-poolish.md create mode 100644 03-06-25-percent-whole-wheat.md create mode 100644 03-07-40-pecent-rye-w-caraway.md create mode 100644 03-08-40-percent-rye-w-flaxseeds.md create mode 100644 03-09-overnight-sourdough-pizza-crust.md create mode 100644 03-10-overnight-wholegrain-sourdough.md create mode 100644 03-11-thee-seed-sourdough-baguette.md create mode 100644 03-12-whole-wheat-cinamon-rolls.md create mode 100644 03-13-whole-wheat-sourdough-english-muffins.md create mode 100644 03-14-whole-wheat-sourdough-sandwhich.md create mode 100644 03-15-whole-wheat-sourdough-waffles.md create mode 100644 04-01-glossary.md create mode 100644 05-01-further-reading.md create mode 100644 06-01-contributors.md create mode 100644 07-01-license.md create mode 100644 Makefile diff --git a/01-01-introduction.md b/01-01-introduction.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..35d5e55 --- /dev/null +++ b/01-01-introduction.md @@ -0,0 +1,10 @@ +# Introduction + +There are few things that smell quite as good as a loaf of bread +baking in the oven. But there are other benefits beyond just that +lovely smell of baking your own bread. It’s cheaper, tastier, and, +more often than not, healthier than buying it from the store. + +Our goal with this e-book is to help amateur bakers produce the kind +of bread that they would most like to pull from their ovens. We hope +that it helps you. diff --git a/02-01-bread-basics.md b/02-01-bread-basics.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e1ea384 --- /dev/null +++ b/02-01-bread-basics.md @@ -0,0 +1,8 @@ +# Bread Basics + +You can jump right in and start baking without knowing much about the +ingredients or how the process works, but if you'll take the time to +learn a little bit about the baking process you'll find baking to be +much more rewarding. You'll also be equipped to modify recipes to fit +your taste if you first understand how those modifications will change +the results. diff --git a/02-02-bakers-math.md b/02-02-bakers-math.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1ff169f --- /dev/null +++ b/02-02-bakers-math.md @@ -0,0 +1,47 @@ +## Baker's Math + +Let's have a quick math lesson. + +Math?! Yes! Professional bakers don't usually talk about recipes, but +rather about formulas. Bread is all about proportions, and baker's math +is a way of breaking down ingredients into these proportions so that you +can scale up or down as needed. It also makes baking much easier +because, once you understand the basic proportions, you can freely mix +and match ingredients to invent all kinds of breads on your own. + +It's not necessary to learn baker's math to bake good bread, of +course, but it can expand your ability to mix and match ingredients and +break free of recipes to create your own formulas. + +In baker's math, every ingredient is expressed in terms of the flour +weight, which is always expressed as 100 percent. For example, let's +take a typical formula for French bread: + +* Flour: 100% +* Water: 66% +* Salt: 2% +* Instant yeast: 0.6% +* Total: 170% + +So, let's say we've got 500 grams of flour. If I wanted to make French +bread, here's how I'd figure out the weight of the other ingredients\ + +* Water: 500 * 0.66 = 330 grams +* Salt: 500 * .02 = 10 grams +* Instant yeast: 500 *.006 = 3 grams + +We can also first decide how much dough we want, and work backwards. +Let's say we want to make 1 kilogram of dough. First, we need to figure +out how much flour we need. To do this, we divide the total of all the +ingredient percentages added up (170% = 1.7) into the total weight of +the dough: + +1000 grams / 1.7 = 588 grams of flour (rounded to nearest gram). + +Now that we know the flour weight, we figure out the weight of each of +the ingredients by multiplying their percentage by the flour weight, +just as we did above. + +* Water = 0.66 * 588 = 388 grams +* Salt = .02 * 588 = 12 grams (rounded) +* Instant yeast = .006 * 588 = 4 grams (rounded) diff --git a/02-03-ingredients.md b/02-03-ingredients.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6cd1ef0 --- /dev/null +++ b/02-03-ingredients.md @@ -0,0 +1,12 @@ +## Ingredients + +At its core, bread is made of four ingredients: flour, water, salt and +some sort of leavening. It’s possible to make bread without salt, +though saltless bread, to most palates, tastes a lot like cardboard. +There are even those who eliminate leavening, though at this point, +the loaf doesn't really taste like what most of us would expect from a +loaf of bread. + +One can add all sorts of other ingredients, of course, from +sweeteners, to nuts, fruits and fats – but the essence of any bread +comes down to these basic four. diff --git a/02-04-the-basic-four.md b/02-04-the-basic-four.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..95163da --- /dev/null +++ b/02-04-the-basic-four.md @@ -0,0 +1,245 @@ +### The Basic Four + +In this section, we'll go over the basic four ingredients: flour, +water, salt and leavening. + +#### Flour + +Wheat flour comes in many different forms. First, let’s talk a bit +about the wheat from which it originates. + +The wheat berry has three basic parts: the endosperm, the germ and the +bran. The germ is the embryonic plant, but is only about 2-3% of the +total berry. The endosperm, which is about 75% of the berry, serves as +food for the germ as it sprouts. The rest is the bran, which protects +the tiny germ. + +White flour is almost pure endosperm, whereas whole-wheat flour +retains all three parts. As a result, white flour will keep for a long +time at room temperature – probably a year or more. Whole-wheat flour, +on the other hand, contains the oily germ, and that oil goes rancid at +room temperature in just a couple of months. This is why so many +people think that whole wheat bread tastes bitter; mostly likely, the +bread they ate was made from rancid flour. + +##### All-purpose flour + +**All-purpose or artisan flour:** For most artisan white breads, +bakers generally prefer all-purpose (AP) or so-called artisan flour. +These flours typically have a protein percentage of 10.5% to 11.5% or +so. King Arthur Flour’s regular AP flour is about 11.7%, so it’s on +the very high end, while General Mill’s AP flours are about 10.5%. +Most Southern brands of AP flours like White Lily are not good for +making bread, because they have a low protein percentage and are also +bleached, but are better suited to cakes and biscuits. + +Bleached flour will produce bread if it has a high enough protein +percentage, but it will not have the same golden color or rich flavor +of unbleached flour. + +King Arthur Flour’s Organic Artisan Flour and Giusto’s Baker’s Choice +are favorites among amateur artisan bakers. They’re about 11.3% +protein and perform beautifully, striking a nice balance between rise +and flavor. However, these preferences aside, one can bake very good +bread from basically any unbleached all-purpose flour one can buy at +the grocery store. + +##### Bread Flour + +**Bread flour:** White bread flour is typically between 11.5% and 12.5% +protein. Some brands, such as King Arthur Flour, are very strong with +close to 13% protein, whereas others are closer to All-Purpose flour. +Bread flour is good to use when making bread with a high percentage of +rye flour or a lot of goodies like nuts, seeds, cooked grains or dried +fruits. It produces a spectacular rise, but without additions, some +bakers find that bread made from this flour is a bit tough and +somewhat lacking in flavor compared to all-purpose flour. + +##### Whole Wheat Flour + +**Whole wheat bread flour:** Not all whole wheat flours are the same. The +bran in whole-wheat flour punctures the gluten web which traps gas, so +it won’t rise quite as high as most white flours. As a result, you +want to find a whole-wheat flour with as high a protein percentage as +possible. The bran also contains protein, so look for a flour with at +least 14% protein. You’ll also want to make sure that it’s fresh +becausewhole wheat flour goes rancid after just a couple of months at +room temperature because it retains the oily germ. King Arthur Flour +and Giusto’s are both high-quality brands. + +You’ll want to store whole-wheat flours in the freezer so that they’ll +keep longer. + +**White whole wheat bread flour:** Traditionally, whole wheat bread flour +is made from hard red winter wheat or hard red spring wheat. However, +in recent years, a variety of hard white wheat flour has come on the +market that is strong enough to make bread. It lacks the tannins that +give the red wheat its color and, for some people, a bitter flavor. +Some folks really like it, finding that it mimics the taste of white +flour and is less bitter than traditional whole wheat flour; others +find it has a waxy texture that’s unappealing. But white whole wheat +flour is certainly worth trying to see what you think. + +**Whole wheat pastry flour:** Perfect for all quick breads, this flour is +made almost exclusively from soft white winter wheat, and has a low +percentage of protein. So long as you increase the liquid in the +recipe a bit, you can substitute it for white flour in nearly all +quick breads, and hardly anyone will be able to tell the difference. +Really! + +##### Rye Flour + +While wheat flour predominates in the breads of southern Europe and +the UK, rye flour plays a more important role in the breads of +northern and eastern Europe. This is due to rye's superior ability to +grow in the poorer soils and cooler, wetter climates of those regions. + +*Chemical differences* in the proteins and enzymes found in rye present +differences in how rye flour behaves when mixed with water to make +dough, and these differences impact the use of pre-ferments, mixing, +fermentation and baking when there is more rye than wheat flour in the +dough. + +There are a number of different types of *rye products* available. They +vary in how much of the rye berry is included, just as whole wheat +differs from white wheat flour. They also differ in how finely ground +the rye is. + +There are breads made with 100% rye flour, but many other breads are +made with lesser percentages. The influence of rye flour on dough +handling and on the resulting taste and texture of the bread varies +according to the proportion of rye used. + +**Chemical differences in rye** + +Gluten is the primary protein found in wheat, and the methods of +mixing dough made with wheat flour center on their impact on gluten +development and structure. Gluten forms the framework of cells that +trap the carbon dioxide generated by fermentation of sugar by yeast. +This trapping generates the expansion of the dough (rising) and +ultimately the texture of the bread's crumb. + +Rye contains much less gluten than wheat, and the gluten rye contains +is of poor quality when it comes to trapping air bubbles. +Consequently, breads made with mostly rye flour do not expand as much +as those made with mostly wheat flour. The crumb of breads in which +rye predominates tends to be dense with smaller holes. On the other +hand, rye has more free sugars than wheat, so rye dough ferments +faster. + +Rye contains a group of important complex sugars called “pentosans.” +These are present in other grains, but rye has more of this substance. +Pentosans are important to the baker for several reasons. They compete +with the proteins that make gluten for water, and water is the +substance that leads the proteins to combine to form gluten. This +means that rye doughs often require a higher proportion of water than +doughs in which wheat predominates. Pentosans break apart easily +during mixing, and their fragments result in a stickier dough. Because +of this, rye doughs require gentler and, usually, briefer mixing than +wheat doughs. + +Rye is higher in the enzymes (amylases) that break down starch into +sugars. Starch is needed to form the structure of the crumb, and if +too much starch is split up, the texture of the bread suffers and +becomes gummy. Traditionally, this is prevented by acidifying the rye +dough, which slows down the action of amylases. This is why breads +with a high percentage of rye flour are made with rye sour (rye-based +sourdough starter), even if commercial yeast is added. + +Acidification of rye dough has other nutritional advantages specific +to rye bread which may also be of interest to the home baker, as well +as the advantages that also apply to wheat-based sourdoughs. + +**Rye products used in baking bread** + +Whole rye berries may be used in bread, after soaking, to contribute +flavor and texture. Rye berries are also used after breaking them into +smaller pieces in the form of rye chops, cracked rye, rye flakes, and +so forth. + +The rye flours you may find include the following: + +* Pumpernickel flour -- Whole grain, coarsely ground rye meal. +* Dark rye flour -- "flour milled from the periphery of the grain, similar + to the clear flour produced during the miller (sic.) of the wheat. + It tends to be coarse and sandy, to absorb quite a lot of water, and + in general is difficult to work with." Hamelman, J. *Bread*. pp. 48 ff. +* Rye flour -- Generally whole grain rye more finely ground than + pumpernickel Medium rye flour – Some but not all of the germ and + bran have been removed from the whole grain. +* Light or White rye flour -- Equivalent to all purpose or patent + wheat flour. The bran and germ have been mostly, if not entirely, + milled out of the rye berry. + +In Europe, especially Northern Europe, a much wider range of rye +flours is available, encompassing different grinds as well as a +variety of percentages of bran and germ. + +Rye flour that contains the oily germ (pumpernickel, dark and medium) +spoils very quickly, so try to buy the freshest possible and store it +in the freezer. + +**Rye flour used together with wheat flour** + +A small amount of rye – 5-10% of the total flour by weight – has a +definite effect on the flavor of the bread. The distinctive flavor of +the rye itself may not be noticed, yet the bread's overall flavor +seems better. This may be due to the action of the amylases in rye +releasing more sugars. This small addition of rye is what defines a +French pain de campagne. These breads are often sourdoughs, but the +rye may be added with the rest of the flour rather than as a rye sour. +There is so little rye in the dough, that it's behavior during mixing +and fermentation and its texture when baked may be indistinguishable +from a purely wheat bread. + +Breads containing up to 40% rye flour are usually called “rye bread.” +Jewish Sour Rye (New York Rye, Deli Rye) is a familiar example. The +rye flour is in a large enough proportion so that it is advisable to +add all or most of it as a rye sour. There is enough rye so that a +distinct rye flavor is tasted. However, there is enough wheat flour to +provide gluten to form the kind of crumb we associate with wheat +breads. + +The dough in these breads will feel different during mixing, tending +to be stickier. The temptation is to add more flour, but this should +be resisted. When hand kneading sticky rye doughs, using rapid, light +strokes - minimizing the time your hands are in contact with the dough +- decreases the amount of dough that will stick to your hands. You may +also find that wetting your hands with water or lightly oiling them +helps. + +Breads with over 50% rye flour are another story. All the special +considerations due to the chemical differences in rye become more +important as the proportion of rye increases. Typically, these breads +have a short bulk rise and, once baked, should be allowed to rest for +several hours before slicing, so the crumb can set up properly. In the +case of breads with 70% rye or more, a rest of 24 hours, even up to a +couple of days, may be required. + +##### Other flours + +**Pastry flour:** Pastry flour is perfect for making quick breads like +muffins, banana bread, waffles, and pancakes. Its protein percentage +is usually about 6% to 8%. + +**High-gluten flour:** This flour is typically only available to +commercial bakers or via mail order from places like King Arthur +Flour. Its protein level is usually greater than 14%. It’s used in +bagels (it gives them their tasty chewy texture) and breads with a +high percentage of rye. + +**Fancy durum flour:** Also known as semonlina flour (though ground +finer) or pasta flour, durum flour is made from durum wheat. Though +high in protein, durum flour does not contain enough gluten to make +good bread unless mixed in with regular wheat flour. + +**00 flour:** 00 is an Italian designation for a type of flour commonly +used in pizza crust. It is softer (lower in protein) than American +bread or all purpose flour. + +**Spelt flour:** Spelt, which is also known as farro, is an ancient grain +that is a cousin to wheat. It contains enough gluten to make a light +loaf of bread, but absorbs less water than wheat, and so requires a +lower hydration. The gluten is also somewhat less resiliant than that +of wheat, and, as such, one needs to be careful when using a mixer, as +it's easy to over-develop. diff --git a/02-05-commercial-yeast.md b/02-05-commercial-yeast.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..caa0c39 --- /dev/null +++ b/02-05-commercial-yeast.md @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +#### Commercial Yeast + +Coming soon diff --git a/02-06-leavening.md b/02-06-leavening.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..900d615 --- /dev/null +++ b/02-06-leavening.md @@ -0,0 +1,84 @@ +#### Leavening + +There are all kinds of ways the leaven breads. Here, we’ll be talking +about two leavens: commercial yeasts and sourdoughs. + +##### Commercial Yeast + +The three most common types of commercial yeast are: + +**Fresh yeast:** Truth be told, fresh yeast, which is also known as cake +yeast, is hard for home bakers to find these days. They are sold as +little “cakes” that must be kept refrigerated, and they go bad after a +few days. Many professional bakeries, however, still use fresh yeast, +and so many bread formulas are written with fresh yeast in mind. +Typically, breads that rise for 1.5 to 2 hours in bulk and 1 to 1.5 +hours shaped call for fresh yeast at 2% of total flour weight. + +Many recipes use much, much less yeast than that, however, and they +ferment for much longer, which gives the bread more flavor. + +**Active dry yeast:** This is the kind of yeast that you’re most likely to +find in your grocery store. Typically, you’ll want to use about 1 to 2 +tsp per loaf and, if the formula calls for fresh yeast, you’ll need to +measure out 40% of that weight to convert to active dry. + +Active dry yeast needs to be “proofed” before using, which means it +needs to be dissolved in about ¼ to ½ cup of lukewarm water (about 90 +degrees F or so). + +**Instant yeast:** This is what many amateur bakers prefer to use. In +grocery stores you'll often find it labels "Rapid Rise Yeast" or +"Bread Machine Yeast." It looks like active dry yeast, but it retains +many more living yeasts in each grain. As a result, there's no need to +proof it – just add the yeast directly to the dry ingredients. If the +formula calls for fresh yeast, measure out 1/3 of that weight for +instant yeast. If the recipe calls for active dry yeast, cut the +measurement by about 25 percent. + +##### Sourdough + +Before the 19th century, sourdough was really the only leavening +available (unless you’re talking about salt rising bread, which uses +bacteria alone – a leavening with which this book does not deal). +Sourdough is really not that hard to work with – as some Internet sage +once wrote, “People who thought the earth was flat made bread like +this for thousands of years.” + +First, what is this stuff? Sourdough starter is a stable symbiotic +culture of wild yeasts and bacteria. The yeasts break down starches +into sugars, which the bacteria eat. The bacteria, on the other hand, +create an acidic environment that kills off competitors to the yeasts. +The yeasts were almost certainly already living on the grains when +they were out in the field. As for the bacteria, that’s a trickier +question, but the consensus seems to be that they come from us – +studies have failed to isolate Lactobacillus Sanfranciscensis anywhere +except in long-lived sourdough starters and on human teeth. The +individual mix of yeasts and bacteria varies from starter to starter, +and region to region. It's part of their charm; every starter is +unique, and produces bread that tastes somewhat different from those +produced with other starters. + +Sourdough starters work more slowly than commercial yeasts, which are +much more concentrated that starters and have been carefully selected +for their gas production. Typically, a sourdough loaf will rise for at +least three to four hours in the bowl and will then need +another two to three hours as a shaped loaf before it will be +ready to bake. + +Not all sourdough breads are sour. The French pain au levain and +Flemish desem breads are typically not very sour at all, while San +Francisco-style sourdoughs and many German ryes are very sour, indeed! + +Different starters will produce different levels of sourness, but by +far the most important factor in a sourdough bread's flavor is +temperature. If the dough is allowed to ferment at 80 to 85 degrees or +is allowed to rise slowly overnight in the fridge or in a cool room +(35 to 50 degrees F), the bread will have a markedly stronger flavor +than a sourdough that rose at room temperature (65 – 70 degrees F). + +Sourdough breads generally keep well, because their acid content slows +down the staling process. In addition, the acid in sourdough both +reduces the impact of bread on one's blood sugar and also neutralizes +phytic acid in whole wheat breads. Phytic acid prevents the body from +absorbing many nutrients. diff --git a/02-07-salt.md b/02-07-salt.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2166bb8 --- /dev/null +++ b/02-07-salt.md @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +#### Salt + +Salt retards the yeast and helps control the fermentation process. It +also adds a flavor that most of us expect in even the simplest of +breads. Some people claim that they can taste a big difference in +their bread depending on the type of salt they use. The famed Poilane +bakery in Paris, for example, uses only coarse gray sea salt from +Normandy. + +Other bakers can’t tell a bit of difference. But one aspect in which +different salts do objectively differ is their density. For this +reason, many bakers weigh their salt because weights are always the +same, no matter what kind of salt one uses. + +If you’re measuring by volume, however, you’ll want to pay attention +to the following: + +**Table salt or finely ground sea salt:** This is the standard for almost +all recipes. You can follow the instructions as they are written. + +**Sea salt:** You’ll want to increase the volumetric measure by about 50%. + +**Kosher salt:** Double the listed volumetric measure. + +Typically, salt is measured at 2 percent of the flour weight, except +for rye breads, which are typically at 1.8 percent. The salt +proportion may go down a half percent or more if salty ingredients +such as olives are incorporated, and may go up 0.3 or 0.5 percent if +cooked grains, nuts or seeds are added. diff --git a/02-08-water.md b/02-08-water.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..467ab64 --- /dev/null +++ b/02-08-water.md @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +#### Water + +Water activates the yeast and starts the process of developing the +proteins that make up gluten into a web that will trap air and create +a dough. + +Basically, concerning water, if you can drink it, you can bake with +it. + +That said, some municipalities put an awful lot of chlorine in their +water. If you’re concerned that the chlorine might interfere with the +action of your leavening, the solution is simple: fill a bowl with +water and leave it uncovered overnight – the chlorine will dissipate +completely. + +The percentage of water varies quite a bit depending on the type of +bread. + +**Bagels:** Made from a dry dough, water is anywhere from 50% to 60% + +**Sandwich bread:** 60% to 65% + +**French bread (baguettes, etc.):** 65% to 70% + +**Ciabattas:** 70% to 80% + +**Whole grain breads:** Whole grains absorb a lot more water than do white +flours. For whole-wheat bagels, bakers hydrate the dough at about 60%. +For most other breads, they go anywhere from 70% to 85%. diff --git a/02-09-wild-yeast.md b/02-09-wild-yeast.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..64a74e2 --- /dev/null +++ b/02-09-wild-yeast.md @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +#### Wild Yeast + +Also known as sourdough. diff --git a/02-10-other-ingredients.md b/02-10-other-ingredients.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9e92c2f --- /dev/null +++ b/02-10-other-ingredients.md @@ -0,0 +1,48 @@ +### Other Ingredients + +**Milk, buttermilk, yogurt:** When used in place of water, these +ingredients soften the crumb and crust, and, especially in the case of +buttermilk and yogurt, add flavor to the bread. They will also +accentuate the browning of the crust. + +**Flavored Water:** When making onion or garlic flavored breads, one thing +that can be done is to flavor the water used to make the dough. +Typically dry onions are added to boiling water to rehydrate the +onions then allowed to cool. A small amount is all that is needed, +say, 1/4 Cup of onions in 2 cups of hot water. You may add the re +hydrated onions to the mix or use it as topping, or not. The water +will add a wonderful aroma and flavor to the bread. Dry garlic chips +may also be used in this manner. Onion rye, onion bagels benefit from +this treatment. + +**Fats (oils and butter):** Fats soften crumb and crust, add flavor and +lengthen life of bread. The amount varies widely. Sandwich breads +usually have somewhere between 2% to 10% of the flour weight, whereas +a brioche could have 80%, even 100% (!!) the flour weight in butter. + +**Sugar (honey, molasses, sugar, syrup):** Sweeteners also add flavor, +and, in some cases like honey, can also delay staling. It is a myth +that the yeast needs additional sugar in order to work in the dough. +In fact, in high quantities, sugar can negatively affect the yeast. +Typically sweeteners are 5% to 15% of the flour weight. + +**Seeds and nuts (sesame, flax, pecans, sunflower, etc.):** These are +really yummy, and are often toasted before adding them to the dough, +usually at the end of the dough’s development. Sometimes, the addition +of seeds and nuts requires the addition of more salt, bumping the salt +percentage up to 2.5% or so. + +**Dried fruits:** These are excellent additions to breads, especially +raisins and dried apples. It’s a good idea to soak these for a +half-hour or even overnight before adding so that those that end up on +the surface don’t burn. Dried fruits are typically at 15% to 30%. + +**Spices and herbs:** These can add a lot of flavor to breads, but be +careful not to overdo it. Dried herbs are best. Traditional additions +include dill, rosemary and cinnamon. Typically these are about 2% to +3%. + +**Note:** Tree-bark spices like cinnamon and allspice contain anti-fungal +compounds that retard the activity of the yeast. You may want to bump +the yeast up by about 50% if you’re using these kinds of spices in the +dough. diff --git a/02-11-sourdough-starters.md b/02-11-sourdough-starters.