Simple Bread

[rwsaunders]

Slice photo...big hit at dinner this evening and 1/2 of the boule is history.

[rwsaunders]

Simple bread Saturday...ready for a date with our Italian inspired dinner this evening.

[rwsaunders]

For Mike...

[Too Tall]

RW your yeast is out of this world which is something I do not often say.

[rwsaunders]

RW your yeast is out of this world which is something I do not often say.

I see an idea for a Hallmark card....

[mnoble485]

Too funny, just yesterday I bought a bag of King Arthur bread flour and a jar of yeast. I’ve got salt, water and a Dutch oven. I can do this can’t I?

If it fails I will post some ugly pics, but give me a couple of days to complicate it in my mind.

Mike

PS

The video makes it seem too easy.

[rwsaunders]

Mike...get yourself a digital scale and I’ll email Ken Forkish’s white bread recipe and video links to you. Yes, you can do this.

[mnoble485]

Big props to Mr. RW. Watching videos, reading forwarded material and getting mentally prepared. Found a scale but need batteries.

Mike

[guido]

You guys got me interested in playing along but I can't find a bag of KA Organic all purpose flour in any of the three stores I have looked in or on-line in their store...

Seems we are not the first ones to this party...

Also Ken Forkish's book is on sale at the Kindle store for $4.99...

[dgaddis]

Ken's book is awesome, it's how I got started, and now I'm an award winning baker.

One note for the newbies - all of his recipes are a bit too "I run a legit bakery" oriented as far as quantities are concerned. So:

Yes - you can cut the recipes in half and make just one loaf. Don't really need to change anything else.

No - you do not need that much flour for a starter, if you decide to start a starter. There's no need for a home baker to have 1000g+ of starter on hand....

[rwsaunders]

^ Yup..I told Mike to halve the recipes and make it simple...proofing is the critical part imho and yeast management. Now that Mike’s retired, I’m expecting to see one boule/week coming out of his kitchen.

[mnoble485]

^ Yup..I told Mike to halve the recipes and make it simple...proofing is the critical part imho and yeast management. Now that Mike’s retired, I’m expecting to see one boule/week coming out of his kitchen.

I hear you loud and clear. Went to the store and realized the only reason I bought BF was because APF was non existent. What to what to do?

Mike

[guido]

[rwsaunders]

I hear you loud and clear. Went to the store and realized the only reason I bought BF was because APF was non existent. What to what to do?

Mike

Just ask the King (Arthur) anything...How to substitute bread flour for all-purpose flour | King Arthur Flour

[Paul Jacobs]

Today we had my stepdaughter's first loaf.

[Too Tall]

Too funny, just yesterday I bought a bag of King Arthur bread flour and a jar of yeast. I’ve got salt, water and a Dutch oven. I can do this can’t I?

If it fails I will post some ugly pics, but give me a couple of days to complicate it in my mind.

Mike

PS

The video makes it seem too easy.

For whatever reason I became victim of one of those good old recipe email strings and got this gem. It is a family recipe for no knead bread. I'm partial to these adjusted recipes because they are often pretty dialed in. Here you go and I'm making this tomorrow so check me in 48 hrs.:
No Knead Bread Recipe

3 cups (381 g) bread flour
[I usually use 488 grams and heaping volumes of yeast and salt]
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast (most often sold as bread machine yeast - don’t use quick yeast)
1 teaspoon fine table salt (or 3/4 tablespoon kosher salt)
up to 2 cups warm water (45 seconds in microwave)
optional - 60 grams shredded cheese or ¼ cup raisins
Dutch oven or covered pot - five-quart or larger cast iron, Pyrex, ceramic, enamel...for a 450⁰ oven.
1. Mix dough: The night before, whisk dry ingredients in a big bowl. Mix water in with a large spoon until the dough just comes together. If flour remains dry, add and mix water slowly just until all flour is absorbed. It will be a shaggy, doughy mess. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let sit 12-20 hours on countertop. [I use a rubber band to secure the plastic wrap.]
2. Shape & preheat: The dough will now be wet, sticky and bubbly. With wet hands, dump the dough on a lightly floured surface. (Others suggest an oiled surface.) Flatten dough with your wet hands until it’s roughly an inch high. Fold in half. If using raisins or cheese, flatten again, and sprinkle them onto dough. Roll like a jelly roll.
Plump into a ballish shape and place onto a roughly 12” by 15” piece of parchment paper. Cover dough loosely with the plastic wrap you removed a few minutes ago.
3. Rest: Let it nap for two hours. At the 90-minute mark, put your pot and lid into the oven and preheat to 450F.

4. Bake: Your dough should have doubled in size. Remove plastic wrap. (Optional: cut a ½”-deep slit 6 inches across top.) If using cheese, sprinkle a small handful across the top of the dough.

Leaving pot in oven, drop parchment paper and dough into pot. Cover. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover, bake another 15-20 minutes or until the crust is beautifully golden and middle of loaf is 210F. Remove and let cool 2 hours on wire rack.

[mnoble485]

Report from the middle of Florida: I think I have a few things to correct. I’m not sure if I allowed the dough to rest long enough (12 hours) as it was really difficult to “fold” before putting it in the Dutch oven. I also think my Dutch oven was too large for the amount on dough as it didn’t rise as much as I expected and lastly, I didn’t leave it in the oven long enough as the dough inside was close to being done but could have used a extra ten minutes.

I will try again.

Mike

[rydesteel]

Report from the middle of Florida: I think I have a few things to correct. I’m not sure if I allowed the dough to rest long enough (12 hours) as it was really difficult to “fold” before putting it in the Dutch oven. I also think my Dutch oven was too large for the amount on dough as it didn’t rise as much as I expected and lastly, I didn’t leave it in the oven long enough as the dough inside was close to being done but could have used a extra ten minutes.

I will try again.

Mike

Looks like a great start to some fantastic French Toast though

[rwsaunders]

Mike...I follow Thomas Edison’s way of thinking, whether it’s baking bread or working on my bike...there are always croutons to make too.

“Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won't work.”

[mnoble485]

So who knew there was a difference between instant yeast and dry yeast. Not me! I was never good at getting the details. I’m trying again and adjusting amt. of yeast and how to use it. DOH!

Mike