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    Iron Heart Fall/Winter 2025 Collection Preview - Now Live

    Bread - What are you baking today…..

    Hobbies and Pastimes
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    • Stuart.TS
      Stuart.T
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      Seriously? How time and labour intensive is this? Bread making really does not fit with working 10hr days, household chores, and a super active 5 year old!

      Yep, rings true… https://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/jan/26/hobbies-british-class-survey#main content

      My mum used to bake when we were kids, out of necessity, then it became cheaper to buy baked goods than it was to buy the ingredients... Starting to think lack of time x cost is where I'm at now! Must... Persevere...

      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • neph93N
        neph93
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        Working from home while learning the hang of it was ideal for me. When you get the routine sorted you can do a lot of stuff while you are making the bread as long as you are home.

        I now do a weekly bake, with the autolyse, mixing, and bulk ferment on a Friday afternoon/evening, and the bake Saturday morning after the fridge ferment. I make four big loaves in a session and it lasts all week. Planning is important though, regardless.

        «Stevie Heighway on the wing!
        We had dreams, and songs to sing…»

        • Dame Vera Lynn
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        • Stuart.TS
          Stuart.T
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          @neph93 this was my dough after 40 mins autolyse, mixing, a 2 hours resting, folding every 25 mins. It is a 70% hydration recipe. It has reasonable gluten content but just seems too wet and sticky, not holding its shape well. I was hoping to prove for 8 hrs overnight. Not likely now.

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          • GilesG
            Giles
            IHUK Crew
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            "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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            • Stuart.TS
              Stuart.T
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              And this sticky, wet mess, is meant to be ready for shaping. We'll that was a waste of 10 hrs!  😢

              Recipe was…

              700g water, 900g unbleached white, 100g wholemeal, 20g salt/50g water solution, levain (50g starter, 40g wholemeal, 40g unbleached white, 80g water).

              People swear by this on YouTube!

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              • neph93N
                neph93
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                That recipe gives more than 70% hydration. But I don’t think that is the problem. Looks like it hasn’t fermented. You could try sticking it in a bread tin and baking it, see what happens.

                Regarding hobbies and class, I’m a high school teacher and middle manager with six kids. Two of whom are aged 3 and 5. Also, that article is 9 years old.

                «Stevie Heighway on the wing!
                We had dreams, and songs to sing…»

                • Dame Vera Lynn
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                • Stuart.TS
                  Stuart.T
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                  Sarah said the same thing, prove it over night and stick it in the oven. Nothing to lose I suppose. I'll post a pic of the resultant gloop tomorrow  😃 I thought I could fit bread baking in my Saturday routine. Didn't quite work out.

                  Sarah and I switch between home working and out in the community. We both work in social care and it has been bonkers this last 10 weeks. I start work at 6.30 am, shower at 7.30, work, drop Sennen off at school at 8.15, then don't finish work until 6.30 at the earliest. We used to go for a 1 hr walk at lunchtime. Don't even get lunch now. Our LA has court cases coming out of it's ears, and I have to prep for our Barristers. I love it but we just need a holiday now… Please, just a little one...

                  Sennen has been off school for half term this week, as they are prepping for full reopening on Wednesday. We've both had to carry on working as leave was denied. He has been assessed as an 'accelerated learner' and needs lots of activity and stimulation. Being an only child he only gets that from us old farts.

                  P. S, most of my IH posts are made when I'm using the loo... This one included... Must go!

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                  • Stuart.TS
                    Stuart.T
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                    @neph93 I believe you a correct, I don't think I left the levain long enough, and the mixture was to wet. That said, though the texture was way too dense, the crumb was good and the flavour great. That's for the advice dude, I think there may be a next time..with a proper schedule!


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                    • neph93N
                      neph93
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                      That doesn’t look bad at all old boy. Way better than my first effort which you’ll find a way back.

