/ck/ - Food & Cooking

When does it hatch?

dats like 243.6%

>>5071656
Bakers %

>>5071656
>Not knowing baking %
<2010+4

Bread in pic is just a basic sourdough loaf with 5% whole wheat and 5% rye, because my family doesn't like whole grains.

I, on the other hand, am crazy about whole grain baking and have just picked up a copy of Chad Robertson's new book "Tartine No. 3" which is all about baking with ancient grains. Pretty pumped to try some of the recipes out.

making a spent grain bread from grains I crushed and made beer with this morning. I should've used beer yeast too.. maybe next time

>>5071692
Bread looks good. I'm glad the new Tartine book finally got released. I was about to go nuts if they pushed the release date back again. It's been in my library for a little over a week now, but I haven't had the chance to open it up yet.

>>5071693
Shoulda woulda coulda.

Anybody have a good place to start with bread? I have literally never made bread in my life.

I like sourdough and I like breads that have a fucking huge and thick crust with a really airy and fluffy inside.

Where should I start if i'm looking to get into baking bread like this?

For a second i thought ops pic was a moldy watermelon

>>5071649

Can you post a video of yourself eating a slice of warm bread with slightly melted butter on top?

Alright Mr. Flour Fucker. I got me a scale, some AP flour, whole grain flour, and I think rye flour to use in my stand mixer. How about a recipe? And I have no idea what your 243% thing is.

I made some ciabatta rolls which didn't poof up as high as I wanted, but they were nice on the inside. The recipe said to dust the top with flour just before putting it in the oven. I've never really liked raw flour on breads.

yer bread looks pretty pro op, aint that kinda a lot of salt tho? also are you proofing in baskets and what. difference does it make? also also spelt flour is the ished and you are making me want to do some baking thanks a lot

also also also post some pics of yer crumb

That bread looks like metal.

>>5071670
>>5071686
So the flours add up, and the rest doesn't.
Could you please explain it?

So I've made a few loaves of bread now, and each attempt has been slightly better. I've learned to use a water bath and spray bottle for the crust, I've learned that I need to let yeast do its business and that making a starter makes that a whole lot easier, but I'm still not getting the bread I want. It's got bubbles, but it's overall very dense with uniform small bubbles.

I have a stand mixer with a bread hook attachment. Can this thing completely replace kneading with enough time on it? How long should I be hooking/kneading it? Are bigger bubbles from longer rise times and better gluten formation through kneading or am I missing something?

>>5071722
Grab a good baking book, a baking stone, bread flour, yeast, and salt. Pick a simple loaf and do it a million times. The best way to improve your baking is just by getting your hands dirty.

>>5071754
100% bread flour, 85% water, 3% salt, 0.3% yeast.
Mix flour and water, autolyse, add salt and yeast, mix till windowpane, bulk retard 24-72 hours, portion and preshape, bench rest, shape, roll in flour, proof on a heavily floured pan, transfer to really fucking hot stone and bake till done. Heavy flour is the nature of the best: high hydration doughs require a lot of flour.

>>5071769
I like bread with a good amount of salt in it. Undersalted bread tastes boring to me. I do my proofing in bannetons, +/- flax linen liners. It's a good accessory to have if you bake often.

>>5071790
Baker's percent. Flour is 100%. Everything else is a % of flour. So if your formulation is 100% flour, 60% water, 3% salt, 1% yeast, then the quantities based on 100 oz of flour would be 60 oz water, 3 oz salt, and 1 oz yeast. The beauty of a baker's percent is that it is infinitely scalable, which enables you to make the same bread no matter how much of the ingredients you have on hand. It's really useful for maximizing the amount of dough you can make when you have one ingredient in short supply.

>>5071799
larger bubbles are from longer proofing time and not deflating the bread before it gets to the oven. to a lesser extent the flour/water ratio also plays a part as well as the gluten development from kneading but even un kneaded bread can be bubbly.

are you looking for giant bubbles or is the bread just deflated and dense? if you post pics of a slice or just look at it you can usually diagnose proofing problems

>>5071799
It can replace kneading entirely.

