Adventures in Bread Baking

 

 

Over a year and a half ago I decided that I wanted to bake all of my own bread. Before that I had been eating a combination of store bought bread, bread maker bread, and the occasional loaf of bread from the oven. I was armed with two of Peter Rienhart's bread books and felt that I could fit fresh homemade bread into my weekly routine without too much hassle.

Since then I have baked a good portion of the recipes from both The Bread Baker's Apprentice (BBA) and Artisan Breads Everyday (ABE) . The breads in ABE fit seamlessly into my schedule because most of the doughs are mixed up the day before and rise in the fridge overnight. I would get home from work, shape the loaves, let them rise, and bake them in the evening.

The more bread you bake the more you start understanding how the dough should feel and how it will react to substitutions and adjustments. Now I usually play around with recipes to add more whole grains or change the flavor.

 

 

 

 

I go through phases with the types of bread I like to bake and lately I've only been interested in whole grains or breads that I can turn into multigrain loaves. However this loaf that I've been baking lately is delicious (and beautiful) enough to lure me away from whole grains for a week or two.

It's 100% semolina bread that bakes up soft and golden and delicious. I had never used semolina before and I couldn't be more pleased with how this loaf turned out.

 

The recipe is from the The Fresh Loaf forums and I won't be posting it here because I really wouldn't change a thing. If you see some durum semolina flour buy it and try this recipe, it makes white bread interesting again.

Recipe here: 100% Semolina Sandwich Loaf

 

 

The other bread that I'm still using white flour for is sourdough. I have only been baking sourdough for a few months and there is so much to learn that I can see why people become completely obsessed. It's a whole different hobby than baking up a few sandwich loaves a week.

 

 

 

My sourdough starter is 100% whole wheat and its loaded with happy little yeasty beasties. I feed it a few times a week and it lives in my fridge the rest of the time. I started with a whole wheat seed culture because of a specific recipe but it has managed to stay alive and healthy so I have just maintained it as whole wheat instead of converting it to a white flour starter.

 

 

So far my loaves have been medium sour with large holes but my shaping and scoring need a lot more practice. As tempting as it is to buy more bread books (more bread books... moooore) I'm relying on information from the fresh loaf and other online places.

 

 

 

Sourdough is extra work and has a bit of a learning curve. Making my weekly two (or three) sandwich loaves is now a comforting habit while making sourdough feels more like an adventure because I'm still not sure how it will turn out. The extra effort is so worth it though for that extra flavor packed into each loaf.

I love hearing about what bread other people are baking. When someone mentions that they made bread I can't stop myself from asking them "what recipe did you use? Can I see a picture? do you have a crumb shot??(need to see that crumb shot!)". So I thought it was only fair to share what types of loaves have been in my oven over the last couple weeks.

Bread-obsessed!

 

Comments

[emily]

"happy little yeasty beasties" ha! I love it! Your bread baking is inspiring and beautiful! I need to get going on this!

[Chelsey]

This is making me want to make my own sourdough starter! mmmm

[Allie Bux]

I made all my own bread when I was living in England. It was delightful but an incredible challenge. The winters aren't cold enough to produce "strong-flour" so it was always a challenge finding flour, and the humidity! Oh goodness, don't even think about trying anything but weighing your flour.

My sourdough was the only one that disappointed over there. I would get a good loaf, and the next would fall flat or BURST! I often neglected my starter - oops!

I'm back in Canada, and have been making buns (using potato water) and focaccia loaves. I'm again finding flour difficult, generally I am using 2-3 times more water to produce a loaf. I know it is dryer but that seems excessive. What brand of flour do you use? (I'm in Sask, so products should be similar)

Where did you find your scraper (in the first picture) - I would LOVE one, but have yet to find one.

I have no bread shots, but if you are looking for an alternative bread book, check out River Cottage Bread Handbook - it's my bread bible. Actually, all the River Cottage Handbooks are gems!

[Stephanie]

Allie: For bread flour and whole wheat I usually use the robin hood brand because it's easy to find. Otherwise I keep my eyes peeled at healthy food stores for local brands of rye and multigrain flours. I always weigh my flours!

Found my scraper/pastry cutter/best tool ever at Crate and Barrel here in Calgary. I use it so much that its never in the drawer, always drying in the dish rack instead.

Thanks for the tip, I'm adding that book to my "to read" list.

Ps where in England were you? I lived in Leeds for a year

[TasteHongKong]

I believe I have got much inspirations here, thanks : )!

