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Bread Thread

Don Carlos

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Originally Posted by indesertum
i'm not sure why you say that when the only difference between wheat flour and white flour is like 10 grams of fiber

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/...d-pasta/5744/2
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/...d-pasta/5745/2

you might argue minerals, but the phytate in whole wheat flour minimizes the difference in mineral content.

its not like whole wheat flour would not make you fat whereas white flour does. they're both fattening if eaten in large amounts although the fiber might help satiety a little


How did I know some apologist for industrial / bleached / fattyfat American fatfat food culture was going to show up? Go away. You're dead wrong. Just shut up with your lies.
 

indesertum

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i'm just against stupid nutrition. i think wheat flour is better, but it still will fatten ***** fatsters if they eat too much of it
 

Don Carlos

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Originally Posted by indesertum
i'm just against stupid nutrition. i think wheat flour is better, but it still will fatten ***** fatsters if they eat too much of it

I have no plan to eat too much of it. I would just prefer not to eat refined flours at all. I've got no plan to overeat.
 

Redwoood

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Originally Posted by Arrogant Bastard
White flour is for fattyfat fat whalefatty fat fats, so I do not eat it. Cannot eat it. Will not eat it. Not one drop.

Be it as it may, its stickiness gives the bread some structure.

So I must find a solution that uses only whole grains.
check out
http://www.amazon.com/Peter-Reinhart...dp/1580087590/

I looked through it at the book store once, and it seemed like a good book. Note, there are some black-belt-level techniques in there, so expect to invest some commitment and a non-trivial learning curve.
 

Kid Nickels

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Baking fresh bread is dangerous... add some butter or good olive oil and it becomes very, very dangerous....
drool.gif
 

JGP.

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Originally Posted by Kid Nickels
Baking fresh bread is dangerous... add some butter or good olive oil and it becomes very, very dangerous....
drool.gif


This is quickly becoming just that for me. Made my first pizza the other night which isn't pretty in the pic but tasted great, and my second loaf the next morning which was much better than my first try, good crust and taste.

photo-2.JPG


photo-3.JPG
 

Don Carlos

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I attempted a version of Henrik's recipe today using only whole wheat flour and steel-cut oatmeal. The bread turned out decent -- respectable for a first attempt -- but critically flawed in two respects. First, I didn't oil or spray or flour (or whatever) the bottom of the pot, thereby ensuring that the loaf would burn/stick to the bottom.
ffffuuuu.gif
Second, I don't think I cooked the dough long enough. It ended up with a nice crust, but a very dense and almost cakelike interior. This was probably as much a result of the dough's composition as its cooking time, but even still, the bread could have stood another 10 minutes or so in the oven.
 

KJT

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First try at making bread, turned out very tasty but I was a little disappointed in the crust and the size of the bubbles inside. The crust was too thin and not very "crusty". Any suggestions on how to get bigger bubbles? More yeast? Let it rise in it's final shape for longer? Either way, it was a good first try and I will be posting more.

Bread fresh out of the oven:
jw8pE.JPG

Inside shot:
jc8Du2.JPG
 

Don Carlos

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^^ Bubbles are from yeast's interaction with the starches in the dough. Hard to say precisely why your bubbles aren't bigger. Maybe you didn't let the dough sit long enough before baking? Maybe you didn't mix and knead it thoroughly enough? Maybe the flour mix was off? I dunno. Crust is a function of many things, including dough composition, baking time, scoring technique, and so forth. Judging from your loaves in the pics, your bread looks a little undercooked. And your scoring patterns leave much to be desired. Consider the following: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/handbook/scoring
In summary, in order to achieve an optimal bloom in baguettes and bâtards, one must attend to 3 variables when scoring them: The cuts should be almost parallel to the long axis of the loaf. The blade should be held at about a 30 degree angle to the surface of the loaf. The depth of the cut should be shallow - about 1/4 inch.
 