You should be kneading until you reach windowpane for a lean dough. I don't know about hooking. You should ask your mom about that.

Bigger bubbles are the result of a bunch of things. You want high hydration, high gluten, high heat for big fat bubbles in your crumb. Make sure to knead until windowpane.

>>5071814
Yeah that was my problem, there was a heavy dusting of flour on the top and bottom which I really do not like and I do not see in commercially made ciabattas.

Could I get away with light flour on the stone, heating the stone on the cooktop then baking?

>>5071814
>, bulk retard 24-72 hours

in the fridge? also you have really great color development you dont do any type of glaze?

>>5071824
You shouldn't need any material between your stone and your bread. The heavy flour is mostly to make it easy to transfer the proofed loaves from surface to peel to stone.

>>5071826
Yes, in the fridge. No glazes here, man. I use a hefty quantity of steam, diastatic malt when appropriate, and, most of all, a long, hot bake. People are afraid to put real color on their loaves. I bake everything to very well done.

>>5071835
Then how do you get the fuckload of flour off the delicious bread?

Show me whole grain bread that's fluffy. Not 50% whole grain, 50% white, just whole grain

>>5071814
So everything is in weight, not volume?

>>5071821
>>5071816

Thanks for the tips, I've been making relatively wet doughs and the bubbles are there and well, just not as big as I'd like. I think I just need to knead more. I looked up windowpane test, and I can definitely say my bread was ripping at that stage, but was probably a few more minutes of kneading from being right.

>>5071835
you get a lot of oven pop on your loaves what temp do you bake at? idk how your breads taste but that would sell me just based on looks

. . . I feel so dirty talking about bread

>>5071649
>I have some sourdough bulk retarding in the fridge right now.
lol

>>5071649
Sure am,
I am a sour dough starter that is getting ready for use. When ready I am going to make some sour dough roll, and pretzels. Also going to make some pizza dough for next Monday.

This Saturday I will be making my cinnamon rolls. Nice overnight slow rise method.

>>5071870
I don't bake a lot of 100% whole grain breads. It's something I'm hoping to move into in the coming weeks. I usually stop at about 80% whole grain, but I'm looking to start incorporating soakers so I can work my way toward a 100% whole grain loaf that still has a great texture.

>>5071918
Don't underestimate the power of high hydration in generating a wide open crumb.

>>5071922
Let's be dirty together, then. The oven spring can be attributed to a number of things, like proper proofing, super hot oven temp (550F + convection for the first 2-4 minutes, then down to 450-475F + convection until done), long preheat times, killer stone for optimal heat transfer, copious steam, etc.

>>5071941
Sounds great. Slow bread is good bread.

>>5071922

It looks like lacquered wood with corn starch on it. Gives me the vibe of fake food they have in model houses.

>>5071958
>550F + convection
>tfw no convection oven and it tops out at 450

damn you GE

>>5071979
That's because it's actually made out of styrofoam. I don't actually know how to bake bread.

>>5072049
450F without convection will still crank out some killer bread.

>>5071958
>bread
>toomuchstuff6.jpg

NEIN!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MLry6Cn_D4

You can never have too much in your bread. You just need the correct recipe.

>>5072049
Drill a small hole in the side/back of your stove and DIY in a metal-bladed fan. The fan off an old microwave with a coupler, longer shaft, and metal blade works wonders for turning an old oven into a hot air baking Juggernaut. All it does is stir the air in the oven, it doesn't vent in air from outside. The hole is only large enough for the shaft.

>>5072874
.. that picture confuses me.

I baked Taiwanese bread today. I'm waiting for it to cool while I workout my legs and fudge around online.

>>5072874
So fucking disgusting.

>>5072874
>got chili in the bread and chili to dip the bread in chili in Chile chili.

>>5072874
I have to be honest with you. While I'm glad you're having fun making bread, that just grosses me out. To each their own, though!

>>5072894
I'm not entirely sure I know what Taiwanese bread is, but I'm assuming it's a sweet milk loaf of some kind?