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6462c68 --- /dev/null +++ b/02-11-sourdough-starters.md @@ -0,0 +1,76 @@ +### Sourdough Starters + +(These instructions have been adapted from a posting at +thefreshloaf.com by Sourdolady.) + +**Procedure for Making Sourdough Starter** + +**Day 1: mix...** +2 T. whole grain flour (rye and/or wheat) +2 T. unsweetened pineapple juice or orange juice +Cover and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours. + +**Day 2: add...** +2 T. whole grain flour +2 T. juice +Stir well, cover and let sit at room temperature 24 hours. At day 2 +you may (or may not) start to see some small bubbles. + +**Day 3: add...** +2 T. whole grain flour +2 T. juice +Stir well, cover and let sit at room temperature 24 hours. + +**Day 4:** +Stir down, measure out 1/4 cup and discard the rest. +To the 1/4 cup add... +1/4 cup flour[^ft-1-flr] +2 Tbs water + +[^ft-1-flr]: You can feed the starter whatever type of flour you want +at this point (unbleached white, whole wheat, rye). If you are new to +sourdough, a white starter is probably the best choice. Unbleached +all-purpose flour is fine. + +**Repeat Day 4:** +Once daily until the mixture starts to expand and smell yeasty. It is +not unusual for the mixture to get very bubbly around Day 3 or 4 and +then go completely flat and appear dead. If the mixture does not start +to grow again by Day 6, add 1/4 tsp. apple cider vinegar with the +daily feeding. This will lower the pH level a bit more and it should +kill off competitors to the yeast, allowing them to thrive. + +**How it Works** +The yeast we are trying to cultivate will only become active when the +environment is right. When you mix flour and water together, you end +up with a mixture that is close to neutral in pH, and our yeasties +need it a bit more on the acid side. This is why we are using the +acidic fruit juice. There are other microbes in the flour that prefer +a more neutral pH, and so they are the first to wake up and grow. Some +will produce acids as by-products. That helps to lower the pH to the +point that they can no longer grow, until the environment is just +right for wild yeast to activate. The length of time it takes for this +to happen varies. + +When using just flour and water, many nascent starters will grow a +gas-producing bacteria that slows down the process. It can raise the +starter to three times its volume in a relatively short time. Don't +worry--it is harmless. It is a bacterium sometimes used in other food +fermentations like cheeses, and it is in the environment, including +wheat fields and flours. It does not grow at a low pH, and the fruit +juices keep the pH low enough to stop it from growing. Things will +still progress, but this is the point at which people get frustrated +and quit, because the gassy bacteria stop growing. It will appear that +the "yeast" died on you, when in fact, you haven't begun to grow yeast +yet. When the pH drops below 3.5-4 or so, the yeast will activate, +begin to grow, and the starter will expand again. You just need to +keep it fed and cared for until then. + +Once your wild yeast is growing, the character and flavor will improve +if you continue to give it daily feedings and keep it at room +temperature for a couple of weeks longer. + +After that time, it should be kept in the refrigerator between +uses/feedings. Every week or so, take it out of the fridge, +feed it by retaining only ¼ cup of starter and then feed it ¼ +cup flour and 2 Tbs water. diff --git a/02-12-keeping-starter-on-the-counter.md b/02-12-keeping-starter-on-the-counter.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fb1115f --- /dev/null +++ b/02-12-keeping-starter-on-the-counter.md @@ -0,0 +1,68 @@ +#### Keeping Starter on the Counter + +NOTE: This method works well for those who bake sourdough bread +muliple times during the week, and who also like making other baked +goods with leftover starter. In this chapter, a stiff starter (60 +percent hydration) is discussed, but these techniques will work just +as well for a wet starter (100% hydration). This personal account was +written by JMonkey. + +This is how I maintain my own starter, which I created in 2005. I'm a +telecommuter who works from home, and I bake bread for the family two +to three times a week. Occasionally, I'll make a loaf with commercial +yeast, but typically, I make sourdoughs. Also, on the weekend, I like +to make sourdough English muffins and sourdough waffles. + +Keeping my starter in the fridge meant I was constantly trying to +remember when I needed to take the stuff out to rev it up for bread, +and I'd often realize too late that I didn't have enough starter for +the muffins or waffles. + +After some tinkering, I finally decided to keep the starter on the +counter and feed it once or twice a day, which means I've always got +at least enough active starter for my overnight whole grain sourdough, +and, if I'll need more for a daytime sourdough, I've got enough to +seed a bigger amount that can ripen while I sleep. The regimen that I +now follow also has the advantage of not wasting anything, because I +use all the extra starter stored in the fridge to make all the waffles +and English muffins I want. Since both of these recipes derive most of +their rise from the interaction of acids and baking soda, using +week-old starter from the fridge has enough oomph for leavening and +flavor, given that it's gotten pretty acidic already. + +Anyway, I'm not saying this is *the* way to maintain a starter - it's +just what works for me at this time in my life. + +I usually feed it twice a day, once in the morning and once again +before bed. Sometimes I forget, though, and only feed it once a day, +but it doesn't seem to mind much. I keep it at 60% hydration, which is +pretty stiff, but I find it's less messy and stands up a bit better +that the wet stuff would to a missed feeding here and there, due to my +forgetful nature. Here's how I feed it (it's a 1-3-5 ratio for +starter-water-flour by weight). + +In the morning, it hasn't risen much, but it feels puffy, and when I +break it open, it's clearly aerated inside. Sometimes, it actually +blows the lid off the plastic container. + +It weighs about 45 grams, so I take 5 grams of it (about the size of a +small marble) and put the rest in my fridge bowl. These leftovers will +find their way into waffles or English muffins later in the week. + +Then I add 15 grams (1 Tbs) of water and mush it up until it's soft +and the water has turned somewhat milky in color. + +Then I add 25 grams (2 heaping Tbs or 2 Tbs + 1 tsp) of whole wheat +flour. + +(If you're maintaining a wet starter, simply increase the water to 25 +grams) + +Finally, I mix it all up with a spoon, take it out and knead it a bit +in my hands, which consists of folding it over on itself four or five +times. I then roll it into a ball, snap on the lid and let it work. + +That's it. I've found it's not that much of a hassle to feed it twice +a day and is much less annoying than realizing I can't make a +sourdough because I forgot to take my starter out of the fridge and +feed it. diff --git a/02-13-maintaining-sourdough-in-the-refrigerator.md b/02-13-maintaining-sourdough-in-the-refrigerator.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..681bdec --- /dev/null +++ b/02-13-maintaining-sourdough-in-the-refrigerator.md @@ -0,0 +1,19 @@ +#### Maintaining Sourdough Starter in the Refrigerator + +If you only bake once every week or two, you’ll be happier storing +your starter in the fridge in a covered container. + +Once a week, take it out, and feed it. + +For a wet starter, retain only ¼ cup of starter and then feed it ½ +cup flour and 4 Tbs water. + +For a stiff starter, retain a marble-sized piece and add 15 grams (1 +Tbs) of water. Mush it up until it's soft and the water has turned +somewhat milky in color. Then add 25 grams (2 heaping Tbs or 1 Tbs + 1 +tsp) of flour. + +Keep it out for an hour or four, and then pop it back into the fridge. + +If you’re going to bake with it, make sure to take it out a day before +and feed it twice, with at least 8 hours in between each feeding. diff --git a/02-14-pre-ferments.md b/02-14-pre-ferments.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..97b0cd0 --- /dev/null +++ b/02-14-pre-ferments.md @@ -0,0 +1,40 @@ +#### Pre-Ferments + +To add more flavor to breads, many bakers use pre-ferments, in which a +portion of the bread flour is mixed with water, occasionally salt, and +a tiny bit of yeast, and is then allowed to ferment for a long time – +12-18 hours, usually. There are three basic types of pre-ferments, and +they usually account for anywhere from 15% to 40% of the dough: + +**Poolish:** Most famously used to make tasty baguettes, a poolish +consists of equal weights of flour and water (or 2 parts flour to 1 +part water by volume) with just a tiny bit of yeast. For home bakers, +a pinch or 1/16 of a tsp should be more than enough. + +A poolish is ready when it is very bubbly, smells sweet and has just +begun to recede from hits high point. + +**Biga: Truth be told, “biga” is just an Italian word for pre-ferment, +but in the English speaking world, it has come to mean a stiff +preferment, usually a dough at about 60% hydration with just a pinch +of yeast. It should be kneaded for a few minutes after it is mixed up. + +A biga is ready when it has begun to recede just slightly in the +center. + +**Pate Fermente:** Literally, this is French for “old dough,” and it’s +just what it sounds like. In France, they’ll often save dough from the +previous day’s batch, keep it in the fridge, and then used it in the +next day’s batch. Typically, though, home bakers make one by exactly +mimicking the proportions of flour, water and salt, and adding just a +tiny pinch of yeast. It is then allowed to ferment for a long period +of time. + +Alternatively, once could even use the same proportions of yeast, but +only let it ferment for an hour or so on the counter, and then placing +it in the refrigerator. + +Like a biga, a pate fermente is ready when it just begins to recede in +the center. + + diff --git a/02-15-process-and-technique.md b/02-15-process-and-technique.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e09c2e6 --- /dev/null +++ b/02-15-process-and-technique.md @@ -0,0 +1,7 @@ +### Process & Technique + +Ingredients matter, but nearly as important as the ingredients you put +into a loaf of bread are the techniques you use. Appropriate mixing, +folding, and shaping results in a beautiful loaf with an uneven crumb +and a crispy crust. Poor mixing and shaping can lead to a loaf that +more closely resembles a brick than something you want to eat. diff --git a/02-16-mixing-and-dough-development.md b/02-16-mixing-and-dough-development.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c2bc96f --- /dev/null +++ b/02-16-mixing-and-dough-development.md @@ -0,0 +1,214 @@ +#### Mixing and Dough Development + +This is the part of baking that is intimidating to many new bakers, +and it doesn't need to be. Please take a few minutes to read this +section and begin to learn what the dough should feel like and how to +get it feeling like it is well developed. Many of us started baking by +using a bread machine or a Kitchen Aid stand mixer to mix and knead +the dough. While this works reasonably well, and other methods are +described below, you will learn more quickly how the dough should feel +in the different stages of development if you use the tools god gives +us, our hands. For thousands of years humans have made good bread +using only a crude bowl and their hands as tools. While commercial +bakeries don't have the time to hand mix and shape thousands of loaves +daily, much of what is wrong with commercial bread starts here in the +first phase of bread making. + +**Mixing:** Start by gathering all of the needed ingredients for the +recipe. If you are making a basic French style bread that uses +just the basic four ingredients (flour, water, salt and yeast), +measure or better, weigh each item carefully ahead of time and +have it in front of you ready to use. This might seem like over +simplifying this procedure but I can tell you from experience you +will forget the salt or pour all the water in without having +measured it or can't remember some additional ingredient, if you +don't get organized, first. + +In a large bowl, add all of the dry ingredients first and stir or mix +them together well. This means that Instant Dry Yeast and salt are +added to the flour and any other dry ingredients you may be using with +your recipe. + +If you are using Active Dry Yeast, the directions for re activating +this type of yeast call for adding the yeast to a cup or so of the +water (warmed) needed for the recipe 5 or 10 minutes ahead of mixing +the dough. If you are using Cake Yeast, crumble it with and into the +flour using your fingers. + +Continuing; Next, add all of the water and begin combining the flour +into the water. You can use your fingers, (yes it will be a mess but +it is supposed to be) or a spoon to accomplish this first mixing. +Wood, Stainless Steel, Plastic, any kind of spoon or bowl will do +fine. When the mixture is mostly a shaggy mass and looks like most of +the dry flour is combined into the mass, you can stop, clean your +hands over the bowl and cover the bowl with a plastic bag or a damp +towel or plastic wrap. Plastic grocery bags are my favorite. Wait at +least 15 minutes and as long as an hour for