/ck/ - Food & Cooking

>>3863589

Mo' bread.

Glorious.

How'd you start your starter? From scratch or from someone else?

>>3863590

And more.

>>3863592

Scratch. Rye flour and water, plus all the microbiological goodies Los Angeles has to offer.

>>3863593
Your bread looks amazing.

I remember you saying once that you sell it to people, and that's why you make so much. Did you get a license for that, or do you just sell it to friends so no one really cares.

beautiful loaves my good sir, cant wait for the video.

>>3863589
>I actually took the time to record the whole process on video, and I'm halfway through editing it already, so by the end of this coming week I should have a 25 minute overview of how I bake my bread.

YES!!!

YESSSS!

Jelly as fuck, OP.

I'm really not impressed at all by this. Bakeries churn this shit out a hundred loaves at a time. Why should I care about some random person on the internet who does what they're doing and makes a big deal about something that they don't even think twice about?

http://youtu.be/xoFtxZKkt50

>>3863627

Because it's fun. Baking is fun. And it's fun to share your creation with people who also like to bake.

Were you fingered when you were younger or something?

I know that this is 4chan and I am supposed to hate anything that another person holds dear to them or works hard on because of lulz, but I honestly am looking forward to your video. I can say with certainty that, in the most gayest way possible, I am going to be waiting in anticipation for it. thanks

Fuck yeah Sourdough. Here's a recent bake of mine, based on the "vermont sourdough" by Hamelman

>>3863602
Definitely do it on the sly. No time to find a kitchen to work out of that would be inspectable/legal.

>>3863608
Thanks! It'll be up sooner rather than later.

>>3863627
Not trying to make a big deal out of it, I promise! Just throwing up some OC and trying to get other bread bakers excited. If you're not into baking bread, you won't get it, but that's totally cool! There are a few of us that are just crazy enough to make this a serious hobby. I'm just happy I can make bakery-quality bread out of my home kitchen, and love it while I'm doing it. Doesn't get much better than that!

>>3863638
Different strokes for different folks. They are entitled to their own opinion. I'm not sure why that justifies them shitting on this thread, but it's cool. I'm a big boy and can handle it.

>>3863647
Thanks! I don't jive on the whole "secret process" thing, so I'm excited to share how I make my bread.

>>3863661
That, my friend, is a beautiful, beautiful loaf. Do you have a formulation for it? Baker's percentages would be preferred.

>>3863665
kill yourself

>>3863671
> mfw stalker bro found a new lover

hof gone, 100 bowl gone, what's a stalker to do?

>>3863671
Thanks, but no thanks! I think I'll keep cranking out bread instead.

>>3863593

Not gonna lie, I wanna fuck your bread. It looks so moist and delicious.

On a related note, where do you get your yeast/microbiological goodies? Can those be shipped to different parts of the country?

>>3863671
I think pretty much the entire board would prefer you to do so.

>>3863717
Thanks for the kind words!

Sorry, I should have been more clear. I meant that the sourdough starter was cultured here in Los Angeles, from what's available in the air/in the flour/on my hands/etc. Starters can definitely be shipped to different parts of the country, though they change based on what's around in the environment.

I was really hesitant to make a Los Angeles sourdough, given how crappy the air is here, but I have to say that it's a really excellent starter. It is mildly tangy (not nearly as strong as SF sourdough starters) and produces a really wonderful oven spring.

>>3863724
Sorry, my friend, but it's just not going to happen. I can understand if you don't share my passion for bread, but enough people do for me to spend some time posting OC from my weekly/bimonthly bakes. If I can get even 1 person excited about baking high quality bread at home, I consider it a success.

Thanks for the feedback, though!

>>3863733
No, no. I wasn't backing his post. I was saying that we would all probably prefer HIM to kill himself than for you to.

Love your bread and appreciate the image quality.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

>>3863593

FINALLY! It took you forever to cut one of those bad boys in half, next step is a big piece of melting garlic butter.

Don't listen to the trolls, you have more fans than haters on this board. We are all eagerly waiting for your video.

>>3863737
My apologies! No offense taken no matter how you intended it. I'm in hardcore study-mode right now, so my powers of interpretation are locked to the ultra-literal. I should have understood it differently.

>>3863733
Did reddit turn down your application or something?

>>3863627
Believe me, most of us do not give a shit about what does or does not impress a particular faggot like yourself. However, I've seen some OC creators say they get discouraged enough to stop participating on this board because of people like you though. For that, the only thing I have left to say to you is: Get the fuck out of here and let the food image board be a food image board, asshole.

