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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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    • GilesG
      Giles
      IHUK Crew
      Joined:

      No need

      "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
        見習いボス
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        @Giles:

        No need

        Thank you sir. On another note I find myself having to wrestle with a first world problem deluxe. Both your zoom meeting times are in conflict with my carefully planned first ever Biga schedule.

        “Some of those that work forces
        Are the same that burn crosses”

        • Virginia Woolf
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        • GilesG
          Giles
          IHUK Crew
          Joined:

          Shit happens

          "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
            見習いボス
            Joined:

            It does. The Bigageddon will be delayed by 24hrs.

            “Some of those that work forces
            Are the same that burn crosses”

            • Virginia Woolf
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            • Stuart.TS
              Stuart.T
              Raw and Unwashed
              Joined:

              @Giles those last 2 loves look great. 3rd time lucky for me today. I adjusted a bog standard Jamie Oliver recipe that required neading, so my 1st non non-nead (I hate a double negative). I used a stoneground wholewheat starter, rye and spelt, and white. It didn't last long when sliced over breakfast.

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              • neph93N
                neph93
                見習いボス
                Joined:

                Well done @Stuart.T . Looks great… plain sailing from now on 😉

                “Some of those that work forces
                Are the same that burn crosses”

                • Virginia Woolf
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                • neph93N
                  neph93
                  見習いボス
                  Joined:

                  Sunday morning Biga-geddon! Early doors yet and the end result could still be a catastrophe, but so far working with Biga is a lot of fun.

                  The Biga this morning after 12 hours:

                  After the last fold:

                  Bulk ferment will be done soon.

                  “Some of those that work forces
                  Are the same that burn crosses”

                  • Virginia Woolf
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                  • neph93N
                    neph93
                    見習いボス
                    Joined:

                    More deets while it is in the oven…. I’m following the Forkish recipe for 80% white Biga. It is ridiculously warm here at the moment, (due to decades of excessive consumption of fossil fuel), anf Norwegian homes are built to retain heat. The room for the pre-ferment was 20C overnight, my kitchen is over that. It has meant I have needed to shorten times.

                    Forkish calls for a 14 hour pre-ferment, a 3.5 hour bulk ferment and on hour proofing, all at room temps.

                    The Biga got 12 hours and probably could have had 10-11. The bulk ferment was about 2.5 hours and the proofing only 30min.

                    I’ll mention that this was over-hydrated, which seems to be an issue for me. My scales glitched when mixing the water for the Biga, then I was heavy handed when mixing the bulk ferment. I added a little more flour, but the percentages are definitely off.

                    I’ve just removed the foil (I don’t have a Dutch oven), and I have oven spring!

                    “Some of those that work forces
                    Are the same that burn crosses”

                    • Virginia Woolf
                    last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • GilesG
                      Giles
                      IHUK Crew
                      Joined:

                      80% Biga with 80% Eight- Grain and 20% Dark Rye

                      "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
                        見習いボス
                        Joined:

                        @Giles:

                        80% Biga with 80% Eight- Grain and 20% Dark Rye

                        Any major deviations from the white recipe in the Forkish book?

                        “Some of those that work forces
                        Are the same that burn crosses”

                        • Virginia Woolf
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                        • neph93N
                          neph93
                          見習いボス
                          Joined:

                          So the first ever Biga bake was a success, even with some iffy percentages.

                          I feel like learning how to make sourdough from scratch is the baking version of learning the acoustic guitar. You master everything properly, giving you all the skills needed to have fun with the electric version (or Biga, if the analogy wasn’t clear enough).

                          “Some of those that work forces
                          Are the same that burn crosses”

                          • Virginia Woolf
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                          • GilesG
                            Giles
                            IHUK Crew
                            Joined:

                            Looks great, congrats.

                            No great changes.  In this instance, I made the Biga with 80% eight-grain and then added 20% dark rye for the final dough.  I'm sure if I knew what I was doing, I could frig around with hydration and timings, but I don't bother…

                            I like ringing the changes flour-wise for the Biga and the final dough.  I open up the flour drawer and choose a couple that take my fancy on the day....

                            "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
                              見習いボス
                              Joined:

                              I decided you were onto something G. I just went ahead with the same recipe as above, but played with the ratios. So….80% Biga, with 50/50 wholewheat/white. Tasty and straightforward. I’ll try wholemeal spelt tomorrow, I think.




                              “Some of those that work forces
                              Are the same that burn crosses”

                              • Virginia Woolf
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                              • N
                                neversummer
                                Raw and Unwashed
                                Joined:

                                Haven’t posted in a little. I’ve been making this recipe the past few weeks:
                                https://www.theperfectloaf.com/best-sourdough-recipe/
                                But subbing central mills’ type 85 for the whole wheat. They describe it as halfway between whole wheat and bread flour, so I guess you could split the amount 50/50 and get something comparable.
                                Anyway, pretty tasty!

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                                • ROmanR
                                  ROman
                                  Haraki san Prodigy
                                  Joined:

                                  Looks great. All of the above.

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                                  • GilesG
                                    Giles
                                    IHUK Crew
                                    Joined:

                                    I was in a rush, because I had to catch the tide, so I left almost nothing for as long as I should have.

                                    But boy, it is tasty.

                                    80% Biga with 100% Bio Kamutmehl courtesy of @Chap  😘 😘

                                    It would actually be a perfect sandwich bread.  Fine crumb and soft crust…..

                                    "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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                                    • ChapC
                                      Chap
                                      見習いボス
                                      Joined:

                                      Oh how cool you did a 100% Kamut Biga… now I will have to give it a try too. Glad you like it @Giles

                                      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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                                      • ROmanR
                                        ROman
                                        Haraki san Prodigy
                                        Joined:

                                        ^^ That looks superb.

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                                        • N
                                          neversummer
                                          Raw and Unwashed
                                          Joined:

                                          @Giles very cool!

                                          I was thinking if you are all interested (I keep wanting to taste everyone’s bread) what about doing a common recipe we all decide on in our own methods and posting the results?
                                          Or maybe someone can post a recipe they like and we all make it? We can take turns and do one every few weeks…
                                          Any other ideas so we could share?

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                                          • GilesG
                                            Giles
                                            IHUK Crew
                                            Joined:

                                            Great idea…...I'd vote Poolish or Biga......

                                            "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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