the flour to absorb the +water. When you come back to the mix, it won't feel anything like it +did after first mixing. Scrape everything you can onto a clean counter +and quickly clean and dry the mixing bowl. + +**Kneading or Developing:** This is the fun part of bread making. +You are starting with a mixture of flour, water, salt and yeast. +At the moment it is just those things put together in a bowl. We +need to develop these things into something more, a smooth dough. +The best way to show you or tell you how to accomplish this is +with a video. There are many video clips that show similar +techniques but this one I like the best. Richard Bertinet has +produced an excellent video with Gourmet Magazine that shows the +mixing technique above, and the slap and fold kneading technique +that many of us now use in some form or another. I urge you to +watch this video and learn to do this maneuver with the dough. As +you will see in the video, the dough gradually comes together and +becomes smooth and flexible. Bertinet is making a sweet dough +with eggs and sugar but the method works on any kind of dough or +bread type. Finish by rounding and putting tension on the outer +skin of the dough and forming a ball. + +Once the dough is well developed, smooth and rounded, lightly oil +the now clean mixing bowl with a few drops of oil on your fingers +(or lightly spray regular cooking oil into the bowl) and place +the dough into the bowl, seams down and roll the ball around to +coat all the surfaces. Cover the bowl as before during what is +called the Primary Ferment. During the primary ferment, the +dough will expand in volume as the yeast begins to eat the sugars +in the flour and create Carbon Dioxide. Your well developed dough +will trap those CO2 bubbles and form pockets that will become the +air pockets in the bread, making it lighter. + +NOTE: For Whole Grain and Multi-Grain breads, It is advisable to +not try and develop the dough entirely by kneading. The sharper +grains will cut the gluten strands and allow the CO2 gas to +escape. A Stretch and Fold will often work as well, done during +the primary ferment. A link to this procedure is provided below. + +You can always come back to using some appliance to mix and knead +your dough. In fact some doughs are somewhat better suited to +machine mixing, but not many. You can easily produce wonderful +bread in the manner of our ancestors. + +Once the dough has doubled in volume you are ready for the next +step, shaping. + +There are a number of ways to develop dough. The easiest is +probably to put it in a KitchenAid-type mixer. About 8 to 10 +minutes of mixing the ingredients in a KitchenAid on low speed +will generally do the trick. + +There's no need to buy a KitchenAid, though, to make good bread. +Here are three ways of developing dough by hand. + +**Traditional Kneading:** Use this method when the dough will rise +fairly quickly (1-2 hours for the first rise) or if I’m in a +hurry to get it developed. + +First, mix the ingredients with a spoon until everything is hydrated. +Cover and wait about 15 to 20 minutes – this way, you’ll let the water +do most of your work for you (if you don’t have time for this step, +feel free to skip it – you may have knead just a little more, +though). After this waiting period is done, scrape the dough +out of the bowl onto a smooth surface, and push on the down +and forward with the heels of your hands. Fold it up back on +itself, give the dough a quarter turn, and repeat. + +Knead for about 4-5 minutes, and then cover it. Let it rest about +5 minutes, and then knead once again for 1-2 minutes. It should +be well developed at this point. + +One way to test dough development is to tear off a small chunk +and then gently stretch it. If the dough is ready, you should be +able to stretch it thin enough so that it becomes translucent. +This is called the “windowpane” test. + +**Stretch and Fold:** This method adds about an hour to the rise of +an ordinary yeasted loaf, but when you’re working with sourdoughs +or yeasted breads that have a long rise anyway, it doesn’t make +that much difference. And it takes hardly active time at all – +just a few minutes total. Really! + +Mix the ingredients with a spoon until hydrated. Cover and wait +30 minutes to 1 hour. After this rest, scrape the dough out of +the bowl and stretch it to about twice its length, if possible. +For the first fold, the dough will still be pretty shaggy, so +only go as far as you can without ripping. Fold the dough like a +letter, give it a quarter turn, and then stretch and fold once +again. Place it back in the bowl and cover. + +Repeat this folding process twice more with 20-30 minutes in +between each one. + +More information and a video may be found here: + + +**Stretching and Folding Illustrated:** Here is the Stretch and Fold +method illustrated by Mebake (Khalid). He has artfully depicted +the process of keeping the dough in the bowl while developing the +gluten and incorporating air into the dough. This easy to do +technique is employed by many members here and allows the baker +the opportunity to develop the gluten in a bowl during +fermentation with little effort and no mess. Once you understand +how this works, I'm sure you will use it every time. + +**French fold:** This is a great, quick method for developing dough, +but it requires a relatively long rest after everything is +hydrated, so it's most appropriate for doughs with a long bulk +rise. + +Once everything is hydrated, cover and let the dough rest for a +least an hour. Remove the dough from the bowl onto a smooth +surface. With one hand on either side of the dough and your +thumbs underneath, stretch the dough parallel to your body while +simultaneously folding it in half along its length with your +thumbs. + +Give the dough a quarter turn, pick it up, and then throw it down +onto the surface, smooth side down. Really, smack it down. +Stretch it again while simultaneously folding it over with your +thumbs, make another quarter turn, and give it yet another smack +with the smooth side down. + +Do this about 10 times, and you’ll have a well developed dough. +If it doesn't seem as developed as you'd like or if it starts to +tear, let it rest for 5 minutes, and repeat. + +A good video of this technique may be found here: + + +**An alternative method:** that keeps the dough in the bowl and all of the +kneading is done there. + +I use my fingers and scrape the dough into a single lump and flatten +it and then fold it in half, turn it a quarter turn and fold again and +flatten it. I continue this for about twenty folds. Often it gets +very stiff and needs to rest for a few minutes to relax. As noted the +dough will let you know when you have done enough. This stretches the +original surface a million times the size it was at the start and +assures a complete blending of the ingredients. I use this method +because it confines the mess and permits making bread in less than +ideal places. See the illustration mentioned above for a pictorial +that describes this process. + +There is no wrong way to knead bread but some ways are much +better than others. Some breads benefit from special kneading +and handling and some are very hard to get wrong. Before +kitchens and mechanical mixers and tables there were dough +troughs and all of the mixing and kneading was done there. +You could make bread in a dough trough and bake it on a hot +flat stone on an open fire. + +**No knead bread:** For bread mixes that use very little leavening +and are fairly wet, time provides the development. Simply mix +everything up until hydrated, cover and go to sleep. Anywhere +from 12 to 18 hours later, give the dough one stretch and +fold, shape as necessary, and then let it rise a couple of +hours until it’s ready to bake. Learning to use a plastic +scraper to handle dough in the mixing bowl, as described +below, is a big help. + +**Alternative video:** If you are just a little adventurous, Check +out this excellent video +(), provided +by Mark Sinclair of The Back Home Bakery. Mark demonstrates folding +in the bowl using a plastic scraper over a period of time to develop +strength in the dough. This and all of Marks videos are excellent +training aids. diff --git a/02-17-baking.md b/02-17-baking.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..10ba4ec --- /dev/null +++ b/02-17-baking.md @@ -0,0 +1,77 @@ +#### Baking + +For breads that contain butter and sweeteners, I usually bake them at +350 degrees F for about 55 minutes to an hour for loaves, and 25 to 30 +minutes for rolls. + +For “lean” breads, which contain only the basic four ingredients, I +bake them at 450 degrees F. Baguettes and rolls bake for about 20 – 25 +minutes, while most other loaves bake for 35 to 45 minutes. + +An instant read thermometer is a big help in telling when a loaf is +done. Stick the thermometer into the bottom of the loaf and push until +the tip is in the center of the bread. Breads with butter and +sweeteners are done at about 195 degrees F, while lean loaves should +be at about 205 degrees F. + +For lean breads that are freeform (i.e. not panned), I like to use a +baking stone to get better volume and a crisper crust, though you +don’t need one – a greased cookie sheet will work just fine. If you +use a stone, it needs to pre-heat for at least 45 minutes before +baking. When you place the dough on the hot stone, it absorbs a lot of +heat very quickly, causing it to spring beautifully in the oven. + +You can purchase these at most cooking stores or online for anywhere +from $30 to $70, depending on the size and thickness. Mine is one-half +inch thick and measures 14.5” by 16”. It’s plenty big enough and works +great. + +If you’re feeling frugal, many people I know prefer to use unglazed +quarry tiles, which can sometimes be had from home supply stores for +much less than a baking stone. I haven’t used them, myself, though. + +To get the bread onto the stone, either use a baker’s peel or the back +of a cookie sheet that has been well dusted with cornmeal or semolina +flour. Then, slide the bread off its back and onto the stone with a +quick jerk. + +**Steaming:** A crackling, crunchy crust requires more than just a hot +oven. It also needs steam, and that’s not easy to do in a home oven. +But it can be done. Here are a couple of methods: + +* The Cast Iron Pan Method: Under the stone, even on the bottom of the + oven, if you like, place a cast iron pan and let it heat up along + with the stone. Not one you like to use day-to-day, because this + process will rip the seasoning right off. + +Just before you put the bread in the oven, boil some water. Get a +towel and, after you open the oven door, cover the glass of the oven +door with the towel. This will prevent water droplets from hitting the +hot glass and shattering it (ask me how I know.) You may also want to +shield the front of the pan with aluminum foil so that droplets don’t +jump out of the pan onto the glass and crack it (again, ask me how I +know). + +Load the bread and dump one cup of boiling water in the pan. WEAR +MITTS WHEN YOU DO THIS. Close the oven door, and let it bake. About +halfway through the bake, remove the pan so that the bread can finish +in a dry oven. + +* Covered Cooker Method: In this method, do not use a baking stone. + Instead, place a cast-iron Dutch oven (enameled and non-enameled + both work fine) or a clay cloche (Sassafras makes a good one – you + can find them at Amazon or King Arthur Flour for about $50) in the + oven and let it heat up for 45 minutes. Pull out the oven rack, take + off the lid, plop your bread into the bottom, score it quickly and + replace the top and the rack. + +About 15 to 20 minutes before the bake is done, remove the top so that +the bread can finish in a dry oven. + +The covered cooker captures the steam given off by the dough, and so +mimics a wood-fired brick oven. Unfortunately, this method only works +for round loaves (though Sassafras also makes a 14 ½ x 5 ⅛ inch +clay cooker which works for batards). + +Breads should cool for about an hour on a rack (or something else that +will allow air to circulate underneath) before slicing. diff --git a/02-18-storing-bread.md b/02-18-storing-bread.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8bf9e61 --- /dev/null +++ b/02-18-storing-bread.md @@ -0,0 +1,21 @@ +#### Storing Bread + +Lean crusty loaves can be stored on the counter, cut side down. +Really, this works just fine, though you can also store them in a +paper bag and cover the cut side with foil -- this will stave off +drying out a little longer. Lean yeasted loaves will keep for a day, +maybe two, but not much longer. Sourdoughs, on the other hand, will +keep for 4-5 days. + +Loaves with sweeteners and / or fats should be stored in a plastic bag +or an airtight container at room temperature. They'll keep for 3-4 +days before they begin to stale. + +DON’T store bread in the refrigerator. While this will prevent the +bread from going moldy, unfortunately, bread goes stale very quickly +at temperatures in the 30s and 40s. + +Bread freezes very well. Let it cool to room temperature, and then +wrap it in foil or place it in a plastic bag. You can either let it +thaw out on its own (which takes half a day or so), or wrap it in foil +and bake it at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. diff --git a/02-19-scoring-bread.md b/02-19-scoring-bread.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..58864d9 --- /dev/null +++ b/02-19-scoring-bread.md @@ -0,0 +1,165 @@ +#### Scoring Bread + +**What is scoring?