The Flickr Bakingbread Image Generatr

Chemistry/Chemicals

I love using my bread machine. It makes bread baking so much easier. www.compoundchem.com/2016/01/13/bread/

I decided to do a raisin loaf... just not a sourdough or natural starter loaf. I'm pushing the boundaries.........

However, I found this little blurb on the website touting the week long celebration.

"It’s not just about sourdough ...
While all genuine sourdough is Real Bread, not all Real Bread is made by the sourdough process. As long as it’s made without additives, bread leavened with baker’s yeast nestles within our definition of Real Bread – as do unleavened flatbreads".

And, so ... I give you my loaf of Real Bread... which, this time I made with commercial yeast ...and, which 'pouffed' up considerably.......

I've made the loaf a few times in the past.... twice it has gone way above the pan.
However, it is a massive amount of dough even for my large KitchenAid 9 x 5 sort of rounded edges pan...

Next time I may add a bit more flour, some yogurt and divide it into 2 loaves.... they'll be smaller, but they'll fit into the toaster much better.

Even though it toasts up beautifully....I do have to put the slices in sideways in order to pop them down..... but, who cares when it is so tasty! I do add a bit of ginger, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a bit more sugar to it ..... mmmmm.......

BERNIE: "Yup....it's a good one Raddy" .... "look ...she even made some patterns on it" ...

RADCLIFFE: "I think she's getting the hang of this dough stuff" ...


Happy Teddy Bear Tuesday

Well, it reminds me of one anyway.

This is what the underside of my sourdough loaves looked like. Because I baked them in my turkey roasting pan.

Even with a few layers of parchment they got browned in the pattern on the bottom of the pan. Quite cute.

If I bake any more bread this week...I have to give it away...there is just no more room in the freezer for any more 'stuff' ....

My now 'mature' starter outdid itself.... with a bit of help from me.

I'm still cruising the 'net checking out various sourdough sites ... I incorporated info from 3 of them.

So, .... no clear way to tell what actually made it grow so large... as a matter of fact..there is no 'ear' as it was held down by the lid of the Dutch Oven!! This loaf grew even after I took off the lid and is 6 inches high...

I was trying for a bit softer crust... which it has. I was making a same day sourdough.... which it was. And, I was trying for a better rise and lighter crumb... which it has... the crust is squish-able and the interior is soft and light....

It was rather roughly handled in the stretch and folds... as I noted in one of the videos showing her method for a large well risen boule. Almost as firmly pummelled as a Brioche. Which I'm sure is why the crumb is not open and airy... that, and, the fact that it is a low hydration dough.

Butter was added ..for some softness...as noted in another that was naming it a soft French sourdough loaf. The recipe was from a difficult to translate Polish recipe.

Other than the butter, I used Baker Bettie's same day sourdough recipe.

I was surprised when I cut it to find that even though it was lovely and soft inside ... it has somewhat the same texture as a regular loaf. Fine with me. I don't really like those huge open airy holes anyway.... this is the perfect loaf of sourdough as far as I'm concerned.

Same day means not quite the sour tang of an over night ferment...but, still plenty of flavour as I know there always is in my attempts to get soft sandwich bread with no tang using my starter. Still. not happening on that front.... I've given up and am using my yogurt bread ..it is a great flavour that might have a slightly sour taste if you imagine it... .. hefty feel to it and it makes great toast.

This sourdough loaf has not yet been tested by the toasting department ....and, will have to be cut into half slices anyway in order to fit into the toaster!!! But, the flavour and texture are excellent!!

Postcard with a photo of bread baking in outside ovens in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the United States. This is an age old practice that is still done today. Sent to a Postcrossing member in Spain.

Morocco.

Baking bread in a clay oven.

"Aït Benhaddou is a historic ksar (fortified village) along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakesh in Morocco. It is considered a great example of Moroccan earthen clay architecture.