Respect to you bakers who post quality content for the board. Good to see that the retards don't phase some of you.

>>3863764

Dear sir,

The word you are looking for is "faze"

Thank you,

/ck/

Do you have a beginner's guide? (Besides the upcoming vid?)

>>3863800
There are a ton of great beginner's guides out there. I'm also happy to answer any questions that you'd like to ask.

Aside from that, the video will serve as a good overview of how and why I do what I do. I made a couple errors when discussing things on the fly, but corrected them with text on-screen. The video should be a good place to watch the whole process, though you may still have questions after watching it.

>>3863802
Any links? I'm not planning on starting anytime soon (not until I get away from my shit-tier roommate, anyway.) Just some reference material for when I do...

>>3863818
I've gleaned most of my bread baking knowledge from working in the industry and observing other baker's. I would probably comb YouTube for videos that have high view counts to get an idea of the process, since visualizing the technique can save you a lot of heartache.

www.thefreshloaf.com is a really incredible bread-baking forum that has a ridiculous wealth of bread and pizza-related information on it. They probably also have some really great starter guides.

>>3863774
True. My bad. I hope it didn't ruin my point too much.

>>3863594
Ah, I thought about trying that but didn't know how long it would take to develop so I dumped some baker's yeast in a jar and went at it that. The process is pretty simple, no? How long did it actually end up taking?

I can also never tell when to stop adding bread flour. If I use all of the stuff included in the recipe my bread consistently comes out too dense, but when I start trying to use less my loaves/rounds/whatever come out too thin. Is getting that right just a matter of experience?

Sorry this is my first time on /ck/ what's your youtubechannel so I can check it out later?

>>3863589
Looks delicious dog. That other tripfag you were arguing with the other day got nothing on you.

>>3864880
Making a sourdough starter is time-consuming, but very easy. Start by creating a base, with a ratio of 1:1 flour to water by weight, then feed once daily until you see life. You can start feeding twice daily when you get reliable 2x rises within a few hours. Once it's stable and consistent, then you can use it to bake. The whole thing takes 2-3+ weeks, but is totally worth it, assuming you're willing to take care of it long-term.

The density issue is tricky. It's hard to say what's going wrong without looking. Are you developing enough gluten? Are you using any fat in your recipes? Are you applying sufficient surface tension in the gluten network when shaping? Are you proofing long enough? These are all big variables in the density puzzle.

>>3864919
There's nothing up on the channel yet, but I think I made the name FiveFlourFingers.

>>3864925
Hah, no sweat. I don't engage in the competition game anyway.

>>3864960
>Are you developing enough gluten?
I'm thinking this might be the issue. I typically work the dough until I get the amount of flour worked in, then call it a day.
>Are you using any fat in your recipes?
Generally no, or not much
> Are you applying sufficient surface tension in the gluten network when shaping?
Maybe not, I generally push down more than out.
>Are you proofing long enough?
I think so. I also keep the kitchen warm while it's rising.

>>3864964
Alright, thanks, I'll check it out in a few days to see if any things up.

I've been experimenting with bread and yeast lately. I haven't been eating bread at all for a long time because I've not been eating any foods with added sugars and salts.

So, the other day I decided I'd whip up something that the yeast would still work with. I substituted the sugar with fresh watermelon and banana. I started the yeast in a glass with pureed watermelon and banana and it started fermenting like crazy. I made a couple loaves of whole wheat-potato bread and they turned out pretty awesome. It didn't taste like a banana bread or taste like watermelon either.

I'll be experimenting with other fruits since watermelon is pretty seasonal. This will be a great way to keep away from refined sugars and still be eating whole foods.

>>3864969
It sounds like the gluten may be your primary concern. If you don't strengthen the network enough, it won't be able to stabilize the rapid growth in the oven, and you end up with a dense bread.

Fat is also a problem. Fat is more surface active, but can't form intermolecular bonds, which means it jumps to the air/dough interface rapidly, but then can't create a network to stabilize it. As a result, you end up with a dense/soft baked product. That's why shortening is called shortening, and why fats are used in pastries.

It's also important to really create good surface tension in the bread while shaping. This orients the gluten network in a way that will be able to direct expansion positively, and stabilize it.

>>3864984
Interesting. I don't actually add any sugar to my breads, but bread without salt is pretty boring.

Can't say I've ever used fruit in my bread in that way. Very cool idea.

>>3864992
>I don't actually add any sugar to my breads,

Good to know.

>bread without salt is pretty boring.

