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    Bread - What are you baking today…..

    Hobbies and Pastimes
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    • JunkPantsJ
      JunkPants
      Haraki san Student
      Joined:

      @neph93 & @Giles Thanks guys.

      A friend got really into it years back, and to a certain extent his life did seem to revolve around the sourdough for a while there. It was a positive thing from what I could tell though. Certainly made some amazing bread at the time. Haven't seen the guy for ages, but can't imagine he's kept that up.

      Maybe Forkish, and poolish, would be a good place to start.

      I've always felt that there's something particular to sourdough, that other methods can't quite provide, but maybe I'm wrong, and just not experienced enough. More than possible.

      This also reminded me of that bit in Kitchen Confidential where the (drunk) baker calls in to Anthony Bourdain telling him to "feed the bitch".
      (Must be 20 years since I read that book...!)

      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • neph93N
        neph93
        見習いボス
        Joined:

        @JunkPants Sourdough has unique qualities other breads don't have for sure. Longevity, and a unique taste. If you really get into it a unique opportunity to manipulate that taste. Put succinctly, the question is, is it worth the effort? For some who look for "the perfect loaf" then it may be, for those who really get a mania for it then ok. But for someone who enjoys baking, thinks it is fun, and wants good quality bread on the daily, there are methods both less intensive, and more stable/predictable.

        For example, I got into a routine a few years ago where my life and bread making aligned and I was able to do a double sourdough bake twice a week (eight loaves). Maintaining a starter was simple, there was enough bread for my whole family, and I could give one or two away. And most importantly I enjoyed it, and it fit into my life.

        At other times, when things were busy, I did one Poolish bake and one sourdough a week. Sometimes though life gets busy and an overnight dough, or a poolish is good enough. I have some time on my hands right now so I am mucking about with a starter, pan de cristal and other stuff, but when that changes the starter will be buried at the back of my fridge for 6 months, and a pre-ferment like Poolish will be my luxury bake, and certainly good enough.

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

        • Virginia Woolf
        last edited by neph93 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
        • GilesG
          Giles
          IHUK Crew
          Joined:

          Reuben, I have some enforced time on my hands at the moment (Strongly advised not to leave the country for 3 months), so I want to do some experimentation. Which recipe are you using for your Pan De Cristal?

          "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

          last edited by SeulS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • SeulS
            Seul
            @Giles
            Joined:

            @Giles said in Bread - What are you baking today…..:

            (Strongly advised not to leave the country for 3 months)

            I'm sorry but you can't just drop intel like this and not have a curious Belgian wondering........

            last edited by neph93N GilesG 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • neph93N
              neph93
              見習いボス
              @Seul
              Joined:

              @Seul I hear rumours of new bionic implants that can't fall into the hands of hostile agencies...

              @Giles this one https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/pan-de-cristal-recipe

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

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

                @Seul said in Bread - What are you baking today…..:

                I'm sorry but you can't just drop intel like this and not have a curious Belgian wondering........

                https://www.ironheart.co.uk/forum//post/802758

                "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

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

                  @neph93 said in Bread - What are you baking today…..:

                  @Giles this one https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/pan-de-cristal-recipe

                  Thank you. Looks pretty si,ilar to this, which is what I will do. I love a vid 🙂

                  "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

                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                  • neph93N
                    neph93
                    見習いボス
                    Joined:

                    Yeah... it's the same one. People learn in different ways. I like a video to show me a quick physical technique, (for example what a coil fold looks like), but otherwise I want a written recipe.

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

                    • Virginia Woolf
                    last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • neph93N
                      neph93
                      見習いボス
                      Joined:

                      Still sceptical about how to get the crust brown.... but also thin. The whole handling of 100% hydration bread is great fun though, regardless.

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

                      • Virginia Woolf
                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                      • neph93N
                        neph93
                        見習いボス
                        Joined:

                        I let a Argentine lady of my acquaintance try mine and she approved. She'd lived in Valencia for a while, so I'll take that.

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

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

                          IMG_0019.JPG

                          "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

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

                            @neph93 said in Bread - What are you baking today…..:

                            I let a Argentine lady of my acquaintance try mine and she approved. She'd lived in Valencia for a while, so I'll take that.

                            But, did she like the bread?

                            "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

                            last edited by Giles 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
                            • neph93N
                              neph93
                              見習いボス
                              Joined:

                              She seemed generally satisified with all aspects of our time togther...😇

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

                              • Virginia Woolf
                              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                              • GilesG
                                Giles
                                IHUK Crew
                                Joined:

                                Just done the bowl fold, and I can confirm categorically that I got just as excited as the guy in the vid, about the wonders of bread flour. @Madame-Buttonfly not so much 😂😂😂.......

                                "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

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

                                  @neph93 At this point I share the same concerns as you did with your first attempt. Though, in my case, I never managed to get enough structure in the dough with the coil folds, so I think my concerns will prove to be valid.....

                                  "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

                                  last edited by Giles goosehdG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • goosehdG
                                    goosehd
                                    Mod Squad
                                    @Giles
                                    Joined:

                                    @Giles I just finished watching that video and was wondering how your dough was working for you.

                                    "I don't give a shit what anyone else is doing, we will do what is best for us and our customers" - Giles P. :)

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

                                      Like this.......

                                      IMG_0022.JPG

                                      "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

                                      last edited by goosehdG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                      • goosehdG
                                        goosehd
                                        Mod Squad
                                        @Giles
                                        Joined:

                                        @Giles How much time left? I do see the surface bubbles forming...

                                        "I don't give a shit what anyone else is doing, we will do what is best for us and our customers" - Giles P. :)

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

                                          That's after 4 coil folds, so at that very second we are looking for 2 hours.....

                                          "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

                                          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • neph93N
                                            neph93
                                            見習いボス
                                            Joined:

                                            Looks about right mate. My second attempt was around about there.

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

                                            • Virginia Woolf
                                            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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