Oh yeah, and I forgot the bread I just pulled out of the oven. I got super lazy with the slash pattern, and the two boules opened up very irregularly. I still think they look cool, even if it wasn't intentional.

>>5073969
I'm not sure what you mean, but it uses milk, yes. It's somewhat similar to challah or a less buttery brioche. It's a bit sweet, but not overwhelmingly so.

Here's my recipe:

strong flour
1,5% salt
1,67% milk powder
2% active dry yeast
33% water roux
16% egg
10% honey
10% cream
10% milk
10% butter

I use the no-knead method for it because I have no upper body strength and lack an orbital mixer. I use a 12 hour preferment and 4 hour rise.
Brush with reconstituted egg white (I make my own egg white powder) and bake.
180°C, door closed.
It also makes very, very good hamburger buns.

>>5074039
Oh, should I post a picture of the bread?

>>5071649
That looks like a watermelon left in a tanning bed.

I'm trying to get into bread making. I have a levain pretty much going on(first day of massive raising and smell), and can't wait to try sourdough.

Have you ever tried making your own levain? how long is it till my levain is good for bread when it is started from scratch? I have successively lactofermented other things before(mostly saurkraut) but my levain is making me anxious.

>>5074117
And how long did the sauerkraut take you before it got sour? That's about how long the starter will take.

>>5074149
i shoved it in a Mason jar and waited a month. i'm guessing levain doesn't take this much time.

>>5074158
You might be surprised. It took me about three weeks to get mine started.
You can get a fake-me-out one going with active dry yeast that takes only a few days.

Just made a batch of honey bread.
Take large bowl and add:

4.5 tsps active dry yeast
2.5 cups warm water
.5 cup honey

Mix and let sit for about five or so minutes, then add a .5 cup of butter, followed by 4 cups of unbleached white flour, and salt to taste (usually around a tsp or so); mix until smooth.

Add 4 more cups of flour and mix until dough forms. Dump out onto floured surface and kneed until firm and elastic (5-8 minutes).

Grease/oil bowl and plop dough ball in; flop once. Let sit for an hour. Punch dough down and cut into three portions. Form into log shapes and drop each into a lightly greased standard bread pan. Cover again and let rise for half an hour more.

Bake in oven at 375F for 22-28 minutes, or until golden brown; lightly oil the unbaked loaves after they have rested with olive oil, for more firm crust.

Enjoy delicious and easy bread.

I also like to make honeynut bread balls for eating on the go, if there's any interest I'll explain how to make those.

I just made a couple loaves of english muffin bread. Fantastic as toast with some jam in the morning.
>>5074192
I would love to hear about your delicious balls.

>>5074039
>>5074041
Yeah, sounds like a very typical Japanese/Taiwanese/Korean/Filipino bread. Always tasty. Post a photo.

>>5074117
I've made 4 levains myself in the last 5 or so years. A levain that can double within 4 hours of feeding is pretty much ready for use. It is my experience that once a new levain is to that stage, doing twice daily feedings for another week really produces a strong and mature starter.

From the first mixture of flour and water, it usually takes 3-5 weeks to reach full maturity. You can get away with baking with it at about 3 weeks, but another couple weeks of regular feedings really improves the levain's performance and flavor.

>>5071649
dafuq your formula makes 243.6%

what are you doing?

>>5074212

Cut this recipe down to 1/3 of its original size.

Follow steps up until you're ready to drop into bread pan.

Once you reach that stage, take 1/2 cup of walnut bits(I take walnuts that I've either shelled myself, or bought as halves, and break them into smaller pieces), and 1/2-3/4 cup of dried cranberries/cherries. Dump both into the bowl with the punched down dough, and work the new ingredients into the dough.

Then, cut the dough up into 6-8 roughly equal sections, form into balls, and let rest for thirty minutes on a lightly oiled/greased sheet pan.

Bake at 375F for 16-20 minutes.

Enjoy.