Indeed. My breads have lots of things in them like fruits, vegetables, fungi, and nuts to leftovers like chili and spaghetti. Mine are intended to be heavy and every hearty. I prefer to eat them slice, toasted, and dipped in sauces. The sauces don't have salt either, but their ingredients help make them savory enough that it really makes up for no added salt.

>>3864989
I'll work on the gluten, my forearms can take it

>It's also important to really create good surface tension in the bread while shaping.
And I do that how? Just pulling down as I shape the bread?

>>3865000

Spaghetti bread! Wild! Way to think out of the box! Take some photos and post them. I'd be interested in how they come out.

Is there a reason you've chosen the no salt route?

>>3865001

Exactly. As you shape the dough, just be sure you're making the surface very taut. I do this by pulling the dough toward me as I roll it up into a loaf.

This is the exact thread I was hoping to see

How do I create a bread with a slight honey taste to it?

...That's possible, right?

>>3863589

recipes please, good sir! something a bread n00b can get started with? any suggestions?!?!

(i am beyond jelly of that crusty, tart looking sourdough!)

>>3865036
Use honey and bake the bread before it's finished fermenting/proofing. That will leave some of the residual honey in the bread so that you can taste it. If you let it ferment/proof too long, the yeast will have chewed up the honey and, though some non-carbohydrate flavor compounds may remain, it will probably not have the same honey flavor you are looking for.

>>3865037
My first suggestion to you is to just experiment. I think people get too freaked out by bread, because so many people have tried to convince them that it is exceedingly complex. It is not. Make a bunch, experiment with different things, try 2-3 different techniques every time you bake a new batch, and find what works for you.

It's hard for me to ID a basic bread recipe b/c bread is, at its core, very simple. I very rarely expand beyond flour, water, sourdough starter, salt, and maybe some nuts and/or dried fruits. I would peruse www.thefreshloaf.com and find something that looks delicious to you, and give it a shot! Just don't let yourself get discouraged if you have a couple bad batches. Keep at it!

>>3865036
>>3865054
Just to add to the honey-bread discussion, I've found that you need to add a very large amount of honey for the flavor to shine through - even if you add it at the end as FF suggests. Honey is relatively expensive, so to get around this, I've found that you can achieve a very similar flavor if you include some whole wheat flour (at least 5% of the flour by weight), a small amount of molasses, and enough sugar that the bread turns out slightly sweet. To really take the bread to the next level, you can brush the loaf with honey when it comes out of the oven (get it warm in a pan with some water to thin it out to make this easier).

>be working for one of the largest luxury bread bakeries in the netherlands
>i'm the bread guy who makes all the actual bread and comes up with new ideas
this is my background, and i must say, your bread looks really good. I'd try it, it looks tasty, and i'm picky as hell about my bread. Good job man, because i almost lost hope on bread with the current trend of baking your own bread, and everybody is just baking either plain white or something with a shitton of raisins and large nuts in it.

>>3865070
Thanks! That means a lot coming from an industry professional. In all fairness, I'm not an average home baker (though I think bread of this quality is achievable by anyone who chases after it). I have a culinary degree, professional baking experience, a food chem degree (with a LOT of time in a cereal chem lab doing bread research), and am occasionally hired to do product dev/R&D work for medium to large-format bakeries.

Of course, the bread I post on this board is only made with a normal home oven and non-commercial equipment (if you ignore the Hobart A200 that I have in my home kitchen).

>something with a shitton of raisins and large nuts in it.

Made me smile because I know exactly that feel.

I've nothing to contribute with at given time. I've mostly been baking pizzas the last weeks. I'll have some freestyle breakfast buns ready in about 12-14 hours. I guess I could post pictures of that.

Anyway, looking forward to the video.

>>3865070
>something with a shitton of raisins and large nuts in it.
M-my starter isn't ready yet! Those bananas were going bad too, banana bread with lots of nuts was a natural choice!

I'll be in the corner sobbing over this slowly bubbling yeast if you need me.

>this fucking thread
>mfw

Just wondering, how do you go about selling your bread "on the sly"? Word of mouth/contacts? Tasty-looking bread, mate.

>this fucking thread

Just wondering, how do you go about selling your bread "on the sly"? Word of mouth/contacts? Tasty-looking bread, mate.

I believe I asked you the temp of your oven in an earlier thread and you said 550. Most 'merican ovens max out at 500 or so, do you think that extra 50 degrees makes a big difference in the development of the dark crust you're able to achieve?

>>3865138
It's called having friends.

Cuhrazy bizarre concept I know.

>>3865138
Yes sir. All word of mouth. I started by selling to a few chefs I used to network with back in the day. From there it kind of ballooned, and now I just send out an e-mail to a listserv, and whoever responds first gets the bread. It's a pretty ideal situation.