[marci o'connor (@BeingMarci)]

I had no idea baking brad was such a science - as a non-baker I buy the ones from the grocery store, reluctantly...here's the thing: 11 days ago I bought fresh flowers for the house and they are STILL fresh...which is lovely, right? On the other hand, when I buy white bread and it is still all white 11 days later (like the one in my cupboard right now) it make me nervous about what's allowing it to do that!

[Little Corner of Mine]

Looks great, the semolina bread looks soft and delicious.

[Jen]

Growing up in Germany means that the one thing you cannot live without is Bread! A friend of mine sent me the same book you have but I was intimidated. Maybe I should give it a try.

[bread baking]

We are helping lots of people to bake their own bread and mill our own flour at Blair Atholl Water Mill Scotland

The courses are run by Rami who will share his knowledge gained from milling and baking over the last 12 years.

The aim of the course is to provide you with the confidence and knowledge to produce your own bread at home. Using different types of flour and yeast, you will learn how to bake different kinds of bread in the traditional manner and take home what you baked with your own hands.

[jp wright]

you can do anything with sourdough if you just give it time - for example, your lemon tearing bread/cake recipe I've tried once with yeast, once with sourdough, both great. might want to use a white flour starter though ;-)

[kristin]

I love making bread. I don't eat a whole lot of it, I just love the act of doing it. It's the only thing that I bake with any consistency. It's really satisfying getting perfect sandwich slices! ;)

[tigerfish]

I am bread-obsessed too! Just too bad I am not baking-obsessed so I can only envy homemade fresh breads from you. :)

[Allie Bux]

Oh, that looks like a dangerous store! I held back and only ordered the pastry cutter ;) Thanks, tips!

I lived in Bristol for the majority of my time in the UK - with a few months in Edinburgh. When I was selecting cities, I had narrowed it down to Leeds and Bristol - but the thought of a harbor side drew me to the coast!

[Rigel_p]

I have a whole new respect for bread making after reading your post. I thought I loved bread, but I'm seeing there's another level of appreciation when I read "yeasty beasties" :)

[Mary at n00bcakes]

Wow, that's a really serious undertaking, baking all your bread from scratch. But it's pretty cool that after some practice it just becomes part of your day!

A sourdough starter has been on my "to do" list for a looong time now. I recently have cut bread out of my diet, but I think I'll still be trying it just to try it (and snag a few pieces here and there :D). Any tips and tricks are awesome! ^_^

[Maggie Muggins]

I love semolina bread, I haven’t made any since the bread baking class I took. Which was way too long ago.
Your sourdough crumb looks great! You’re making me miss my sourdough starter. I still haven’t gotten around to restarting one, I really need to do that this weekend. I’ve been trying to learn a lot about bread making, but I still have a lot of trouble when it comes to converting a liquid starter to a stiff starter and vise versa.
I usually wait to the weekends to make bread, but I never thought of just leaving it in the fridge overnight and baking it when I get home from work, I may start doing that. Seeing this post has inspired me to bake this weekend, I’ve been eager to try some more recipes from Jeffery Hamelman’s ‘Bread’ book, do you have that one? It’s a really great book, there’s so much information!

[Jessica @ bake me away!]

Pretty, pretty breads! I keep meaning to only bake my own, but then remember I should use my starter and get overwhelmed. That's a good idea to bake both kinds with the sourdough being more of a practice loaf.

[Heidi @ Food Doodles]

I love this! Lately I've just been making plain sandwich breads, some white, some whole wheat. I've been wanting to get back to experimenting more and not just making the same old thing. I did have a sourdough starter not too long ago that I accidentally killed. I've been meaning to try again though and I'm totally inspired by your gorgeous bread pictures!

[Russell van Kraayenburg]

Look at all those loafs! I've been baking bread for a year or so now too and I am constantly baffled at how tricky some breads are. I love semolina loafs too though! And anything whole grain or anything with something other than white flour. One of my favorite games to play is "buy that flour I've never heard of before". Yum.

[Noreen Young]

Being of Polish and Chinese parents....I grew up with a potpourri of dishes to delight my tongue...BREAD was one of them and you remind me with this gorgeous loaf of my Babci...which means Grandma in Polish.
I must TRY and bake this!

[Air Jordan Shoes]

Any tips and tricks are awesome! ^_^

[Vincci]

That's so impressive! I recently had to throw out my first sourdough starter, Eugene, as he grew mold after being neglected in my fridge :( We will have to make a turnip cake/bread date some time, though it might make the house smell a little odd!

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[Treasure Nsikak]

I will love to also try doing bread I am a bread lover but I dont klnow how to bake bread