>>5074223
Read thread, genius. Bakers %

>>5074223
read the thread

>>5074237
dont bitch at me, that shit loaf looks disgusting lol

>>5074240
Post loaf fuccboi

>>5074217
>Japanese bread
No. Japanese bread is much, much softer. This is soft, but not like those the texture is a bit different. Japanese bread seems much more like cake to me than bread. Yeast-leavened cake, sure, but cake nonetheless. Anyway, I took some pics and will post them in a sec.

>>5074290
Top-side.

>>5074304
>>5074290
Side. I ate two thirds of the loaf today. I'm such a bread hog.

>>5074310
>>5074304
>>5074290
Crumb. Japanese bread is more thread-like inside. Taiwanese bread is more... well... bread-like.

What's a good mixer for someone looking to start baking bread on a regular bases? Oh and some good reading material?

>>5074356

If you're new to baking, and want something that's hard to fail, try these:

>>5074192
and
>>5074192

>>5074364

second link was supposed to be this:

>>5074229

>>5074356
Kitchen-Aid is good, if you allow it to rest every five minutes of continuous work.
Country white might be your best bet for a first try bread. Second? Pane cafone, south Italian "peasan't bread" which was popularised by the New York Times as "no-knead bread" in the late noughties.
If you don't buy a mixer, pane cafone should be your first bread as it's a very easy one to put together, but with a mixer, country white would be even easier (might be impossible without one). It uses three leavening agents: biological, chemical and physical in the form of yeast, soda and steam. It makes for an odd-tasting, yet delicious loaf and takes about 2 hours from dry goods to finished bread , 3 hours if you count cooling.

just quit my job at a sourdough bakery. fuck that joint yewwww

happy to not be baking vrry much at the moment.

Anyone got a recipe for French Batard?

Just pulled my first batch of brioche out of the oven. Probably going to us them for some boigahs tonight.

Attempted making bread for the first time today. The shape came out uneven, but other than that it was good. I used only all-purpose flour because that was all I had on hand.

Sorry for low quality picture

>>5074529
Sourdough is god tier. Nigs don't like yeast cultures? Fuck em

>>5074704
Those look good.

>>5075070
looks good. whats wrong with a shape?

next time cut the line on the surface and let it stay 5 longer before dropping into jew home.

>>5071814
Thanks, I assumed when someone said "baker's %", it was a joke like 13 is a baker's dozen. Had a good laugh, but glad to know the actual makeup.

Also, I know I am going full retard here, but what does it mean to "bulk retard".

>>5075454

It's not "bulk retarding", it's "sourdough bulk" (aka dough) "retarding in the fridge".

Retarding in this case means cooling the dough down in order to slow down the effects of the yeast. Lowering the temperature reduces the metabolism of the yeast which slows down (retards) the fermentation. It also slows down any other chemical reactions taking place in the dough, not just the action of the yeast.

>>5074356
A good mixer to start is a KitchenAid Professional. Just be careful; try to avoid doing low hydration doughs, kneading for long periods of time, and overloading the mixer capacity. Never knead higher than speed 1.

Books I would suggest are The Bread Baker's Apprentice, Tartine, and Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes. The Bread Bible might also be of interest if you'd prefer a more casual introduction to the hobby.

>>5074704
>>5075070
Looks good.

>>5075454
Bulk retarding is a great way to slow fermentation, allowing the gluten to fully hydrate, and for enzymes to work some magic to improve flavor. It also can make sourdough breads more sour. I rely on it all the time, both because it gives me greater control over when I bake bread and because it produces a really great product.

The first loaf I baked that I am truly satisfied with, also 4th 3rd try. Nothing crazy, sponge starter with %5 whole wheat flour and rest is all bread flour, %62.5 hydration. Slashing could have been better though, they are either too deep or not deep enough, I couldn't figure it out yet :D.

>>5075781
Whoops, forgot the pic like a retard.

>>5075708

The head of my Kitchenaid Classic Plus is wobbling whenever I'm mixing/kneading anything that is decently thick, like cookie dough or whole-wheat dough. I've tried the set screw thing and it wasn't loose at all. The paddle/hook also is not striking the bottom of the bowl at all. Is there something I'm missing or is this just something that I have to live with when I buy the lower-end models?

