Bread - What are you baking today…..

[Giles]

That is my surprise too….

[Giles]

The loaves are in the oven, and I think we may have a surprise winner…....

[Giles]

And the winner is…....Answers on a postcard please......

[neph93]

Vive Le Francé?

[Giles]

Let's see what others have to say before I let the cat out of the bag….

[goosehd]

[Tago Mago]

@endo:

@Giles:

I know it is hard to be objective about how things are going, but subjectively, Germany feels a lot softer and smoother atm….

Amazing that anything german could be 'softer and smoother' than something french … 

Heaven is where the police are British, the cooks are French, the mechanics German, the lovers Italian and it's all organised by the Swiss.

Hell is where the chefs are British, the mechanics French, the lover's Swiss, the police German and it's all organised by the Italians.

[Giles]

The loaf made with the German yeast is the one on the right…..

[endo]

sorry, some of us Germans tend to be a little bloated, presumably a compensation for lack of humor.

[Chap]

When it comes to food I usually would prefer french… but probably with yeast it's like with cars 

[Giles]

I'll try Italian next then

[Chap]

@Giles:

I'll try Italian next then

good point. Good food AND great cars…. a bit less reliable maybe 

[endo]

Another try, again more by rule of thumb. Based on leaven, app 80% wheat and 20% spelt and flaxseed grist.
Not bad, nice crust, good consistency of the crumb.

[Giles]

Looks amazing….

[Seul]

@Tago:

Heaven is where the humour's British, the cooks are French, the mechanics German, the lovers Italian and it's all organised by the Swiss.

[neph93]

@endo lots of action during the oven spring. Always a good sign. The crumb looks great.

[jordanscollected]

Caraway n' Garlic Sourdough rolls with an egg brush for sheen.

[Giles]

Wow, they look great.  When do you add the caraway and garlic?

And without being rude, I love the rustic look of those, I think it's a mark of a professional cook that you can do this.  I'd spend an inordinate amount of time trying to ensure perfect visual consistency….

[jordanscollected]

I add the Caraway seed and granulated garlic when I first mix the starter, water and flour. Alternately, you can sprinkle the caraway seeds on top after you egg brush, but I shrug my shoulders and do whatever I want.

Regarding the visual, i simply dump my dough in a round and hack off pieces that seem fairly uniform with my bench knife, and set them in a loose clump so they are easily pulled apart after baking. It's like a classic Parker house roll as seen below(not sure if they are popular in the UK).

My wife is responsible for the focus on the rustic look, and it's really evident in her chocolate chip cookies. she portions them, rolls them in a ball, and then breaks it in half inverts it so it look free form. People always comment on how "homemade" they look.

[Giles]

So, a week or so ago, I bragged to Paula that I could knock out consistently consistent Poolish.  How wrong I was.  I made this today, very little oven spring and a very soft crust (my Poolish are usually very crispy).  But at least the crumb is pretty consistent…..

I'm not sure what I learned (other than I am even more of an arsehole than most people think I am), but you do never stop learning.....