** “Scoring” is the word used to describe the cuts +made in a loaf of bread before it is baked. Some breads are not +scored. For example many loaves baked in pans are not. However, almost +all free-formed “hearth breads” are scored. + +**When is scoring done?** Scoring is generally performed just prior to +loading the loaves in the oven. French rye breads (pains de siegle) +are sometimes scored right after shaping, before proofing. + +**Why are breads scored?** Intentionally creating a weak spot on the +surface of the loaf prevents the loaf from bursting at weak spots +created during shaping. + +The type of scoring performed controls the direction in which the +bread will expand during “oven spring.” + +The pattern of cuts made, the angle at which they are made and the +depth of the cuts influences the rate of expansion and the formation +of an “ear” - a raised flap of crust at the edge of a cut. + +The pattern of cuts can create a pleasing visual pattern on the +surface of the loaf. While there are some very traditional patterns, +for example for baguettes, the baker can use the scoring pattern to +identify the type of bread or to create an unique pattern +that identifies the loaf as coming from his or her oven. + +**What do you use to score bread?** The blade used to score bread is +often referred to as a lame (pronounced "lahm.") This is simply a +French word with means “blade.” Breads may be scored with straight or +curved razor blades, either held in the hand or mounted on a handle. +Scoring may be performed with other sharp, straight blades, even with +a straight razor. Some bakers prefer serrated blades. + +For some types of scoring, a straight blade is preferred. Straight +bladed knives are preferred for cuts made with the blade held +perpendicular to the loaf's surface. This sort of cut is generally +used for round loaves ("boules"). For other types of scoring, a curved +blade works better. Curved lames are generally used for long breads +like baguettes which are scored with cuts parallel to the long axis of +the loaf. + +Video on Choosing a Blade: . + +**How are the cuts made?** The scoring stroke should be firm, rapid, +smooth and decisive. For the beginner, it may help to take "practice +swings" or to visualize the movements and totally focus one's +attention before making the cuts. Understanding the functions of +scoring and the effects of the variables described can help, but there +is no substitute for experience. In this respect, scoring bread is no +different from an athletic skill or any other art or craft. (Tourist: +"Please, sir, can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?" New +Yorker: "Practice, practice, practice.") + +The cuts should generally be ¼ to ¼ inch deep. A wet, +sticky dough requires a more shallow cut than one would make +in a dryer dough. + +**Scoring a boule (round loaf):** The angle the blade of the knife +makes with the surface of the loaf is important in determining how the +cut will open up. If you want the cuts to spread equally from the cut +and to open quickly, as is traditional with round loaves (boules), the +knife should be held vertically – at 90 degrees to the surface of the +loaf. + +Video on Scoring a Boule: . + +Besides the "tic-tac-toe" pattern, boules can be scored with diamond +patterns, simple crosses or much more elaborate and creative patterns. + +**Scoring a long loaf (bâtard):** If you want the cuts to spread more +slowly and create an "ear," as is generally desired with long loaves +(baguettes and bâtards), the knife blade should be held at a shallow +angle with the surface of the loaf, at about 20-30 degrees or so. Many +find using a curved blade helps make this type of cut. The blade is +held with the concave surface facing up (away from the loaf). A flap +of dough is created that will lift up to create an “ear” as the loaf +expands and, by lifting gradually, slows the expansion of the loaf. +This prolongs the time during which new areas of dough are exposed to +the direct heat of the oven and results in greater overall expansion – +a larger "bloom." + +Video on Scoring a Bâtard: . + +**The effect of scoring on loaf shape:** +Michael Suas, in his book "Advanced Bread & Pastry," provides some +information about how scoring patterns influence loaf shape. Scoring +is not just to make a visually pretty design on the top of a loaf. It +is also how the baker controls the direction in which the loaf +expands. This impacts the shape of the loaf cross section (rounder or +more oval), the height of the loaf and, for a boule, whether it stays +round or ends up more oblong. + +According to Suas, long loaves like bâtards and baguettes are +traditionally scored parallel to their long axis. This may be a single +long cut or multiple cuts that are almost parallel and overlap +somewhat (for ¼ to ¼ of their length, generally). This pattern +promotes sideways expansion of the loaf, resulting in an oval cross +section when the loaf is sliced. + +For breads with high-rye content which have lower gluten and less oven +spring, the traditional objective is to encourage a higher rise in the +oven spring resulting in a rounder cross section. This is achieved by +"sausage" or "chevron" cuts. + +Boules are scored in a variety of patterns with differing effects on +how the loaf expands. The common "tic-tac-toe" pattern and a simple +cross will direct the expansion upward. More complex patterns like +diamonds result in a relatively flatter loaf. + +One of most interesting effects is that scoring a boule with multiple +parallel cuts encourages expansion at a right angle to the cuts. This +results in an oblong loaf shape. + +**What's the point of an ear? Controlled bloom!:** +This topic is not about the auricular anatomy of elves (or Vulcans). +It's about scoring breads. + +Scoring loaves creates a visually pleasing pattern, and it helps +control the expansion of the loaf as it bakes. + +What Suas called "the classic cut" is parallel to the long axis of a +baguette or a bâtard. The cut is made with the blade at a shallow +angle to the surface of the loaf. The cut should be shallow - about +1/4 inch deep. Paradoxically, this shallow cut results in the flap +lifting better than a deeper cut would, thus forming a nice "ear." +Hamelman (pg. 80) points out that "a deep cut will simply collapse +from its own weight." + +The angle of the blade is important. "If the angle is not achieved and +the cut is done with the blade vertical to the loaf, the two sides of +the dough will spread very quickly during oven spring and expose an +enormous surface area to the heat. The crust will begin to form too +soon - sometimes before the end of oven spring - penalizing the +development of the bread. If the cut is properly horizontal, the sides +of the loaf will spread slower. The layer of dough created by the +incision will partially and temporarily protect the surface from the +heat and encourage a better oven spring and development." (Suas, pg. +116.) + +**In summary:** in order to achieve an optimal bloom in baguettes and +bâtards, one must attend to 3 variables when scoring them: + +1. The cuts should be almost parallel to the long axis of the loaf. + +2. The blade should be held at about a 30 degree angle to the surface +of the loaf. + +3. The depth of the cut should be shallow - about 1/4 inch. + +Variable shading of the bloomed crust confirms that the +desired slow but prolonged opening of the cut during oven +spring occurred. + +**A final word:** +This tutorial focused on the mechanics of scoring, but the other steps +in bread making impact the behavior of the cuts you make and the final +appearance of your loaves. In fact, every single step, from your +choice of ingredients and their proportions – your formula – to how +you steam your oven plays a role in how your cuts will open. Your best +looking loaves will result from a series of choices that are mutually +dependent, where how you score a loaf takes into account the other +choices you have made about the formula, mixing, fermentation, +shaping, proofing and baking. diff --git a/03-01-recipies.md b/03-01-recipies.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..43d7d1c --- /dev/null +++ b/03-01-recipies.md @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +# Recipes + +Below is a small selection of recipes that have been developed and +tested by community members. diff --git a/03-02-buttermilk-and-honey-whole.md b/03-02-buttermilk-and-honey-whole.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..35692a2 --- /dev/null +++ b/03-02-buttermilk-and-honey-whole.md @@ -0,0 +1,74 @@ +## Buttermilk Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread -- _JMonkey_ + +> This is one of my favorite breads. The honey adds a touch of +> sweetness while the buttermilk gives it a slightly tangy flavor. +> It’s great for toast and sandwiches. And, as Laurel Robertson (whose +> recipe I’ve adapted) in "The Laurel’s Kitchen Bread Book" wrote, +> "It keeps well, when hidden." + +**Formula** + +* Whole wheat flour: 100% +* Salt: 2% +* Instant yeast: 0.6% +* Water: 38% +* Buttermilk: 38% +* Honey: 8.4% +* Unsalted butter: 2.8% + +**Ingredients** + +* Whole wheat flour : 500 grams or about 4 cups +* Salt: 10 grams or 1.25 tsp +* Instant yeast: 3 grams or 1 tsp +* Water: 185 grams or ¾ cup + 1 Tbs +* Buttermilk: 185 grams or ¾ cup + 1 Tbs +* Honey: 42 grams or 2 Tbs +* Unsalted butter: 14 grams or 1 Tbs + +**Mixing** + +Add the salt to the flour. Mix them thoroughly and then add the yeast, +also mixing. Melt the butter (or, if you like, work it in later while +kneading) and add the water, buttermilk, melted butter and honey to +the flour, mixing well until everything is hydrated. + +**Dough development** + +You’ve got several choices on how to develop the dough. + +* Traditional kneading: Let it rise 2 to 2.5 hours in the bulk rise at + room temperature. +* Stretch and fold: After the final stretch and fold is finished, give + it 2 hours at room temperature. +* French fold: Give it two hours after the French fold is finished. + +If you’re not retarding the bread, deflate the dough after the first +rise with a stretch and fold, and let the dough rise once more before +shaping. It’ll take about 1.5 hours or so. + +**Shaping** + +This dough makes a great sandwich loaf, and I usually bake it in a +greased 8½" by 4½" bread pan. + +**Retarding** + +I’ll often make the dough after dinner. After the first rise is +complete, I’ll shape it, put another pan on top and then place it +outside if the temperatures will get down into the 45 to 55 degree +range. If it’ll be colder than that, I place it in our "cold room" +which is unheated, but rarely gets below 40 degrees. + +If it's going to be a hot summer night, I'll pop it in the fridge, but +that usually means that I’ll need to let it warm up for 2-3 hours in +the morning. I’ll sometimes speed up the warming by putting the pan on +an upturned bowl at the bottom of a picnic cooler, throw a cup of +boiling water in the bottom of the cooler and then close it up quick. + +**Scoring and baking** + +I usually score the dough with a single slash down the center, but +it's not necessary. I bake at 350 degrees F for about 55 minutes. If +you like, you don't even need to preheat the oven. Just pop it in cold +and turn the oven on. diff --git a/03-03-san-fransisco-style-sourdough.md b/03-03-san-fransisco-style-sourdough.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..abf5440 --- /dev/null +++ b/03-03-san-fransisco-style-sourdough.md @@ -0,0 +1,75 @@ +### San Francisco Style Sourdough -- _ JMonkey_ + +I don't make white breads very often, but I make this one every so +often to satisfy the occasional, overpowering hankering. If you like, +you can substitute whole wheat flour for up to half of the white +flour, or you can simply use a whole wheat starter. You’ll probably +want to increase the water, though by 1 to 3 Tbs. + +**Formula** + +* White flour: 100% +* Salt: 2% +* Water: 72% +* 30% of the flour is in the starter. (I’ll give two recipes, one for + starter at 100% hydration and another at 60% hydration) + +**Ingredients** + +* White flour: 350 grams or about 3 cups +* Salt: 10 grams or 1.25 tsp +* Water: + +* Using a wet starter: 210 grams or 1 cup -1 Tbs +* Using a stiff starter: 270 grams or 1 cup +3 Tbs + +**Starter: Two options** + +* Wet starter (100% hydration) 300 grams or 1 ¼ cup +* Stiff starter (60% hydration) 240 grams or 1 cup + +**Mixing** + +Dissolve the starter into the water, and then add the salt. Finally +add the flour and mix until all is hydrated. + +**Dough development and the first rise** + +However you develop the dough, from the time you mix until the time +you shape the dough, it'll take about 3 to 4 hours for the first rise +at room temperature. + +**Shaping** + +Be gentle. You want to retain as many of those air bubbles as +possible. Rounds and batards are the traditional shapes for San +Francisco-style sourdoughs. + +**Second rise and retarding** + +Sourdoughs benefit quite a bit from retarding -- many people think +loaves that have been retarded taste better. You can simply cover the +shaped dough and place it in the fridge or, if you’re lucky and the +overnight temperature will be between 45 and 55, you can simply place +it outside, in which case the bread will probably be ready to bake +when you wake up. + +If you put it in the fridge, it’ll need to warm up for +3-4 hours to complete its rise. + +If you don't want to bother with retarding, you can let it rise for +another 2 to 3 hours at room temperature. You can also speed things up +(and increase sourness) by placing the dough on an upturned bowl in +the bottom of a picnic cooler, throwing a cup of boiling water in the +bottom and covering it quickly. After an hour, throw another cup of +hot water in. The rise should only take a couple of hours this way. + +**Baking** + +Score the bread as you like. Hash marks are traditional for rounds, +and batards usually take a single, bold stroke down the center or a +couple of baguette-style slashes. + +While you can certainly bake this bread on a cookie sheet, it benefits +from a stone and some steam, or a covered baker. However you do it, +bake at 450 degrees for about 35-40 minutes. diff --git a/03-04-poolish-baguettes.md b/03-04-poolish-baguettes.