GQgeek

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Originally Posted by Don Carlos
^^ Bubbles are from yeast's interaction with the starches in the dough. Hard to say precisely why your bubbles aren't bigger. Maybe you didn't let the dough sit long enough before baking? Maybe you didn't mix and knead it thoroughly enough? Maybe the flour mix was off? I dunno. Crust is a function of many things, including dough composition, baking time, scoring technique, and so forth. Judging from your loaves in the pics, your bread looks a little undercooked. And your scoring patterns leave much to be desired. Consider the following: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/handbook/scoring
I'm a newb, but bubbles are from CO2 released by the yeast. When you're forming the loaf (after the main kneading), if you're too hard on it, you'll force the c02 out and end up with a tighter crumb, which you don't want for certain types of bread. You have to be very gentle with it. That baguette, if intended to be french, looks totally wrong, not just the score and look of the crust, but the texture of the bread itself. I'm picking up my type 55 flour at post office tomorrow so i'll probably give it a try this weekend if my baking stone arrives.
 

KJT

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Originally Posted by Don Carlos
^^

Bubbles are from yeast's interaction with the starches in the dough. Hard to say precisely why your bubbles aren't bigger. Maybe you didn't let the dough sit long enough before baking? Maybe you didn't mix and knead it thoroughly enough? Maybe the flour mix was off? I dunno.

Crust is a function of many things, including dough composition, baking time, scoring technique, and so forth. Judging from your loaves in the pics, your bread looks a little undercooked. And your scoring patterns leave much to be desired. Consider the following:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/handbook/scoring


Thanks, that's actually very helpful. I didn't do it right at all...
laugh.gif


I let the dough sit for 2 hours, then shaped and let it sit for another 45 minutes. Oh well. It still tastes good.
 

KJT

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Originally Posted by GQgeek
I'm a newb, but bubbles are from CO2 released by the yeast. When you're forming the loaf (after the main kneading), if you're too hard on it, you'll force the c02 out and end up with a tighter crumb, which you don't want for certain types of bread. You have to be very gentle with it.

That baguette, if intended to be french, looks totally wrong, not just the score and look of the crust, but the texture of the bread itself. I'm picking up my type 55 flour at post office tomorrow so i'll probably give it a try this weekend if my baking stone arrives.


It was intended to be french. I followed a recipe to a t - but may have been a bit harsh on the loaf when moving it around.

Please do post your results.
 

GQgeek

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Originally Posted by KJT
It was intended to be french. I followed a recipe to a t - but may have been a bit harsh on the loaf when moving it around.

Please do post your results.


I will.

What book were you using btw?

I'm going to be using the bread baker's apprentice. Were you using the right type of flour? Did you mist the oven and put a pan of water in the bottom? Did it rise overnight? Did you use a pre-ferment? did you use a baking stone? Scoring the bread almost parallel with loaf isn't just a cosmetic thing. You should definitely buy the BBA if you're serious about bread. It explains every step and the reasons for doing things a certain way very well.
 

henrikc

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Originally Posted by Don Carlos
I attempted a version of Henrik's recipe today using only whole wheat flour and steel-cut oatmeal. The bread turned out decent -- respectable for a first attempt -- but critically flawed in two respects. First, I didn't oil or spray or flour (or whatever) the bottom of the pot, thereby ensuring that the loaf would burn/stick to the bottom.
ffffuuuu.gif
Second, I don't think I cooked the dough long enough. It ended up with a nice crust, but a very dense and almost cakelike interior. This was probably as much a result of the dough's composition as its cooking time, but even still, the bread could have stood another 10 minutes or so in the oven.


Same thing happened with my first bread, but I think that was caused by the pot being brand new. Just make sure that it's properly pre-heated, and when it's done it's just a matter of turning the pot over, letting the bread slide out and enjoy. After preheating the pot I just fold the dough in with a spatula, and I never use any oil, flour or anything to keep it from sticking.

Too bad about the dough. It's supposed to have a somewhat moist inside, but cakelike doesn't sound right at all. I would try to cook it for 5-10 minutes more with the cover on, and then 15 minutes (might even need 20 minutes) without the cover. I also found a recipe that uses no bread/all purpose flour, but no cast iron pot.
http://noknead.com/uncategorized/no-...ead-recipe.php
 

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