The site of the ksar has been fortified since the 11th century. None of the current buildings are believed to date from before the 17th century, but they were likely built with the same construction methods and designs as had been used for centuries before. The site's strategic importance was due to its location in the Ounila Valley along one of the main trans-Saharan trade routes. The Tizi n'Tichka pass, which was reached via this route, was one of the few routes across the Atlas Mountains, crossing between Marrakech and the Dra'a Valley on the edge of the Sahara. Other kasbahs and ksars were located all along this route.

Today, the ksar itself is only sparsely inhabited by several families. The depopulation over time is a result of the valley's loss of strategic importance in the 20th century. Most local inhabitants now live in modern dwellings in the village on the other side of the river, and make a living off agriculture and especially off the tourist trade. In 2011 a new pedestrian bridge was completed linking the old ksar with the modern village, with the aim of making the ksar more accessible and to potentially encourage inhabitants to move back into its historic houses.

The site was damaged by the September 2023 earthquake that struck southern Morocco. My visit was in February 2024, just five months later. I saw damage here and along our drive across the High Atlas Mountains to Marrakesh.

It's too hot to turn on the oven... oh, yes, ...sure we have A/C... but why make things worse than they already are?
Although, I used to say ... what difference does it make? ..the house is already hot ! Why not just fire up the oven...hahahha...not anymore.....

Anyway....Mister BV said "bake it in the BBQ"... " I enjoy fiddling with the knobs and trying to keep it at the required temperature." Okay then........

Do you know? ... it browns the bottoms just as nicely as it does the tops ... which the oven doesn't. I usually pop it back into the oven once out of the tin...just to brown up the bottom a bit. No need to do that when I bake in the BBQ. It's perfect.

I put a cookie sheet with a wire cooling rack on it straight onto the grill rack in the BBQ and, then, placed the tins of dough on top of the wire rack.... lets a bit of air go between the tins and the cookie sheet. All of that keeps the bottom of the tins at a good heat so no burning happens ... works well.

So, Nina.... this is your Oatmeal Honey Naturally Leavened Loaf... and, it doesn't look the least bit like yours.

I suspected the 50% (or thereabouts) hydration was going to be a problem so saved back plenty of the flour, didn't put in as many oats, and even added some more water during the mixing...but, it was still far too dry.... as you can tell by the open elongated areas in the 'rolled log' for the tin. The dough was so dry it couldn't stick to itself....

In its defence...it is a great tasting bread... makes lovely toast, although you have to give it a full two 'pops' at number 2 on my toaster because it is so dense .....it has a sweet background flavour from the amount of honey .. and, no sour tang.

It took almost an hour to bake at 350 (instead of the 30 to 40 mins.) and my oven is bang on temperature wise... .... I had to tent with foil for the last 10 minutes or it would have been chocolate brown....

Some day I think we should have a "Challenge" ...in which we all bake a loaf from the same recipe ... and, see how many variations we get....

...but, it does have a definite sourdough tang ...

I'm trying to use my starter instead of yeast .. as some folks say it is possible..... and yet not have the sour tang to the loaf.

However, when it takes all day to rise it is still too long and therefore takes on the sourness .... there are some tricks and tips to try ... when I feel like giving it another whirl...... but, maybe not this week.

It is still a lovely little loaf of bread....little being the key word here.... but, not what I want for my morning toast.

Today's bread is my regular loaf and rising beautifully on the counter... must go out and shovel now ... then, it can bake while I do the treadmill.......

Apparently it is the Maori word for sweet potato. Sweet potato bread... yum... I definitely wanted to make it.

I'm watching a series from New Zealand and in it they made reference to a bread ... which I thought they called Kuma.... but maybe it was their accent that threw me off or I just didn't hear it correctly... so I was busy looking it up to see if I could find it.
This is the closest thing I could find that sounded anything similar and was still a yeasted bread.

It also has a lot of Rosemary in it... better still..