                      Your recipe gave way more than 70% hydration and sticking around 70-75% while learning worked well for me. I now do over 80% and prefer it. But you need a lively starter/levain for that.

                      My levain stands for somewhere between 12 and 16 hours so it is both ripe, but still young. Use that and even 85% hydration dough gets fat and wobbly.

                      Well done!

                      «Stevie Heighway on the wing!
                      We had dreams, and songs to sing…»

                      • Dame Vera Lynn
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                      • Stuart.TS
                        Stuart.T
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                        As a high school teacher you would have been within you're rights to correct all of my sausage fingers typos in my last post. Shocking.

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                        • neph93N
                          neph93
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                          @Stuart.T:

                          As a high school teacher you would have been within you're rights to correct all of my sausage fingers typos in my last post. Shocking.

                          Have a look ar this before your next turn: https://bread-magazine.com/sourdough-bread-recipe/

                          It’s a bit wordy but it works for me.

                          «Stevie Heighway on the wing!
                          We had dreams, and songs to sing…»

                          • Dame Vera Lynn
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                          • GilesG
                            Giles
                            IHUK Crew
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                            "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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                            • GilesG
                              Giles
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                              80% Biga 8 grain flour, nearing the end of bulk ferment.  With me in the office so that I don't have to keep popping home to check on progress…  🙂

                              "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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                              • neph93N
                                neph93
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                                I love it when my ferments bubble like that.

                                «Stevie Heighway on the wing!
                                We had dreams, and songs to sing…»

                                • Dame Vera Lynn
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                                • ChapC
                                  Chap
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                                  @neph93:

                                  I love it when my ferments bubble like that.

                                  Yep

                                  God has blessed you richly, so get down on your knees and thank him. Don’t forget the less fortunate or God will personally kick your ass. I’d love to do it for him, but I can’t be everywhere. Willie Nelson

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                                  • neph93N
                                    neph93
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                                    I have a levain sat on the kitchen bench at home that I fully expect to have bubbled over by the time I get back to it… baking is fun.

                                    That looks like spelt @Chap?

                                    «Stevie Heighway on the wing!
                                    We had dreams, and songs to sing…»

                                    • Dame Vera Lynn
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                                    • neph93N
                                      neph93
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                                      On another note… when you guys autolyse your flour, do you ever find that the amount of water in a recipe doesn’t get all the flour wet?

                                      «Stevie Heighway on the wing!
                                      We had dreams, and songs to sing…»

                                      • Dame Vera Lynn
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                                      • ChapC
                                        Chap
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                                        @neph93:

                                        I have a levain sat on the kitchen bench at home that I fully expect to have bubbled over by the time I get back to it… baking is fun.

                                        That looks like spelt @Chap?

                                        No, wheat only. That was a Forkish 80% Biga. Atm I have a Forkish 50% whole wheat biga proofing in their baskets…

                                        God has blessed you richly, so get down on your knees and thank him. Don’t forget the less fortunate or God will personally kick your ass. I’d love to do it for him, but I can’t be everywhere. Willie Nelson

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                                        • ChapC
                                          Chap
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                                          @neph93:

                                          On another note… when you guys autolyse your flour, do you ever find that the amount of water in a recipe doesn’t get all the flour wet?

                                          Yes… I mix by hand then... pincer method. Do you sometimes reduce water? It looks like flour in the US for example seems to have more capacitiy to absorb water then European flour. With Forkish Levain only recipes I usually to reduce the amount of water... minus 5-10 grams.

                                          God has blessed you richly, so get down on your knees and thank him. Don’t forget the less fortunate or God will personally kick your ass. I’d love to do it for him, but I can’t be everywhere. Willie Nelson

                                          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • GilesG
                                            Giles
                                            IHUK Crew
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                                            @neph93:

                                            On another note… when you guys autolyse your flour, do you ever find that the amount of water in a recipe doesn’t get all the flour wet?

                                            Yep, but I don't worry about it.

                                            "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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