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..70dee4c --- /dev/null +++ b/03-04-poolish-baguettes.md @@ -0,0 +1,61 @@ +Poolish Baguettes + +JMonkey + +I don’t make white breads often, but there’s nothing quite like a few +homemade baguettes to accompany an elegant meal. This recipe was +adapted from “Bread” by Jeffrey Hammelman. + +**Overall formula** + +* White flour: 100% +* Water: 66% +* Salt: 2% +* Instant yeast: 0.36% +* 33% of the flour is pre-fermented as a poolish at 100% hydration + with .07% yeast + +**Poolish** + +* White flour: 160 grams or 1.25 cups +* Water: 160 grams or ½ cup + 3 Tbs +* Instant yeast: Just an eeny-weeny pinch (about 1/32 of a tsp) + +**Final dough** + +* All of the poolish +* White flour: 320 grams oz or 2.5 cups +* Water: 160 gram or ½ cup + 3 Tbs +* Salt: 9 grams or 1.25 tsp +* Instant yeast: 1 to 2 grams or 1/2 + 1/8 tsp + +**The night before: Preferment** + +The night before, dissolve the yeast into the water for the poolish, +and then mix in the flour. Cover and let it ferment at room +temperature for 12-16 hours. Once the poolish has bubbles breaking on +top and has started to wrinkle, it's ready. It'll also smell really +nice -- sweet and nutty. Mmmm. + +**Mixing and dough development** + +For the final dough, measure out the water and pour it into the +poolish to loosen it up. Then pour the entire mixture into a bowl. +Mix together the salt, yeast and flour, and then add it to the bowl as +well. Mix it all up with a spoon and, once everything is hydrated, +knead it the traditional way, until it passes the windowpane test. +Cover and let it ferment for two hours, giving it a stretch-and-fold +at the one hour mark. + +**Shaping** + +If you’re making baguettes, divide the dough into three +pieces, and preshape into rounds. Cover and let them rest about 20 +minutes. Then shape into baguettes about 12 inches longg and cover, +letting them rise for about 1 hour to 90 minutes. + +Score and bake on a preheated stone in a 460 degree oven with steam +for about 25 minutes. + +If you want to make a round or a batard, you’ll need to bake for about +35 to 40 minutes. diff --git a/03-05-ciabatta-with-poolish.md b/03-05-ciabatta-with-poolish.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0c0b1b3 --- /dev/null +++ b/03-05-ciabatta-with-poolish.md @@ -0,0 +1,62 @@ +## Ciabatta with Poolish -- _JMonkey_ + +This traditional Italian bread is made from a very wet dough and is +barely shaped. As a result, it's full of nice, big holes. Great with +olive oil or a good-tasting vinegar, and some pasta. This recipe was +adapted from "Bread" by Jeffrey Hammelman. + +**Formula** + +* White flour: 100% +* Water: 73% +* Salt: 2% +* Instant yeast: 0.36% +* 30% of the flour is pre-fermented as a poolish at 100% hydration + with .07% yeast + +**Poolish** + +* White flour: 136 grams or about 1 cup +* Water: 136 grams or about ½ cup +* Instant yeast: Just an eeny weeny pinch (about 1/32 of a tsp or 1/10 + of a gram) + +**Final dough** + +* All of the poolish +* White flour: 318 grams or two generous cups +* Water: 195 grams or 1.25 cups +1 Tbs +* Salt: 9 grams +* Instant yeast: A heaping 1/8 tsp or .5 grams + +**The night before: Preferment** + +The night before, dissolve the yeast into the water for the poolish, +and then mix in the flour. Cover and let it ferment at room +temperature for 12-16 hours. Once the poolish has bubbles breaking on +top and has started to wrinkle, it's ready. It'll also smell... +really nice -- sweet and nutty. + +**Mixing and dough development** + +For the final dough, measure out the water and pour it into the +poolish to loosen it up. Then pour the entire mixture into a bowl. +Mix together the salt, yeast and flour, and then add it to the bowl as +well. Mix it all up with a spoon and let it sit for one hour. At one +hour, give it a stretch and fold, followed by two more every 30 +minutes. Then let it ferment for another hour or two, for a total of +3-4 hours bulk fermentation. + +**Shaping** + +Remove the dough onto a well-floured surface, and gently pat it out +into a rectangle, carefully degassing any truly gigantic bubbles that +you notice. That’s it. No more shaping required. Let it rest, +covered, for about 90 minutes. + +**Baking** + +Dimple the loaf with wet fingers all the way across and almost all the +way through to the bottom of the loaf. Load onto a hot stone at 460 +degrees with steam and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes. Let it rest +one hour before slicing. diff --git a/03-06-25-percent-whole-wheat.md b/03-06-25-percent-whole-wheat.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..edb7141 --- /dev/null +++ b/03-06-25-percent-whole-wheat.md @@ -0,0 +1,56 @@ +## 25% whole wheat bread + +> This bread started out as an 8 loaf recipe that I made and sold at +> church for fund raising for food for the hungry. At 5 dollars a loaf +> it was quite successful for that year. This makes a goo bread with +> no preferment but it is so much better with a long preferment and a +> long rise so less is more where the yeast is concerned. + +> This bread freezes well. + +**Formula** + +* 25% stone ground whole wheat flour +* 75% all purpose house label unbleached white flour +* 66% hydration +* Yeast content can vary depending on how big a hurry you are in but + never more than 2 teaspoons +* ~1.5% salt + +*Pre-ferment* + +Make a poolish with 8 ounces of stone ground whole wheat flour and 8 +ounces of water and as much yeast as will lay on a table knife blade. + +*Mixing and dough development* + +Add 14 ounces of water to the poolish and a teaspoon of dry yeast +just to kick things along. + +In a large bowl place 24 ounces of flour and a half tablespoon of +salt. Mix this a little and add the poolish and mix the whole into a +shaggy ball. Cover and let rest while you have a cup of coffee. + +Knead the dough in the bowl through several turn and fold +strokes. Cover and let rest for another cup of coffee. Come back +and dust the dough with a tight fist full of flour and form a +smooth ball. Make sure that you scrape the bits and pieces of +dough from the bowl and include them in the ball. + +**Shaping** + +Pour a couple of tablespoon of melted bacon fat around the ball and +turn the ball of dough over so it is well greased and the bowl is +also. Cover and find something else to do for about two hours or more. +If the dough is well risen, spread a handful of flour on the table and +dump the dough out and put the bowl in the sink to be washed. + +Divide the dough into three pieces and form each into a tight round +loaf and dust with enough flour that it is not at all sticky. place +all three on a well greased baking sheet and allow to rise and rise. +just before baking make a slash across each loaf. + +**Baking** + +Pre-heat the oven to 450 and bake the loaves for about 40 minutes + diff --git a/03-07-40-pecent-rye-w-caraway.md b/03-07-40-pecent-rye-w-caraway.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4a8cd9b --- /dev/null +++ b/03-07-40-pecent-rye-w-caraway.md @@ -0,0 +1,61 @@ +## 40% Rye with Caraway + +***_JMonkey_*** + +> There is no other bread for a Reuben. +> +> This recipe was adapted from "Bread" by Jeffrey Hammelman. + +**Formula** + +* Whole rye flour: 40% +* White flour: 60% +* Water: 75% +* Salt: 1.8% +* Caraway seeds: 1.8% + +40% of the flour (all the rye) is in the starter at 100% hydration. + +**Ingredients** + +* White flour: 300 grams or about 2 generous cups +* Rye starter (at 100% hydration): 400 grams or 1¼ cups +* Water: 175 grams or ¾ cup +* Salt: 9 grams or 1.25 tsp +* Caraway seeds: 9 grams or 1 Tbs + 1 tsp + +**Mixing** + +Dissolve the starter into the water, and then add the salt and caraway +seeds. Add the flour and mix until everything is hydrated. + +**Dough development and the first rise** + +You’ll want to do either the stretch and fold or traditional kneading. +Either way, it’ll be a little tricky because the rye will make the +dough sticky. Keep at it – the dough will come together, though it +will be more clay-like than a 100% wheat dough. + +**Shaping** + +Be gentle. You want to retain as many of those air bubbles as +possible. Rounds and batards are the traditional shapes. + +**Second rise** + +You can let it rise for another 2 hours at room temperature. You can +also speed things up (and increase sourness) by placing the dough on +an upturned bowl in the bottom of a picnic cooler, throwing a cup of +boiling water in the bottom and covering it quickly. After an hour, +throw another cup of hot water in. The rise should only take a 90 +minutes this way. + +**Baking** + +Score the bread as you like. Hash marks are traditional for rounds, +and batards usually take a single, bold stroke down the center or a +couple of baguette-style slashes. + +While you can certainly bake this bread on a cookie sheet, it benefits +from a stone and some steam, or a covered baker. However you do it, +bake at 450 degrees for about 40 minutes. diff --git a/03-08-40-percent-rye-w-flaxseeds.md b/03-08-40-percent-rye-w-flaxseeds.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..552c649 --- /dev/null +++ b/03-08-40-percent-rye-w-flaxseeds.md @@ -0,0 +1,76 @@ +## 60% Rye with Flaxseeds + +***JMonkey*** + +> A hearty, German-style rye that’s loaded with flaxseed. +> +> This recipe was adapted from “Bread” by Jeffrey Hammelman. + +**Formula** + +* Whole rye flour: 60% +* White flour: 40% +* Flaxseeds: 10% +* Water: 80% +* Salt: 1.8% + +40% of the flour (rye) is in the starter at 100% hydration + +**Ingredients** + +* White flour: 200 grams or about 1.5 cups +* Whole rye flour: 100 grams or 1 scant cup +* Rye starter (at 100% hydration): 400 grams or 1.25 cups +* Water: 200 grams or ¾ cup + 2 Tbs +* Salt: 9 grams or 1.25 tsp +* Flaxseeds: 50 grams + + +**Soak the night before** + +Mix the flaxseeds and 150 grams (about 1 cup) of the water together. +Cover and let sit overnight. + +**Mixing** + +Add the remaining water to the flax seed soaker, and then mix with the +starter. Separately, mix the flours and the salt, then mix all +ingredients until everything is hydrated. + +**Dough development and the first rise** + +You’ll want to do either the stretch and fold or traditional kneading, +though traditional will probably serve you better. Either way, it’ll +be a little tricky because the rye -- and there's a lot of it in this +bread -- will make the dough sticky. Keep at it. The dough will come +together, though it will be much more clay-like than a 100% wheat +dough. + +The first rise will take about 3 hours at room temperature. + +**Shaping** + +Rounds and batards are the traditional shapes. + +**Second rise** + +You can let it rise for another 2 hours at room temperature. You can +also speed things up (and increase sourness) by placing the dough on +an upturned bowl in the bottom of a picnic cooler, throwing a cup of +boiling water in the bottom and covering it quickly. After an hour, +throw another cup of hot water in. The rise should only take about 90 +minutes this way. + +**Baking** + +Score the bread as you like. Hash marks are traditional for rounds, +and batards usually take a single, bold stroke down the center or a +couple of baguette-style slashes. + +While you can certainly bake this bread on a cookie sheet, it benefits +from a stone and some steam, or a covered baker. However you do it, +bake at 450 degrees for about 40 minutes. + +Because of its high rye content, this bread should cool for at least 3 +hours and up to 24 hours to allow the bread set up. If you cut into it +too early, the center will be more liquid or gelatinous than solid. diff --git a/03-09-overnight-sourdough-pizza-crust.md b/03-09-overnight-sourdough-pizza-crust.