>>5071799

>>5075708
>Bulk retarding

I think he meant, how do you exactly bulk retard not what bulk retarding does.

>>5075934
Your sister = bulk retard

Just got my first bag of yeast delivered from Amazon. Never wasting money on a jar at the grocery store again, or god forbid, a packet.

>>5078158
Costco, Sam's, etc sell dry yeast in 1lb vacuum sealed packages. If you've already got a membership at one of those places or know someone who does, you can save on shipping costs. PS, I store my active/instant dry yeast in a tightly sealed glass jar in the freezer to slow down spoilage.

>>5078195

I have my ready-to-use amount in a small jar in the fridge and I keep the rest in a freezer bag in the freezer.

that feel when you sour started dies because of being away on holiday

>>5072775

>>5079619

Just feed it. It's nearly impossible to permanently kill a starter. There's tons of stories of people finding old, crusty, dried up starters in the back of their fridges and successfully reviving them.

making this today (-12 F)
should warm up the house

I add a cup of dried cranberries
cake is delicious!

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/honey-cake-recipe

>>5079738
Just ate a piece, warm from the oven sprinkled with confectionery sugar.

This cake and coffee treats your taste buds like a boss!

>>5080159

pics pls

>>5079738
>>5080159
I made for my girlfriend last month for Christmas. Along with giving her gifts.

It was fucking amazing, it was so insanely good.

>>5075226
yeah. hopefully i can find a bakery that makes bread of similar quality, but working with neckbeards was taking it's toll

life's wayyyy too short to have a job put pressure on yr girlfriend, social life, etc.

>>5081257

I'd love to get a job in a bakery while I'm waiting to get into grad school. I unfortunately don't have any professional baking experience, though I did work in a hospital kitchen for a bit. Have any tips?

>>5079624
>>5079708
I have revived near-dead starters many times. Unless they're growing something terrifying, they're probably capable of being resuscitated with a handful of good feedings.

>>5081257
Good luck finding a bakery job that's not stressful. I'm sure you know the drill by now.

>>5081267
Just go work. Bakeries are like kitchens: cold call some chefs and offer to work as the low man, then climb the ladder.

>>5081369

Do you think it would be worth getting a start in a grocery store bakery? It's the only thing within walking distance (._. )

>>5071649
when I saw your thumbnail I thought is was a stainless steel potato cooker, to replace foil when you bake potatoes in the oven. Now that i've said that, I want to make one

Just pulled a couple of bag-wets from the oven.

>>5081654
>dat color
You're gonna open one of those and take pics, right?

>>5081691

I gotta let'em cool, anon!

But yes. I'm probably actually going to cut one open early.

SUE ME.

>>5081703
>SUE ME
Ok. I require those two loaves.

>>5081654
>>5081703

I'm no crumb expert and this is only my second baguette batch ever. What do you guys think?

>>5081726
Could have had bigger holes but still looks pretty good to me, continue to apply butter and devour.

>>5081406
Start wherever you want. I'm not sure how much in-house work your grocery store bakery does. Some just take premade dough from a central commissary and bake it on site. You'd learn some, but not all, of how a bakeshop works in a place like that.

>>5081726
If we're talking true baguettes, I would expect a more open crumb structure and a very different crust. With that said, all bread is good bread. Try slashing vertically and at a 30 degree angle, it will create a more attractive bloom. Also, increase your hydration to 80%+ and cut any fat sources. That should give you the open crumb and crust that baguettes are known for. In truth, a baguette is probably one of the most difficult to perfect. I'm still chasing the dream, and make them once a month. I'm never happy with the results.

>>5082385
Here's some more.

>>5082385
>>5082388
>pointy ends
for what purpose?

>>5082393
Pleasing your mom's throbbing breadhole.

>>5082717

Score.

>>5071821
fuck i wanna eat your bread

>>5082385

>cut fat

The recipe had a bunch of oil in it. I'll try cutting that out and upping the water. Thanks FF.

