9/27 Today’s Sourdough

This was yesterday’s. The one on the right is overdone, the one on the left, well, it’s ugly but these bread machine loaves make really good sandwich bread and they might be more sour which is something we’re shooting for. Today we used the same recipe as yesterday and let it proof for about 8 hours. Still it was not that sour. I set a timer for 40 minutes (25 + 15) and still it seemed burnt. The oval I’m checking after 35. It was really hard to get out of the basket. Next time I think I’ll reduce the water another 30g to 400 grams of water and not use sugar.

For two loaves kneaded in bread machine:

  • White Flour: 400 g
  • Wheat Flour: 400 g
  • Water: 400 ml (400 grams) (down from 460g in recipe)
  • Salt: 10 g
  • Starter: 320 g
  • Rest: 10:00
  • Knead: 25:00
  • Shape: OFF
  • Rise 1: 3:00
  • Rise 2,3: OFF
  • Bake: OFF
  • Keep Warm: OFF

When done, remove dough, punch it down, cut in half and proof another 3-4 hours in bread machine, pan or shaping basket. Bake for one hour in bread machine or about 40 minutes in 425 F oven, (cover 1st 20). Note that baking two loaves at once or using added ingredients like olives can extend baking times. Start watching at 35 minutes and pull as soon as it gets light brown. Ideally the inside temperature will be between 200 and 205 F.

9/26 More Wheat Sourdough

Another attempt today, this time Babs gets a break from kneading and we let the bread machine knead and do the initial proofing.

For two loaves kneaded in bread machine:

  • White Flour: 400 g
  • Wheat Flour: 400 g
  • Water: 430 ml (430 grams) (down from 460g)
  • Salt: 10 g
  • Sugar: 2 tbsp
  • Starter: 320 g
  • Rest: 10:00
  • Knead: 25:00
  • Shape: OFF
  • Rise 1: 3:00
  • Rise 2,3: OFF
  • Bake: OFF
  • Keep Warm: OFF

After 3 hrs 35 min. we’ll remove it from the machine, punch it down, cut it in half, put 1/2 in the machine and bake for 55 min (set to 1:00 just in case since our stupid bread maker won’t bake when it’s hot!). The other half we’ll make into an artisan boule (round) and bake in the cloche for 50 minutes (first 25 with the cover on) at 450 F.

 

9/21 It’s official – we have a House Bread to go with our House Buch!

Babs is becoming our master baker. She loves to knead the dough and today while I went mountain biking she did the proofing and shaping. We used the Irish guy’s recipe but used half wheat flour and added 2 tbsp of sugar. She let it proof twice for 3 hours each and it rose big. We baked the oval for 45 minutes (25 with cover, 20 without) and the boule for 35 minutes (450 degrees). We created steam for the boule with a preheated large pan or cookie sheet on the bottom shelf filled with boiling water. We check the insides with a meat thermometer and make sure it’s at least 200 degrees in the center (210 degrees is just fine). You don’t want to undercook sourdough, it will get “rancid” which the Cultures for Health lady says is disgusting. Anyway, 200 – 210 degrees, 35 minutes, add 10 minutes for a cover (leave first 25). Bake at 450 F. Here’s the recipe…

For two loaves:

  • White Flour: 400 g
  • Wheat Flour: 400 g
  • Water: 460 ml (460 grams)
  • Salt: 10 g
  • Sugar: 2 tbsp
  • Starter: 320 g

Knead and proof for 3 hours

Shape and proof for another 3 – 3 1/2 hours (our temps are cooler)

Bake at 450 F for 35 minutes (uncovered artisan with steam pan) or 45 minutes (covered for first 25 minutes). Make sure inside temp of bread is at least 200 F before pulling.

She just sliced it and it turned out perfect! This is definitely our best effort yet. This is officially our House Bread to go with our House Buch. Props to the master baker Babs!

9/19 Olive Whole Wheat Artisan Bread

I think we produced our best yet today and we made it totally from scratch, no bread machine! Barbara did the kneading. We used ILoveCooking’s recipe but substituted wheat flour and added a cup of olives. The kneading was different than with white flour. It is much heavier and harder to manipulate. It’s tempting to add more water but I think we made it too wet doing that. We did the first proof in front of the fire place because the house was cold this morning. We shaped one oval and one round loaf. The boule we baked on a small round stone and the oval we baked in our new Emile Henry cloche at 450 degrees. The round took 40 minutes and I think we should have let it go 45. With the wheat bread and olives it took much longer to cook than plain white sourdough bread. We took it out when the center was about 197 degrees. I think we don’t want to pull at less than 200 degrees in the future. The cloched oval baked 25 minutes with the cover on and another 25 with it off (maybe a tad more). This brought it to around 203 degrees when we pulled it.

Next we’ll try a half wheat, half white olive with some sugar. Jarad uses 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt for a smaller batch. I suppose we could do 3 tbsp of sugar and 1/2 tbsp of salt to stick with his compromise with 2 tsp sugar and 1 tbsp salt. We also want to find a recipe for cheesy jalapeno bread and there’s a recipe for cinnamon rolls in the Zojirushi cookbook we want to try too.

9/16 Olive Bread

This is our best effort yet I think. We used the Irish Guy’s recipe but added a cup of olives when the bread machine told us to. Next time we’ll use 2 cups of Olives. We baked one in a croche with the cover on the first 25 minutes, followed by another 25 minutes without the cover. Our loaf seemed happy at 50 minutes as well (I wouldn’t try less). So that’s pretty convenient. Irish guy’s recipe with whatever additional ingredients we want, whatever flour we want and cooked in pans or a croche (50 min), or artisan style (30 minutes).

As far as feeding, 50/100/200 is safe and I think we can go 35-50/75/150 but we’ll see how much is left over. We’ve been using the bread machine for kneading but it’s critical to adjust the dough, adding flour or water as needed, to achieve the right consistency. This is something I’ll probably start doing myself and then we won’t be using the bread machine at all for sourdough. (5 minute rest, 25 minutes kneading) and sometimes the first proof (3 hrs), or do a full 6 hour proof and bake it for 55 minutes.

Tomorrow I think we’ll try Jared’s recipe with wheat flour and 2 cups of olives and let the bread machine do it all.

  • 2 cups starter
  • 2 1/2 cups wheat flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt (more?)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup water (more or less)

Added ingredients (last 5 minutes of kneading)

  • 2 cups olives

 

  • REST: 10:00
  • KNEAD: 25:00
  • SHAPE: 1:00
  • RISE 1: 6:00
  • Rise 2,3: OFF
  • Bake: 55:00 (Check at 50:00)
  • Keep Warm: 1:00 (or OFF)

 

The next day maybe the chocolate bread recipe in the Zojirushi book or another attempt at a rye. I think we can do 1/2 white 1/2 rye flower and add carroway seeds to either Jared’s or the Irish Dude’s recipe. Here are a few that look good…

Artisan Sourdough Rye Bread by Breadtopia