>>3865160
I actually bake at 550F with convection, so that's an effective temp of 575F. I do think the extra 75 degrees makes a difference, but not a big enough one to preclude anyone from being able to achieve very similar results in their home kitchen.

>>3865167
>>3865138
> mfw I had the same thought but then remembered that my coworkers all have a ton of friends that they're always hanging out with so it must be normal

>>3865024
Here's one I made many years ago using all you see in the pic (you may have seen this pic posted before on /ck/). This was before I was going without processed stuff so it includes sugar and salt. It includes left over chili.

>Is there a reason you've chosen the no salt route?

I feel better not eating it and it turns out I get plenty from the whole foods I eat even though I don't eat anything that contains added salt.

>>3865138
>>3865138
i'm not FF, but i'd wager he was talking to someone about bread, mentioned that he makes bread. "oh, you do? awesome?!" "yeah, want a loaf sometime?" "sure!" he gives loaf. bitch likes da loaf. bitch wants more of da loaf. bitch's friends hear about da loaf. bitch's friends want da loaf too. bada-bing $$$$$$$$$$

or, like ^^^^ said, friends

>>3863589

i just mixed up my own sourdough starter ... 2 parts water, 2 parts unbleached flour, and a little bit of wild, raw, local honey ... i have it set on top of my DVR to stay nice and warm (i admittedly keep the house at like 65F). thanks for the inspiration, OP! *crossing fingers for some good fermentation*

(pic is related ... it's me)

>>3865645
Protip if you have trouble: Pineapple juice. It's the right level of acidity to get the right organisms going. Can cut out some stages where undesirable critters predominate and eventually die off as the acidity increases. Sometimes the first activity you'll see isn't even yeast.

what is the appeal of raw flour all over bread? it tastes like shit

>>3865659
It tends to just be a result of the flour used in shaping. If you don't overdo it, you don't even taste it.

>>3865645
Congrats! Just be patient and persistent.

>>3865659
>>3865663
It's true, you can't even taste it on my bread. It's just a product of how I proof the shaped loaves, though it certainly has an aesthetic appeal.

>>3865680

Whoops, forgot the trip.

>>3863593

'dem bubbles, 'dat crust

seriously. this is fucking bread porn of epic proportions

Video is at 75% (of a 12GB upload). Should be finished in 2 hours or so. I'll post it when it's done.

>>3865703

Those bubbles are typically called the crumb.

I don't like that internet talk, don't ever talk or post stupid faces for as long as I live, please.

2 questions.

1. All the instructionals I've seen have their bread innards end up really flat. How do you get it so full of holes?

2. How do I know if my starter is going to bake delicious bread or give me ebola?

>>3865054

Well, now that we're talking about thefreshloaf, that's where I have a blog. username is baybakin
Here's some baguettes I made awhile ago, sourdough of course.

>>3865748
2 answers.

1. I develop a strong gluten network, ferment/proof for enough time, make high hydration doughs, and preshape to create lots of surface tension.

2. You don't, but it's rare to get sick from your starter. There is a bread called salt-rising bread that is leavened (and flavored) by Clostridium perfringens (which is a pretty serious pathogen). Doesn't seem to make anyone sick.

>>3865760
Beautiful!

>>3865725
maybe you should join some kind of club in real life then, because this is the internet

>>3865748

the high alcohol and acid content in sourdough starters discourage any other bugs from growing. As long as you feed it regularly it's quite unlikely to become "infected"

More bread included for content. my everyday sourdough recipe

This has inspired me to bake some bread this weak

Thanks even though I usually fail

>>3865725

>don't ever talk or post stupid faces for as long as I live

we'll murder you tomorrow. convenient!

>>3865772
I'm sure people have told you this before, but that sourdough boule is really stunning. Beautiful crumb (I can tell it is very moist), gorgeous crust, it's a winner all the way around.

>>3865780

Thanks. I really wish I could work on my boules more, I'm cheating here with a dutch oven. Seriously, check it out, you get some amazing crust if you bake in a dutch oven. Crust photo for great justice

My mouth is watering violently.

Absolutely beautiful bread

>>3863589
This thread just inspired me to learn how to bake bread.

wtf is a boule

>>3865854
shape of bread. large round free-form loaf.

>>3865794
>I'm cheating here with a dutch oven
Don't think I have access to one. Can I cheat even more with a cast iron skillet that's been covered somehow? And I assume this is on your blog as well, right?

>>3865209
I'm sorry but that looks horrendous.

Like actually scary.

