What are you Baking the Week of October 9, 2022?

[Mike Nolan]

Nothing specific planned yet, doing some thinking about how to test some theories on how shape affects bread structure and taste. There have been some academic papers on the issue that may do a good job describing what's happening scientifically but I'm not sure they relate that to taste and other eating sensations.

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[cwcdesign]

I made a loaf of Mrs. Cindy's Iris Oatmeal Bread this morning going back to the changes I had used before. I just realized the only change I didn't make this time was reducing the salt to 1/2 teaspoon. Oh well, next time. I used 2 tablespoons maple syrup and bread flour instead of AP. I don't use the whole grain bread improver and I think I will leave it off when I make a new copy of the recipe. I used 2 teaspoons regular yeast. It was also cooler today than the last time I made it.

It did not rise as high in the bread machine which is a good thing, but it was still pretty sticky. Would you reduce the liquid a little bit to compensate? I let it rise for 30 minutes which was just perfect. I forgot to start the oven so I had to wait 5 minutes to put the dough in - it even rose a little in that amount of time. I checked it at 25 minutes and it was done. I like the taste and the texture better this time, but still softer than I prefer.

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[Mike Nolan]

If you have a Windows computer, I recommend Irfanview, it is free and easy to use and has more photo options than you'll ever need.

[cwcdesign]

Thanks Mike, I have Macs and I didn't mean to upload it twice.

[BakerAunt]

CWCdesign--yes, with the bread flour, you will not need the whole grain bread improver.

[Mike Nolan]

I deleted the 2nd image and did an 'insert into content' which makes it display online, not just the thumbnail version.

My wife introduced me to Irfanview, she's mostly a Mac person, too, but uses Windows computers at the office.

[cwcdesign]

Question about the Irish Oatmeal Bread. It uses one egg - does that add to the softness of the bread? If I leave that out, instead of omitting some milk, will it be denser? I prefer denser breads most of the time.

[Mike Nolan]

Leaving out the egg would likely make it more dense and less moist and tender, because you're omitting the proteins, fats and emulsifiers that are in the egg. You might want to compensate for the 74% of egg that is water in some fashion.

[chocomouse]

Today I made a maple coffeecake, using both maple syrup and maple sugar. It came out a little dry, although the center pieces are good.

[cwcdesign]

Thanks Mike. The recipe does have 2 cups of milk that you heat with the steel cut oats and then add in the harvest grains, honey/maple syrup, salt and butter. When that mixture cools, you add it to the bread machine with the egg, flours and yeast to make the dough.

I always use whole milk which is 5% fat

[Joan Simpson]

Cwcdesign your bread looks good.

[Mike Nolan]

Most sources say the fat content of whole milk is 3.25% to 3.5%.

[BakerAunt]

The "gourmet" buttermilk, which is all the local grocery now sells, is 5% saturated fat.

[BakerAunt]

On Tuesday, I baked Whole Grain Pumpkin bread, using as the base recipe one that Lemon Poppy posted on the Baking Circle, and which is now here at Nebraska Kitchen. I bake it as five small loaves. This time, I made it with half whole wheat pastry flour. As usual, I reduce the sugar to 1 ¾ cups and halve the salt. I will freeze three of the loaves.

[Mike Nolan]

5% does sound quite high for cultured buttermilk, but I'm one who remembers when the milkman brought real buttermilk, ie, the liquid that remains after churning butter, and it was maybe 2% fat, if that.

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