However the recipe gave me grief as the amount of liquid plus the potato puree made it far too wet and I had to add a lot more flour to get it right.
By then I thought it wouldn't work at all, or it would be quite bland tasting if it ever did make a loaf of edible bread.
Not so on either count.... it finally became two cute little loaves and tastes very nice.
A firm crust and a nice tight crumb... quite nice actually.
It doesn't toast up very dark before the crust gets too toasty though... so is a bit pale. However it is still nice toast. And, I do love my toast.

It had quite a lot of sweet potato in it at 300 g, but the bread is not sweet .. mostly the taste of the Rosemary comes though as prominent...
Next time...I may add some honey to give it a bit of sweetness... and, I'll begin with a lot less water too.... live and learn with recipes... but at least it has redeeming features this time.

here is the link if anybody wants to give it a go or use the recipe as a guideline.. remember that when it says 'add a bit more flour" ... it means plenty. So perhaps go with less water and then.. add more if it is too dry with your flour...it is cups and not weights so it messes with things anyway....

Kumara bread

It is from Baker Bettie, and she calls it a 'lean dough Master Recipe'. Lean because there is no fat in it and a 'master' as you can use it for various applications.

I have been more than hesitant to use my Le Creuset
pots for doing this type of loaf.. so, instead, I've just never made one. I've heard bad things about how it affects the expensive pots and well... just wasn't ready to give it a try.
However, this recipe only calls for the oven to be at 450F ... not the usual.."" turn your oven up as high as it will go"" and ""get the pot blistering hot''.. sort of thing.
I've done stuff in all sorts of pots and pans at 425 F so how bad can 450 F be?
Plus...the silly Creuset pots weight a ton even with nothing in them... never mind fully loaded... so again...hesitant when things are that hot.
Anyway... suffice to say...I finally bit the bullet and just did it.
I was pretty nervous about the very hot pot until after I got the loaf into it and the thing back into the oven..... but then... hahahahah....I realized I had totally forgotten to slash the surface!!
40 second rule....!!! Take it out and slash it ... lid on, back into the oven and hope for the best. Who knew if it would even work now? ... arrrghh#@!

But, look at this! It worked beautifully! My first little 'ear' and it is very cute.... nicely up there and protecting the underneath of it as it says it is supposed to do..as you can see by the lighter area under the lifted ear..

The crust was lovely and crackly and not thick or hard at all... the inside was lovely and ... how to say it just right ?? sort of soft and a bit chewy all at the same time.

Next day was okay as well..but, by the 3rd day the crust became a bit leather-y, although not hard leather... soft leather... then, of course, it was gone.