>>5075708
>>5074356

i gave this link out last week for the bread bakers apprentice.

http://24.213.23.61:8080

>>5071649
What is the point of retarding, other than slowing down how long the dough takes to prove? I don't know if it's mostly a current trend with sourdough but I know a lot of trad bakers have never retarded a dough in their lives, including sourdough.

>>5074356
>What's a good mixer for someone looking to start baking bread on a regular bases?
If you're serious about on a regular basis then NOT a Kitchen Aid. They're overpriced as hell for something so underpowered.

All that stuff about being careful with low-moisture doughs, not kneading for long periods of time and never kneading higher than speed 1, that sound like a "professional" product to you? And the lower-tier models are worse.

Read comparisons between them and a Kenwood Chef, which has a motor over twice as powerful as even the more expensive domestic model, for 1/2 the price or even a little less if you're lucky.

>>5082388
Thats breaddy good, not easy on the eye but I like em that way anyway.

Are you using pate fermentee or another starter?

>>5081369
thanks man, i hope everything works out. I'm in hong kong seeing family at the moment but need to get back on the job hunt soon

baking is something that has me feel kinda conflicted. i kind of have this image of myself as a slacker and could probably stay unemployed and reasonably happy forever if that was a tenable life position, but there is a deep feeling of satisfaction when you churn out hundreds of loaves of delicious and desirable bread.

I'm just hoping I hated the place I worked at and not everything that comes with the job, sigh.

You worked as a baker for a long time, yeah? I think I saw you mention you did this for a living in a previous post. How did you deal with stuff like the weird hours and the stress that comes with a job that goes to absolute shambles when someone makes an innocent mistake?

I hate to be the typical angsty early adulthood type but it's a lot for me to figure out.

>>5082966
Mostly just to manage doughs. In a retail baking setting, you don't want too many doughs to be ready at once, as this will lead to bread sitting there waiting for oven time and becoming overproved.

>>5082966
>What is the point of retarding, other than slowing down how long the dough takes to prove? I don't know if it's mostly a current trend with sourdough but I know a lot of trad bakers have never retarded a dough in their lives, including sourdough.

Two factors are at work, yeast and enzymes. Yeast eat sugar and produce equal parts CO2, C2H5OH (ethanol), and . At fridge temperatures yeast acts more slowly, resulting in more yeasty flavor byproducts.

Meanwhile, these things called enzymes are tearing apart the complex starches in the dough, converting them to simple sugars which brown more, taste better, and are more easily digested by yeast.

>>5082966
>What is the point of retarding, other than slowing down how long the dough takes to prove? I don't know if it's mostly a current trend with sourdough but I know a lot of trad bakers have never retarded a dough in their lives, including sourdough.

Two factors are at work, yeast and enzymes. Yeast eat sugar and produce equal parts CO2, C2H5OH (ethanol), and traces of other flavorful compounds. At fridge temperatures yeast acts more slowly, resulting in more yeasty flavor byproducts.

Meanwhile, these things called enzymes are tearing apart the complex starches in the dough, converting them to simple sugars which brown more, taste better, and are more easily digested by yeast.

It also gives your schedule flexibility.

>>5082966
>>5083941

Also, in sourdoughs the lactobacillus bacteria operate better at lower temperatures than the yeast, resulting in more souring in the loaf without overproofing.

Can I make sourdough starter from storebought (Pillsbury) whole wheat flour?

i didn't make it, but i was recently given some pumpernickel

what could i do with it? and what's the best i could but between two slices

Just wondering
What do you guys do with this bread?
Make sandwiches?
And do you use bread makers or do it in the oven?

>>5084288

You sure can. Mix in some water, cover with a bit of plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place. The only flours which are really poor for making starters out of are bleached flours which have killed off a great deal of the natural yeast that resides on wheat.

>>5084764

I mixed it with some pineapple juice, as advised by some dude on The Fresh Loaf.

>>5083068
I'm not sure I could tell you what I used for those, but it's likely a poolish preferment since the dough was probably somewhere around 80% hydration. Baguettes are one of those things that I can make all day in a fully stocked bakeshop, but can't seem to get right at home. I'm not sure what the issue is, but it's not a big deal since it makes delicious bread all the same.

