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I bought a bread bowl from KAF about a year or so ago. (When the BC was on that site, I was often tempted by such items.) My first attempt with it did not go so well, as I had issues with the bottom browning enough, and the interior being done.
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I decided to try again with a new recipe, Jeffrey's Sourdough Rye Bread, from the KAF site.http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/jeffreys-sourdough-rye-bread-recipe
The bread is cooling in the bowl, and I probably need to read up on technique. I think also that I let it rise too long in our warm weather. As the bread was baking, I realized that no internal temperature was given. I checked the reviews, and there was nothing. Ah, though I, I will do an online chat with the KAF people, so I connected and typed in my question.
The answer came back: "Jeffrey never takes internal temperatures. Really." I was told that it was done when it is darker than when it went in and it is crispy and sings. I explained that I was using the bread bowl, and I was checking on internal temperature because I'd had an issue the previous time I used it. The chat person typed back. Yeah! Absolutely.
Clearly my question was not being understood, and I was not going to get an answer, so I typed thanks and ended it. It's nice that Jeffrey doesn't have to take internal temperatures, but we mere mortals would benefit from that. We would also benefit from a chat person who actually understands the question. This was typical of the KAF responses to BC questions--when they even popped in--over the past six months.
My non-singing rye bread is now cooling. I will wait the required 24 hours and see what crumb and texture is.
Peter Reinhardt says rye breads should have an internal temperature of 190F. I've always used 195, because I find at 190 a rye bread can be a little gummy until it has cooled for an hour or longer, and our patience usually doesn't last that long.
However, I very seldom take internal temperatures on breads these days myself, if it looks done and smells done, I take it out. Many's the time my nose tells me my bread is done, and the timer I set for it goes off while I'm walking to the kitchen to check it. Sometimes I do the 'thump' test, but that doesn't work as well for some types of bread.
Some sources claim that sourdough breads don't have to be baked to as high an internal temperature as non-sourdough breads, but I don't know of any scientific study of that.
I've never had a rye loaf 'sing' for me, I've always thought that's more characteristic of a baguette which is being baked in a hotter oven, say 450 or 500. The singing is caused by rapid contraction of the crisp outer crust as it hits the cooler air.
Supposedly the KAF recipe was written for the home baker. That's why I was surprised that there was no internal temperature given and that the chat person wasn't more helpful. I think that I will avoid the chat feature from now on and just e-mail if I have any questions.
Recipe Review: I cut the loaf about 20 hours after baking it. I like the flavor, which is not an overly rye one. The sourdough is more pronounced, which is why my husband did not care for it. I'd fed my sourdough starter twice, after about a month in the refrigerator, before baking the recipe, but I will use it sooner next time. The bread's texture is heavier than I would have liked, probably due to the over rising, but it has some nice smaller holes. I will definitely try the recipe again. It was a wetter dough than ones I usually do, so I will read up on technique as well.
For now, however, I need to work on using up various ingredients in the refrigerator before we leave for an extended vacation.
For me the main challenge with rye breads is to keep the dough from becoming gummy from over-kneading.
Rising times for home recipes are ALWAYS approximations, local temperature and humidity conditions and even minor variances in moisture level (like a teaspoon more water) can have a BIG impact in how much it rises. On a really warm day, rising times are about half of what they are on a cool day for me.
I understand the vacation part, I had last week off and was at a seminar in Crete NE all week, though I actually did more baking at home than normal because I was baking for the group. My wife will be heading to London later this month and I'll be going to Indianapolis in August for my company's annual meetings, so my cooking/baking schedule will be totally out of kilter.
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