[aaronatthedoublef]

Finally came around to baking bread yesterday. We were down to one ciabatta roll. I am trying something different with my standard starter loaf. I've been trying to tame the sour by changing the taste of the starter - if I skip a feeding and keep it cool it is sweeter. But then I just reduced the amount of starter and replaced it with some water. I haven't tried the bread yet as I went from making bread to making pizza last night so I'll cut into it today or tomorrow. I also subbed out some bread flour for rye as I have two three pound bags to use up. I made two 800g sandwich loaves and some 120g rolls. Violet had a friend over so I gave them a loaf. I've been trying to time my baking using a leave-in temp probe which has worked fine up until now. But it went to 209 and stayed there. I usually pull my loaves at 210-212. I realized it had been baking a long time with no alarm so I used a different probe and it was at 215. Not sure what was wrong. So the loaves are a little burned on top.

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[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks BA for the KAB info. I'll check online for their white whole wheat and see. The only places I can find it now only have organic and it is north of $15/5lbs which is too rich for my blood.

Mike, I'll be interested to see how your bread comes out. I was trying to do things just like the recipe so I made a boule. I'll be interested to see what your results are. I wish I had two kits so I could do the first following the steps and the second with extra stretching, etc.

The taste is good. It changed the second day. It's more sour today than yesterday.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Judging by what I see on Instagram those who are doing baking without a mix are going in the opposite direction of ATK - super simplicity. I was a huge fan of Cook's Illustrated when it first came out and while I learned from them everything was always many steps, very fussy, and not really approachable for this newbie. I still have the first two or three Cook's annuals.

But then they became a thing. And started selling the same recipes six different ways. And while they still "don't accept advertising" they recommend products based on testing but also have click-through to Amazon where they make money if I buy something.

I always feel bad for people who lose their jobs in a big layoff but the world changed and they did not.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Here is my einkorn boule.

It was a mix of flours that were AP, einkorn, and whole wheat. I wish I had taken a picture of the mix to show you but I forgot to do that. It's from local farmers and a local miller making stone ground flour.

The dough was very slack. I added a second stretch/fold and I probably could have used a third. Also, the recipe called for warm rises which I don't usually do. I did this time because I was testing this and wanted to follow instructions. When I shaped my boule I probably could have used a few more turns to tighten it up as well.

My second proof as a boule was in a bowl that was way too small and I probably used too little flour. I've made boules before final shaping but I don't make boules for my final product because for me batards and loaf pans are easier to make sandwiches with. The dough stuck to the towel even though I used a lot of flour. So it was either the bowl was too small, not enough flour, or both. I did salvage most of the dough and plopped it onto the stone.

The taste and flavor were nice. Based on this recipe I may try using a little less starter in my own sandwich loaves to see how it affects taste.

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[aaronatthedoublef]

Back in the old days (20 years ago when we live in SoCal) produce in grocery stores was picked before it was ripe, bulk shipped to Texas, the processed and packaged and shipped around the country, including back to CA. So all the stuff in the grocery stores was sub-par and we always shopped at farmers markets.

At least according to the farmers. I don't know if that was true then and if it is true today. All I know is local produce at stores was terrible compared to farmers markets back then.

If someone can check an Ald's in CA it will have a label that lists all the ingredients and probably a Prop 65 warning too.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Choco, Lemon Oatmeal Sugar Cookies sound great. Did you scoop the dough into individual cookies or as on piece of dough?

BA, I quit making pancakes as my kids complained they tasted "too healthy". They still had butter and some white flour but also whole wheat and flax meal. They like restaurant pancakes. I supposed I could buy some malt and see if that makes a difference. Whose white whole wheat do you use? Where do you buy it?

I am trying a few things this week. I am testing a flour mix someone at the BBGA is trying. I mostly want to see what einkorn flour is like without buying a two pound bag for $12 or something like that. I don't like the way the recipe is written. First the website needs higher contrast and it's written in chunky paragraphs that are hard for me to follow. I've already screwed it up by not doing the intial rise in the mixing bow but that should be okay. The recipe is password protected so I'll see if I can get persmission to share it.

Next, I've always wanted to try using old dough. So I dumped 200g of old pizza dough into my new pizza dough this week. I thought it would be hard to mix in but it wasn't. The total batch of dough is 2600g so I am not sure if 200g is enough to make any difference. I chopped up the old dough and let it sit in my water while I put together my dry ingredients. I dumped the water mix into the dry and mixed everything as usual. I may try a bigger amount of old dough next time.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks Mike. I like the tips on tempering. It may be time to buy a sous vide.

I've tried scoring the chocolate with a hot knife and it didn't work. It's about inch thick blocks. It also may be time to start ordering chocolate in callets.

I have one of those giant forks to break up the chocolate but I always gouge the counter or wreck a cutting board with it.

I wonder if I could score it and then soften the chocolate and then break it. I may have to experiment.

[aaronatthedoublef]

My weekly challah bake. Only had enough for six loaves as I miscalculated my apple cider. 🙁

Braiding is better. I dropped off four at the temple.

Thanks Mike. I have a chocolate chopper but I've never been able to cut neat chunks.

I need something like a corona wire in a printer but those things are truly dangerous.

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[aaronatthedoublef]

It's a little off topic but does anyone have a method for neatly chopping chocolate?

I'd like to cut is in neat, small squares to put out for people to sample and see the difference between different chocolates so I don't want the rough chop I use for baking. I tried heating a chef's knife but the chocolate and that didn't work. Should I melt the chocolate and poor it into molds? Then I probably need to temper it which I've never done and is another, non-trivial process in itself.

Thanks

[aaronatthedoublef]

The pie looks great! I think we will make a late, fruit pie this weekend. I took my pie dough out of the freezer too late for actual Pi Day.

[aaronatthedoublef]

We also lose Star Wars Day! May the 4th be with you.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I took my pie dough out of the freezer too late! Plus I had work so no pie here.

But I had ciabatta dough I had to use to make room in the freezer so I made some buns from that. They were more successful than my last attempt!

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks BA. I saw that coupon. It came the same day as my big order from Vitacost. 🙁

Of course I am running low on pastry flour...

[aaronatthedoublef]

Crumbl is opening here. They are building out in the same shopping center and the bundt cake franchise store.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks BA. My parents bought some challahs (the actual plural is "challot") but most of them were made by my mom sometimes with a little help from me.

To your point about inspiring others, we're starting with a dozen to see if we can make the logistics work. But if this is successful and the delivery folks can handle it I think I can make 24 on my own provided I can find an oven to handle that. If I can inspire some people and this grows then I can rope some people to come in at 4:00 am to shape. Or if I can just convince people to make their own and make an extra loaf to give away, this will have been a success.

I want to try your oatcakes but I need to find Scottish oats. All I can find here is steel cut and rolled. I may try to order some or I could probably grind some steel cut in the blender.

Matt used spelt a lot in the bakery. For a while it was really inexpensive. He was always switching around trying to keep good flavor and margins without raising his prices.

Mike - You are right. I need an NFP. The I can buy wholesale and there are a number of places to do that around here. Back when my restaraunt friends bought bread flour for $15 for 50 lbs. they would give me bags. But now it is just too expensive.

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