Oh, and,... Philip..... just for us...

~~~The Toast Report~~~::: Most Excellent Toast.... but, it does have a pretty crunchy crust so take it cautiously for your gums' sake ...and, smaller bites are good...
I made some garlic toast too.... ooohhhhhhh .... YUM!!

Baker Bettie video

A chef cutting a slice of sourdough bread with a bread knife. Feel free to use but please credit CookServeEnjoy and link credit back to www.cookserveenjoy.com/

Looks beautiful.... yep. It does. But......
It was a long day of rising times ... and, then, trying to measure the teeniest amounts on my gram scale.. like, 1 gram of salt and 2 grams of yeast in the topping that you paint on before the final rising. And, finally having to do some math in my head in order to figure out that 2 grams of yeast would probably be about 1/2 a tsp. and go from there.
If a packet of 8 grams equals 2 1/4 tsps.. then, 2 grams would be about ...erm.... about 1/2 tsp. .. right? I had to go with that. Couldn't feel right about the gram or two being right from the weighing.... one time it was several tsps. and still not showing more than 1 gram.... arrrghh$#@! I need a more precise scale I guess. And, yet, the one I have is a pretty decent one. I'm not buying another just for this particular loaf.
It didn't rise much during the first hour..even though the temperature was at Charlie's favourite of 25C... so I gave it another half hour and then... did the folding... and, the mixing and whatnot of the topping. My topping never did look quite like his .. nor did it ever develop the cracking and crazing like his did during the final hour of rise time in the tins.... and, it never did go above the edge of the tin.
I had little hope of it doing much .. and then... bang! Oven Spring@! It went right up there ...but, maybe too quickly. Even though I was at the optimum temperature as well. I think the spring was almost too much for the loaf..it sort of separated a bit on the top ... and, the coating design is in much larger bits than Charlie's was.. no clue why. Just didn't seem to do quite the same thing as his did.
And.... well, let me just say... even if you have lovely, non stick pans.... proceed to line with parchment paper. It stuck. Just when I was happy that it had sort of turned out okay in spite of not rising and not being the perfect designer crust like Charlie's .. ... then, it wouldn't come out of the pan. I had to dig it out with a special plastic knife in order not to ruin my tin. Which may I just say... has never had bread stick to it before this. So... any topping....line with parchment.
Just do it.

And, I do have to say.....it is yummy bread. But.....will I make it again??? maybe just to say I got it right ...or at least it works a bit better than it did this time........ but, maybe I'll just make a raisin loaf next. And, line my tin with parchment as I'll be painting an egg white wash on that too.......

BERNIE: "Nope, neither am I Bingo..... I'm just going to eat this great bigggg slice right here." .... "even if there is something strange about the top"...

BINGO: "Maybe we should cut it in half Bernie"... and share it" ...

BERNIE: "Oh.... well.... if you insist Bingo.... but, then, we should cut another slice and share it too" ...

BINGO: "Good idea Bernie"... "that way we get to have two slices each"...

BERNIE: "Uhm.... but, Bingo..if we cut another full slice in half ..and, we had only half a slice to begin with ... we're still having only one full slice each"...

BINGO: "huh??" ....

BERNIE: ..."Never mind ... let's just eat a slice quick.... before somebody shows up and we get shooed off the counter top"... "where's the butter??" "...and, don't get any on your furs"...


Portuguese Broa
had a problem with the surface... there was a big air bubble and then, I peeled it off and then..well, you can see it ....

Sort of a surprise....seeing as I have made the same loaf at least 3 times now.
It has never had "oven spring" like this !!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For bread makers.

It rose in the first ferment like it always does... sort of doubling in size like it is supposed to do in around 45 minutes to an hour.
It rose in the tins ...like it always does... in about the same amount of time..but, when I popped it into the oven..it was only about an inch above the edge. Then, pooouuufff. It jumped up to this overly large sized loaf.
I brushed on more egg yolk than usual...and, it dribbled down the sides too far. It got inside the edges of the tin and became a problem.
Because it rose above and out sideways... and, the egg yolk mixed with a bit of milk made it stick...I had to carefully slide a knife (a plastic knife seeing as I didn't want to ruin my non-stick tin) ... in and under the overhanging edges...which caused a scored area all along each side and at the corners there was a slight bit of destruction ...but, then, it popped out of the pan. Whew. Happy it came out in one piece.
I thought when I cut it I might find huge air gaps inside ..but, I'm almost halfway through it and there are only some minor areas ..so it is not all air.
Next time... more raisins and don't paint the egg wash quite as close to the tin....
It's a great, soft raisin loaf... one that I searched for a long time... I like to make it over any others I have tried. Still have no clue why it rose this high this time...
Bread. An experiment every.single.time. you make it.

If you'd like to try it here is the recipe and Youtube video.

raisin-or-sultana bread

Colder temperatures are inspiring me to bake more breads and British Baking shows are inspiring me to up my presentation game. First effort at fancier slashing on homemade bread - a simple but effective pattern

Used Charlie's recipe!

...to go with home made jam.

It always makes the best toast... and we like to slice it thick ...

I've been given some apples and the next endeavour will be apple butter. When I read the recipes it just seems like apple sauce to me..with the exception of adding a bit of cider vinegar..and, perhaps cooking it longer. I'm still reading ....