I’ve never baked bread before, but I’ve always wanted to do it, because there is nothing better than fresh warm bread, and the stuff I find at the grocery store is fairly lame. So, I invested in buckets of hard red and hard white wheat. I’ve also purchased a Kitchenaid mixer and the grain mill attachment. My interest is in artisan breads with stuff rolled into them like olives or cheddar and jalapeños, etc. Is anyone here into this kind of thing? And if so, is there a cookbook you might recommend?
Check out the book by Ken Forkish. “Salt water flour yeast”, or some variation of that. I’d start without the olives at first, and try making the bread recipe with the overnight Poolish starter. Follow the directions exactly, and you will get amazing artisan bread, soft inside and crunchy outside. Cooking technique is to use a 5 quart Dutch oven with lid on for first 30 min for moisture, then take off last 20 min for crunchiness. The poolish starter makes the bread nutty in flavor, and reminds me of brewing beer a little. I have not tried milling my own wheat yet, but the red all purpose (not the “bread flour”) King Arthur apparently has the right amount of protein content for European artisan style breads (11.2% or so). Be sure to read the procedure before starting and follow it closely, there are things that if you miss, it may result in bread that either is too soft outside, doesn’t rise, over proofs (goes flat). Avoiding this at the beginning by just following directions closely and getting that perfect loaf will get you hooked, and more patient experimenting later on, knowing what’s possible, and what you want different. Try to follow the temps, measuring by weight, and folding a few times during initial rising to get a nice and firm dough when proofing late on, I think this helps getting that nice crust at the end (that, and making sure you bake until it is a nice dark brown). Can Use some parchment paper on the bottom To avoid burning the bottom. if you are using a cast iron style Dutch oven... they make some with a knob-less lid that can also be the bottom, makes it easier to place the loaf with parchment paper into the Dutch oven. But ceramic ovens work well too. I’m going to have to make another loaf now, thanks for the inspiration.
Breader 2 points 3.6 years ago
Check out the book by Ken Forkish. “Salt water flour yeast”, or some variation of that. I’d start without the olives at first, and try making the bread recipe with the overnight Poolish starter. Follow the directions exactly, and you will get amazing artisan bread, soft inside and crunchy outside. Cooking technique is to use a 5 quart Dutch oven with lid on for first 30 min for moisture, then take off last 20 min for crunchiness. The poolish starter makes the bread nutty in flavor, and reminds me of brewing beer a little. I have not tried milling my own wheat yet, but the red all purpose (not the “bread flour”) King Arthur apparently has the right amount of protein content for European artisan style breads (11.2% or so). Be sure to read the procedure before starting and follow it closely, there are things that if you miss, it may result in bread that either is too soft outside, doesn’t rise, over proofs (goes flat). Avoiding this at the beginning by just following directions closely and getting that perfect loaf will get you hooked, and more patient experimenting later on, knowing what’s possible, and what you want different. Try to follow the temps, measuring by weight, and folding a few times during initial rising to get a nice and firm dough when proofing late on, I think this helps getting that nice crust at the end (that, and making sure you bake until it is a nice dark brown). Can Use some parchment paper on the bottom To avoid burning the bottom. if you are using a cast iron style Dutch oven... they make some with a knob-less lid that can also be the bottom, makes it easier to place the loaf with parchment paper into the Dutch oven. But ceramic ovens work well too. I’m going to have to make another loaf now, thanks for the inspiration.