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6ccf005 --- /dev/null +++ b/03-09-overnight-sourdough-pizza-crust.md @@ -0,0 +1,90 @@ +## Overnight Sourdough Pizza Crust (with 60% whole wheat) + +**JMonkey** + + +> This recipe makes four doughballs, each of which will make a pizza +> that's about 12" in diameter. They freeze well, and will keep for at +> least a month. To use a frozen doughball, just transfer it to the +> fridge the night before you want to bake. Then follow the baking +> instructions as written. + +> If you wish to make this as a 100% white flour pizza, reduce the +> water to 510 grams. + +**Formula** + +* Whole wheat flour: 60% +* All-purpose white flour: 40% +* Water: 80% +* Olive oil: 5% +* Starter accounts for 2% of the flour at 60% hydration + +**Ingredients** + +* Whole wheat flour: 420 grams +* AP flour: 290 grams +* Water: 570 grams +* Salt: 15 grams +* Olive oil: 36 grams +* Whole wheat starter: 25 grams + + +The night before, dissolve the starter into the water, and then add +the salt and the oil. Finally, mix in the flours, until everything is +nicely mixed. Then, let it rest for about an hour, and then do three +stretch and folds with about 20-30 minutes between each. Cover the +dough, and let it rise all night. + +The next morning, see whether the dough has risen enough (8 - 10 hours +is usually enough) and then divide it into 4 doughballs of about 340 +grams a piece. Two dough balls go into the plastic baggies in the +fridge, while the others go in plastic baggies in the freezer. + +Remove the fridge doughballs two hours before baking, and shape them +into tight balls. Then cover each with a cereal bowl. While they warm +up, prepare the toppings. + +**Tomato sauce (for two pies -- makes more than you'll probably +need)** + +* 1 14 to 16 oz. can crushed tomatoes +* Oregano: 1/2 tsp +* Basil: 1/2 tsp +* Garlic: 2 cloves, diced +* Lemon juice or red wine vinegar: 1 Tbs + +Mix this up, and set it aside, adding salt if it +needs it. Some canned tomatoes are already well +salted. With the brand I use, though, I usually +have to add 1/2 tsp or so. + +**Cheese blend (for two pies)** + +* Whole fat mozzarella, grated: 4 oz. +* Parmesan, grated: 2 ounces +* Feta, crumbled: 2 oz + +Other toppings are, of course, up to you. I like chicken sausage, +black olives and mushrooms, myself. Roasted red bell peppers are +awesome. Fresh tomatoes are great (under the cheese), when available, +as are fresh basil leaves, added just after the pie comes out of the +oven. + +**Shaping the pie** + +First, an hour before I'm ready to bake, insert a stone and set the +oven as high as it will go. When you're finally ready to shape, +generously dust a peel with semolina flour or cornmeal. Then, make a +small pile of AP flour next to where you'll shape. Coat your hands in +flour, take a dough ball, coat it in flour on both sides, and then +place it on your knuckles. Bounce the dough on your knuckles in a +circle, gently stretching the dough with each bounce. When it's +halfway there, place it on the peel, and stretch it all the way out. +Make sure you stretch the edges apart -- don't stretch across the +dough, because the center will be fairly thin and will tear. + +Before adding the toppings, make sure that the pie will move on the +peel. Then add sauce, cheese and toppings, and bake on the stone for +9-11 minutes. Let it cool for a few minutes on a rack before cutting +into slices. diff --git a/03-10-overnight-wholegrain-sourdough.md b/03-10-overnight-wholegrain-sourdough.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ba4f8fd --- /dev/null +++ b/03-10-overnight-wholegrain-sourdough.md @@ -0,0 +1,61 @@ +## Overnight Whole Grain Sourdough with Wheat, Spelt & Rye + +***JMonkey*** + +> This may be my favorite hearth bread. When made well, it has an open +> crumb, which is unusual for 100% whole grain breads, and a +> deliciously sour and nutty flavor. + +**Overall Formula** + +* Whole wheat flour: 60% +* Whole spelt flour: 30% +* Whole rye flour: 10% +* Water: 75% +* Salt: 2% + +5% of the flour is in the starter, which could be whole wheat, whole +rye or whole spelt, and can be 60% hydration or 100% hydration. + +**Ingredients** + +* Whole wheat flour: 300 grams or 2 generous cups +* Whole spelt flour: 150 grams or 1 generous cup +* Whole rye flour: 50 grams or a generous 1/3 cup +* Whole grain starter: 40 grams if stiff (a dough ball about the size of a golf ball); 50 grams if wet (about 3-4 Tbs) +* Water: 375 grams or 1.5 cups + 1 Tbs +* Salt: 10 grams or 1 and 3/8 tsp + +**Mixing** + +Dissolve the starter into the water, and then add the salt. Mix +the flours together well, and add to the water. Mix until everything +is hydrated. + +Dough development and the first rise However you develop the dough, +it’ll need to rise at room temperature for 8-10 hours. Use the wet +finger test to see whether it’s fully risen in the morning. + +**Shaping** + +Be gentle. You want to retain as many of those air bubbles as +possible. Rounds and batards are the traditional shapes. + +**Second rise** + +You can let it rise for another 2 to 3 hours at room +temperature. You can also speed things up (and increase sourness) by +placing the dough on an upturned bowl in the bottom of a picnic +cooler, throwing a cup of boiling water in the bottom and covering it +quickly. After an hour, throw another cup of hot water in. The rise +should only take a couple of hours this way. + +**Baking** + +Score the bread as you like. Hash marks are traditional for +rounds, and batards usually take a single, bold stroke down the center +or a couple of baguette-style slashes. + +While you can certainly bake this bread on a cookie sheet, it benefits +from a stone and some steam, or a covered baker. However you do it, +bake at 450 degrees for about 40 minutes. diff --git a/03-11-thee-seed-sourdough-baguette.md b/03-11-thee-seed-sourdough-baguette.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4ad9364 --- /dev/null +++ b/03-11-thee-seed-sourdough-baguette.md @@ -0,0 +1,98 @@ +## Three-Seed Sourdough Bread + +***JMonkey*** + +> This is a great dinner bread – the seeds add a rich nutty flavor to +> the loaf, which is already full of sourdough flavor. It’s a bit too +> much for most sandwiches, though. +> +> This recipe was adapted from "Bread" by Jeffrey Hammelman. + +**Overall Formula** + +* White flour: 80% +* Whole wheat flour: 20% +* Water: 80% +* Salt: 2.3% (high, because of all the seeds) +* Sunflower seeds, toasted: 12% +* Sesame seeds, toasted: 6% +* Flaxseeds: 7% +* Water: 75% + +20% of the flour is in the starter (which should be a whole wheat +starter), which is at 60% hydration + +**Ingredients** + +**Soaker** + +* Flaxseeds: 30 grams or 3 Tbs +* Water: 120 grams or ½ cup + 1 Tbs + +**Final Dough** + +* White flour: 370 grams or about 3 cups +* Water: 235 grams or 1 cup + 1 Tbs +* Stiff whole wheat starter: 160 grams or about ½ cup +* Salt: 11 grams or 1.5 tsp +* Sunflower seeds, toasted: 60 grams or 1/3 cup + 2 Tbs +* Sesame seeds, toasted: 34 grams or ¼ cup +* All of the flaxseed soaker + +**Making the Soaker** + +Mix the flaxseeds and the water for the soaker together. Cover and let +sit overnight. + +**Toasting** + +Spread the sesame and sunflower seeds on a cookie sheet and toast them +for 5 to 6 minutes at 380 degrees. Unless you have a high-end toaster +oven, I'd recommend avoiding it -- some will burn, while others will +be raw. Very unpleasant. + + **Mixing** + +Dissolve the starter into the water, and then add the salt and the +soaker Finally add the flour and seeds. Mix until everything is +hydrated. + +**Dough development and the first rise** + +However you develop the dough, from the time you mix until the time +you shape the dough, it’ll take about 4 hours for the first rise at +room temperature. + +**Shaping** + +Be gentle. You want to retain as many of those air bubbles as +possible. Rounds and batards are the traditional shapes. + +**Second rise and retarding** + +Sourdoughs benefit quite a bit from retarding -- they often taste +better. You can simply cover the shaped dough and place it in the +fridge or, if you’re lucky and the overnight temperature will be +between 45 and 55, you can simply place it outside, in which case the +bread will probably be ready to bake when you wake up. + +If you put it in the fridge, it’ll need to warm up for 3-4 hours to +complete its rise. + +If you don’t want to bother with retarding, you can let it rise for +another 3 hours at room temperature. You can also speed things up (and +increase sourness) by placing the dough on an upturned bowl in the +bottom of a picnic cooler, throwing a cup of boiling water in the +bottom and covering it quickly. After an hour, throw another cup of +hot water in. The rise should only take a couple of hours this way. + +**Baking** + +Score the bread as you like. Hash marks are traditional for rounds, +and batards usually take a single, bold stroke down the center or a +couple of baguette-style slashes. + +While you can certainly bake this bread on a cookie sheet, it benefits +from a stone and some steam, or a covered baker. However you do it, +bake at 450 degrees for about 40 minutes. + diff --git a/03-12-whole-wheat-cinamon-rolls.md b/03-12-whole-wheat-cinamon-rolls.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a1661dd --- /dev/null +++ b/03-12-whole-wheat-cinamon-rolls.md @@ -0,0 +1,125 @@ +## Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls & Sticky Buns + +***JMonkey*** + +> I make these for breakfast every so often. They’re 100% whole wheat, +> but, really, you'd not know it, especially if you use buttermilk in +> the dough. That's not to say that they’re exactly healthy, but +> however detrimental they may be to the body, these warm sticky buns +> are awfully good for the soul on a grey and chilly weekend morning. + +**Dough Formula** + +* Whole wheat flour: 100% +* Milk or buttermilk: 58% +* Egg: 12.4% +* Honey: 18.8% +* Butter, melted: 6.2% +* Salt: 2% +* Instant yeast: 1.3% + +**Dough Ingredients** + +* Whole wheat flour: 450 grams; 3-4 cups +* Lukewarm buttermilk or milk: 275 grams; 1.25 cups +* Egg: 1 large, lightly beaten +* Honey: 85 grams or 1/4 cup +* Butter, melted: 28 grams or 2 Tbs +* Salt: 9 grams or 1.25 tsp +* Instant yeast: 6 grams or 2 tsp + +**Filling ingredients** + +* Brown sugar: 210 grams or 1 cup packed +* Egg White: 1 large +* Cinnamon: 14 grams or 2 Tbs +* Salt: Just a pinch +* Currants or raisins: 100 g; or 2/3 cup +* Chopped pecans or walnuts: 60 grams or ½ cup + +**Sticky Bun Topping Ingredients** + +* Brown sugar: 140 grams; 5 ounces; 2/3 cup packed +* Cinnamon: 2 to 3 grams; 1 tsp +* White flour: 3-4 grams or 1 tsp +* Salt: Just a pinch +* Melted butter: 56 grams; 2 ounces; 4 Tbs +* Corn Syrup, honey or brown rice syrup: 39 grams; 1 3/8 ounces; 2 Tbs +* Chopped pecans: 106 grams; 3.75 ounces; 1 cup + + +**Cinnamon Roll Glaze** + +* Powdered sugar: 120 grams or 1 cup +* Lemon juice, milk or water: 15-30 grams or 1-2 Tbs + +**Mixing** + +If the honey's cold, I like to put the butter and honey in the same +bowl and heat it for about 1 minute on medium power in the microwave. +But, however you do it, first mix the milk, egg, honey and butter. +Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a separate bowl, and then add to the +liquids. Mix until everything is hydrated. If you wish, you can knead +the traditional way now, or do as I do and use the stretch and fold +method starting at ½ hour after mixing, and doing two more folds 20 +minutes apart. + +You may have to adjust the flour or add some water -- the dough +should be tacky, but not sticky. In any case, if you've kneaded, the +dough will be ready in 60-90 minutes and, if you've done the stretch +and fold, it'll be done in about 2 hours. + +**Filling and Topping** + +Meanwhile, for the filling, mix everything together until smooth +except the dried fruit. + +If you’re making sticky buns, mix the topping ingredients except for +the pecans. Corn syrup will give you a better consistency for the +topping because it prevents the sugar from crystallizing, but I don't +often have it on hand, and have had good results with both the +alternate ingredients. + +If you’re making cinnamon rolls, you can mix up the glaze now and +cover it, or you can wait until the buns are just about to come out of +the oven. Start with 1 Tbs of lemon juice, milk or water (I really +like the flavor that lemon juice gives to the glaze) and stir it, +adding more liquid until you get the consistency you like. + +**Shaping** + +Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. If you’re making sticky buns, spread the +topping on the bottom of the pan, placing the pecans on top. + +Then, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a +rectangle that's roughly 12 x 16 inches. Spread the filling over the +dough, leaving a margin of about an inch or so on the top and bottom +edges. Scatter the dried fruit and the nuts over the filling. + +Roll the dough into a log and then, using a serrated knife or some +dental floss, divide the log in half. Next, cut the two halves in +half. Finally, divide each of these sections into three so you end up +with 12 buns. Place the buns in the pan. + +If you want your buns now, let them rise for about an hour or so until +they're just barely touching each other, and then bake. But, if you +want to bake them the next morning, simply cover the pan tightly with +plastic or aluminum foil, and pop them in the refrigerator or a cold +room (if it's in the 40s or 50s, I sometimes just put them outside). +The next morning, you may want to let them warm up for about 1 hour +before baking, but I find mine are usually ready to go into the oven +right away. You’ll know they’re ready when the buns are touching each +other and are about 50% bigger than they when you shaped them. + +**Baking** + +Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. When they are baked, for +sticky buns, put foil or parchment paper over the top of the pan, and +quickly invert it onto a cooling rack. Scrape any topping left in the +pan on top of the buns. + +For cinnamon buns, leave the rolls in the pan and drizzle the glaze +over them with a fork or a spoon. + +They should probably cool for 20-30 minutes before you dig in, but +I'll leave that to your discretion. diff --git a/03-13-whole-wheat-sourdough-english-muffins.md b/03-13-whole-wheat-sourdough-english-muffins.