Bad news, dudes. YouTube ate my video after 4 hours of uploading. I'll try again tomorrow so my ISP doesn't flag my connection for anything. I'll create a new thread as soon as it's up.

>>3865991
Ah. Alright, tomorrow then. Thanks.

DUDE I LOVE YOU AND YOUR OC I HOPE YOU NEVER LEAVE /ck/.I love baking bread and you have been such an inspiration!This is a pizza i baked a while ago.

>>3863647
where's this gif from?

>>3865209
>no salt

You do realize that the salt serves a function and that by omitting it you're fucking up the recipe, right?

In b4 hurrr it tastes fine 2 mee.

>>3866006

Crust looks like shit, and yes, that matters.

You cooked it at babby temperatures and without a stone/tile, didn't you?

>>3867008

>babby's first babby comment

I have a shitty oven. No matter how hard i try, the bread i make will always be a catastrophy.

I have never baked bread but I have baked some cakes, cupcakes and pies. I love how yours came out and I think I'll try some when I'm off work, sometime.

I guess the only problem is I'll be baking in the middle of the night and disturbing everyone.

>>3867064
I had a blast last time I did a late night bake.
>sneaking
>baking
>Meiya;_;ing
>delicious bread when everyone else wakes uping
Good experience.

>>3867084
I do the same thing!
Im gonna try and make this tonight.

>>3864989
>>3865028
I'm >>3865001 and >>3864969.
I didn't have much class today so I decided to try this advice with some french bread until my sourdough is ready. Apparently beating my dough against the counter like it owed me money then lovingly tucking it under itself was what I needed, I've got a beautiful loaf in the oven rising just about right as I type. There will be garlic bread tonight. I'll post pics later.

>>3863589

bamping ... i wanna see that vid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

>>3867467
This is what the bread ended up looking like. For a while there I was worried it wouldn't rise, but then I came back after it was in the oven for a bit and it was fluffy and delicious looking.

>>3867632
And the crumb. It wasn't quite as bubbly as I wanted, but not bad for a french bread and a far cry better than anything I'd pulled off before. Seems like it might make a good pizza crust.

Thank you once again, based tripfa- tripfriend.

i trolled you all. I cooked that bread in my girlfriends stank assed puussy

>>3867064

>tfw when you'll never be with another loving human being to bake bread for you at night, so you can wake up to a house filled with the smell of warm bread.

>>3867637
Looks kind of dense to me.

>>3867783
It is, but it's still an accomplishment for me, in that it's not entirely flat. Maybe more flour earlier in the process and a little more dough slapping would do it.

>>3867632
>>3867637
Looks awesome! Good job. Nice rise!

>>3867689
It appears a kind anon has managed to crack my tripcode. I guess I'll be changing that sometime soon. Sorry gentlemen.

>>3867754
I have a wife and I STILL don't get to wake up to a house filled with the smell of warm bread.

>>3867830
Not him but don't use a dictionary word for your trip. there's a page that has a dictoinary with the trip and secure trip for words.
Love your choice of trip

>>3867838
how do i spelled trip?

your bread looks like shit bro, get some wonder bread, shit tastes better and looks better

This is now my new trip testing grounds.

I think this is it.

Success

Question for all you bread bakers out there: how are you storing your bread? I started baking bread at home in January (made it a New Year's Resolution to no longer buy bread at the store), and I've been dissatisfied with my storage solutions thus far. I tried bagging it up whole and storing it on the counter or in the fridge. On the counter it only last about 2-3 days before it went really stale. It did better in the fridge, but it takes up a lot of fridge space that way. I ended up now slicing the bread after it's been out of the oven for a while and then storing the slices in a container in the fridge (takes up a little less space), but it's still not the optimum solution, as the fridge seems to dry it out quicker. So do any of you have a good storage solution for fresh bread so that it'll keep for more than just a few days?

>>3869739
Freeze it if you have one of those huge freezer chests. Otherwise maybe wrapping it in wax paper? That'd probably add another day or so.

>>3869739
The shiny disco letters are completely optional.

>>3869780

No they're not.

>you will never make bread because you want instant gratification and all recipes take 24 hours for the science yeast to work

Could someone point me somewhere I can learn to make awesome bread like OP makes? I want to make somesweet bread in particular. How do I go about doing this and what tools do I need. Also, how does OP make his bread and what does he use. Yes, I am rather new to /ck/ but bread is one of those things I'd love to learn how to make.

>>3869787
I made some in about two and a half hours yesterday. There's some that only has one rise and takes even less time.

>>3869788

See my video in >>3868590

>>3868590
will you marry me

>>3870002
Sorry, my friend, but I'm already hitched!