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2fcfe81 --- /dev/null +++ b/03-13-whole-wheat-sourdough-english-muffins.md @@ -0,0 +1,52 @@ +## Whole Wheat Sourdough English Muffins + +***JMonkey*** + +> My daughter basically lives on these for breakfast. I save up old +> starter over the week in the fridge and make these both during the +> week and over the weekend. Super easy, and they freeze very well. +> Simply split and freeze. When you want one, pop it directly in the +> toaster from the freezer. I learned this recipe with volumetric +> measures, and never bothered to convert to grams. +> +> I adapted this recipe and converted it to whole wheat from a posting +> at The Fresh Loaf from KJKnits. + +**Ingredients** + +* Sourdough starter: 1/2 cup (stiff or wet, makes no difference) +* Milk: 1 cup if you use wet starter; 1.25 cups if you use stiff +* Whole wheat flour: 2 cups +* Honey: 1 Tbs +* Salt: ¾ tsp +* Baking soda: 1 tsp +* Semolina flour or cornmeal, for dusting + +**The night before: starter** + +Dissolve the starter into the milk and then add the flour. Stir to +combine, cover with a plate or plastic, and leave out for 8 hours or +overnight. It’ll be pretty wet -- don't worry, it’ll firm up by +morning. + +**Mixing and dough development** + +The next morning, add the honey, salt and baking soda and mix well. +Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes with +wet hands. With your fingers, flatten it out to ¾" thick and cut +with a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass into rounds. Reflatten the +scraps to make additional muffins. You’ll get 10-12 muffins. Place +muffins on a surface dusted with semolina, cornmeal or flour cover and +let them rise for about 45 minutes to an hour. + +**Cooking** + +Spray griddle or skillet lightly with spray oil or add a little +butter. (Actually, if it's nonstick, you may not need any grease at +all.) Heat to medium high and cook muffins for about 5 minutes on each +side, or until browned on the top and bottom and cooked through. +These have great griddle spring and rise quite a bit. They’re done +when the sides are firm. + +Split with a fork and toast if you like. As noted above, they freeze +very well. diff --git a/03-14-whole-wheat-sourdough-sandwhich.md b/03-14-whole-wheat-sourdough-sandwhich.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..434fbf6 --- /dev/null +++ b/03-14-whole-wheat-sourdough-sandwhich.md @@ -0,0 +1,71 @@ +## Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread + +***JMonkey*** + +This is another of my favorite breads. Slightly sweet, but also tangy, +it's perfect for sandwiches, but also stands well alone, with just a +bit of butter. + +**Formula** + +* Whole wheat flour: 100% +* Salt: 2% +* Water or milk: 75% +* Honey: 4.2% +* Unsalted butter: 2.8% + +30% of the flour is in the whole-wheat starter. (I’ll give two +options, one for starter at 100% hydration and another at 60% +hydration) + +**Ingredients** + +* Whole wheat flour: 500 grams or about 4 cups +* Salt: 10 grams or 1.25 tsp +* Water: + * Using a wet starter: 225 grams or 1 cup + * Using a stiff starter: 285 grams or 1.25 cups +* Whole wheat starter + * Wet starter (100% hydration) 300 grams or 1 ¼ cup + * Stiff starter (60% hydration) 240 grams or 1 cup +* Honey: 21 grams or 1 Tbs +* Unsalted butter: 14 grams or 1 Tbs + +**Mixing** + +Dissolve the starter into the water, and then add the salt. Melt the +butter and stir in the honey – add both to the water. Finally add the +flour and mix until all is hydrated. + +**Dough development and the first rise** + +However you develop the dough, from the time you mix until the time +you shape the dough, it’ll take about 3 to 4 hours for the first rise +at room temperature. + +**Shaping** + +Shape into a sandwich loaf and place it in a greased 8½”x 4½” pan. + +**Second rise and retarding** + +Sourdoughs benefit quite a bit from retarding – they often taste +better. You can simply cover the shaped dough and place it in the +fridge or, if you’re lucky and the overnight temperature will be +between 45 and 55, you can simply place it outside, in which case the +bread will probably be ready to bake when you wake up. + +If you put it in the fridge, it’ll need to warm up for 3-4 hours to +complete its rise. + +If you don't want to bother with retarding, you can let it rise for +another 3 hours at room temperature. You can also speed things up (and +increase sourness) by placing the dough on an upturned bowl in the +bottom of a picnic cooler, throwing a cup of boiling water in the +bottom and covering it quickly. After an hour, throw another cup of +hot water in. The rise should only take a couple of hours this way. + +**Baking** + +There's no need to score the bread, but I often do anyway. Bake for +about 55 minutes at 350 degrees F. No steam or pre-heating required. diff --git a/03-15-whole-wheat-sourdough-waffles.md b/03-15-whole-wheat-sourdough-waffles.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e8e60fc --- /dev/null +++ b/03-15-whole-wheat-sourdough-waffles.md @@ -0,0 +1,48 @@ +## Whole Wheat Sourdough Waffles + +***JMonkey*** + +> I make these just about every Saturday. They’re light and delicious, +> with a light sourdough flavor. They freeze well. +> +> Adapted from a recipe in "The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion" + +**Ingredients** + +**Overnight Sponge** + +* Whole wheat pastry flour: 10 ounces or 2 generous cups +* Honey: 2 Tbs +* Buttermilk: 18 ounces or 2.25 cups +* Sourdough starter: 8 ounces (if it’s the wet kind, use only 16 + ounces or 2 cups buttermilk) + +**Final Batter** + +* All of the sponge +* 2 large eggs +* 6 Tbs (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted +* 3/4 tsp salt +* 1 tsp baking soda + +**Mixing** + +Mix up the sponge the night before. Cover it and let it sit. The next +morning, it should be bubbly. In another bowl, beat the egg with the +melted butter until light, and then mix in the salt and baking soda. +Dump this mixture into the sponge -- if the sponge is acidic enough, +it should bubble quite a bit when it hits the alkaline baking soda. +Mix it all together and then spoon it into a hot waffle iron. You'll +know your waffle iron better than mine, but it usually takes about 4-5 +minutes. I judge by the volume of steam -- when it starts to +dissipate, they're usually done. + +**Cooking** + +This recipe makes 8 to 10 traditional waffles. If you've got a Belgian +waffle maker, I'm afraid you'll have to find out for yourself how many +it will make, but no matter. The recipe stands well to doubling, even +quadrupling, and leftover waffles freeze beautifully, so don't worry +about making too many. When you want one for breakfast, just pop it +directly into the toaster from the freezer. + diff --git a/04-01-glossary.md b/04-01-glossary.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3d92c82 --- /dev/null +++ b/04-01-glossary.md @@ -0,0 +1,115 @@ +# Glossary + +**ABAA:** Artisan Baking Across America, by Maggie Glezer. A book +featuring profiles of artisan bakers and recipes for some of their +breads. + +**Autolyse:** a technique for improving gluten development without heavy +kneading. Combine the flour and water from your recipe in a bowl and +mix until the flour is fully hydrated. Cover the bowl and let the +flour hydrate for 20 minutes, then mix in remaining ingredients. The +result is development comparable to a dough that has been kneaded for +5 or 10 minutes with less oxydation (which leads to a yellow crumb). + +**Baker's percentage:** a convention for listing the ingredients in a dough +in which the quantity of each ingredient is expressed a percentage of +the total amount of flour. Example: 1000g flour, 660g water, 20g salt, +10g yeast is expressed in baker's percentage as 100% flour, 66% water, +2% salt, 1% yeast. Note that this always adds up to more than 100%. + +**BBA:** The Bread Baker's Apprentice, a book by Peter Reinhart. By far +the most popular book among amateur artisan bakers in the United +States. If you don't have it, buy it. + +**Banneton:** a woven basket, sometimes lined with linen, used to hold a +shaped loaf while it is proofing. + +**Batard:** a loaf that has an oval or oblong shape. + +**Biga:** a term used variously as a very stiff (~50% hydration +preferment), or as a generic term for preferment. + +**Boule:** a round loaf (French for "ball"). + +**Brotform:** a coiled cane basket used to hold a shaped loaf while it is +proofing. + +**Couche:** heavy linen fabric used to hold formed loaves for proofing. +The fabric can be pleated around the loaves to help them hold their +shape. + +**Crumb:** When a baker talks about the crumb they are talking about the +pattern of holes inside of a loaf. + +**Fermentation:** (1) the process by which yeast metabolizes sugars to +produce carbon dioxide and alcohol (2) (aka bulk fermentation, first +fermentation) the period of time the dough rests after mixing and +before dividing/shaping. + +**Folding:** one of the best ways of encouraging gluten development in +slack doughs. Folding the dough consists of taking a wet dough out of +the bowl, spreading it out a little on a clean, well-floured surface, +folding it in thirds like a letter, rotating it 90 degrees and folding +it up again, picking it up and dusting the loose flour off of it, and +then returning the dough to the bowl and covering it again. Like +punching down, folding degases the dough some, but it also encourages +gluten development. + +**Gluten:** "A tenacious elastic protein of wheat flour that gives +cohesiveness to dough." Gluten is what allows bread dough to develop +those long, beautiful strands and create large open pockets of air +(think about the inside of a loaf of Ciabatta compared to the inside +of a muffin). Bread flours tend to be made from hard wheats that are +higher in protein than regular flour, providing more gluten. + +**Hamelman, Jeffrey:** bakery director at King Arthur Flour and author of +Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes, a comprehensive book +aimed at both professional and home bakers. + +**Hydration:** the ratio of liquid ingredients (primarily water) to flour +in the dough. A dough with 500g of flour and 340g of water has a +hydration of 68% (340/500). + +**KA:** Kitchen Aid or King Arthur. + +**KAF:** King Arthur Four. + +**Lame:** a thin blade on a handle, used to score (slash) loaves before +baking. + +**Levain:** usually used as a synonym for sourdough. + +**Leonard, Thom:** A baker featured in ABAA whose Country French Bread is +popular with many members of The Fresh Loaf. + +**Pâte fermentée (aka prefermented dough):** a type of preferment in which +the ingredients (flour, water, yeast, salt) are mixed in the same +proportion as (usually) a basic white bread dough at about 65% +hydration. + +**Poolish:** A type of sponge. Typically quite wet, an equal weight of +water and flour with an extremely small amount of yeast. For my batch +of two French Bread loaves, I typically use 8 ounces of water, 8 +ounces of bread flour, and 1/8 teaspoon a instant yeast. Mix it, cover +the bowl, and leave it at room temperature overnight. + +**Proof:** (1) the final rise of the shaped loaves before baking (2) the +hydration of dry active yeast in water before it is added to the dough + +**RLB:** Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of The Bread Bible, a book aimed at +the home bread baker. + +**Score (aka slash or dock):** to cut the surface of the loaf prior to +baking. This provides for controlled expansion of the loaves during +baking so they do not "break" undesirably. Scoring is also used to +enhance the appearance of the bread. + +**Sourdough:** a preferment that is a culture of wild yeast and bacteria +that is perpetuated by the periodic addition of flour and water, or a +bread leavened in whole or part by this culture. + +**Sponge:** Also known as a "preferment," a sponge is a portion of the +ingredients that is mixed ahead of time, typically overnight. Using a +sponge extends the fermentation process longer and generally releases +more complex flavors in your loaf. It can also be used to soften dry +ingredients (such as whole grains) and release sugars from the grains. diff --git a/05-01-further-reading.md b/05-01-further-reading.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2dd073d --- /dev/null +++ b/05-01-further-reading.md @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +# Further Reading + +Coming soon. diff --git a/06-01-contributors.md b/06-01-contributors.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8736468 --- /dev/null +++ b/06-01-contributors.md @@ -0,0 +1,19 @@ +# Contributors + +By opting into this project, the following contributors agree to +contribute only original or copyright-free writing and photographs. +They also agree to waive their right to revoke permission to use the +images and copy contributed to this handbook and agree to release +their work under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial +Share-Alike License. They grant the owner of The Fresh Loaf the right +to wave the licensing terms in order to allow reproduction of all or +portions of this work in a commercial setting, such as reproduction of +an included recipe in a newspaper or magazine. + +Floyd Mann + +Jeff Miller + +David Snyder + +Eric Hanner diff --git a/07-01-license.md b/07-01-license.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5355ee7 --- /dev/null +++ b/07-01-license.md @@ -0,0 +1,13 @@ +## License + +This handbook is being developed under a Creative Commons Attribution +Non-Commercial Share-Alike License. This means you are free to +reproduce and modify any images or text included in this work for +non-commercial or educational use as long as you include a credit with +the source listed as "The Fresh Loaf ()". + +If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you must distribute +the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one. + +Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from +the copyright holder. diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile new file mode 100644 index 0000000..25da930 --- /dev/null +++ b/Makefile @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +SOURCES=$(wildcard *.md) + +the-fresh-loaf.pdf: $(SOURCES) + pandoc --pdf-engine=xelatex $^ -o $@ -- cgit v1.2.3