>>5083074
I worked at an artisan bakery out of culinary school, but then switched back over to the culinary side of things for a handful of years. When I went back to undergrad for food chem, I did a fair amount of research in a cereal science lab where we baked bread all day every day. I've since left the food industry altogether in search of something more challenging, but I do R&D consulting for a few production bakeries to pay the bills.

In truth, I like the weird hours and no-bullshit work ethic of the food industry. The key is to be really passionate about what you're making. If that's how you feel, then none of the other stuff really matters.

>>5084742
I give away a lot of it. In general, the wife and I eat 2 loaves of bread per week, and everything else is gifted to friends and family.

>>5085099

Neat. Well I do appreciate all the help you've offered to us anons. Thanks for sharing all dat knowledge.

When you guys post what you made your bread out of, it seems like nobody uses gluten flour. Why is that? Isn't it helpful for breads that aren't pure whitebread?

This fucking thread, man. I need me a fine loaf of bread to eat.

>vegan food

>>5073979
>Japanese characters on top left bread
>weeaboo bread
10/10 would still eat

Any useful tips or info to pass on for someone who's about to start a job as a baker?

It's a 6 day work job, but I feel I could take it though since I'm kinda into cooking, but I've never baked anything before, what am I in for?

This thread is fucking great. Techniques, tips, recipes. My bread has been okay in the past, but it will be great from here on. Thanks anons.

>>5086241
Just prepare to be everyone's bitch and you'll be fine.

>>5083941
Thanks man.

Should have expressed my appreciation earlier: 10/10 thread dude. Big kudos for being willing to answer all the dumb/not so dumb questions.

>>5071649
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM motherfucker. I just made an amazing BLT with homebaked sourdough, mine was a little lighter colored than your pic OP

>>5071958
just remember, whole grain doesn't mean healthy

>>5075070
try to roll it out evenly and don't bake it with any finger imprints as this will cause it to fall while baking, for a beginner I'd suggest getting a bread pan. Other than that, as long as you're ok with the uneven-ness, it looks good to me

Just starting to get into baking breads and whatnot and I was looking at getting a Dough-Joe baking stone. Yea? Nay? Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance for the advice.

>>5087740
The use of stones vs pans is really up to personal preference. When looking for a stone, you want one that is at least 3/8" (a bit over 1 cm) thick and large enough to bake all the bread you want to make at once but small enough to fit in your oven.

>>5087744
They are advertised as being 3/4 inches thick and have two sizes the 12 x 18 inch which is cut into 4 stones or the 15 x 18 inch cut into 5 stones.

http://www.amazon.com/Dough-Joe%C2%AE-Pizza-and-Baking-Stone/dp/B004ZLY3US

>>5086143
I use vital wheat gluten all the time.

>>5086223
Hahah, unintentional weaboo bread. That's what happens when you don't slash evenly and the loaf has a ton of oven spring.

>>5086241
Don't fuck up. Ever.

>>5086723
It's not about health. It's about trying new things.

>>5087740
One word: FibraMent.

How the fuck do you guys get windowpane on high hydration doughs? I always end up with like 50% because it's just a sticky shaggy unworkable mess otherwise.

>>5085099
yeah, the main thing i like about working at a bakery is the honesty of the work, like bread is objectively good or bad, and if you are lazy it kind of shows.

hopefully i can keep baking man, thanks for the words of wisdom

(p.s your loaves are beautiful)

>>5088362
If no mixer, there is a method called stretch and fold which takes longer but doesn't involve more work, just waiting, look it up on thefreshloaf.com, also there is another method that I use because it is theraupeutic, and that is lifting that mess up and slamming it hard on the counter, folding and doing it again, I don't remember the name but it is a lot of fun.

>>5088362
Also people suggest oiling your counter and hands but I am not gonna do that because
1. Sticking to the counter actually helps kneading
2. Ewww..

How do you get those line patterns on your loaves?

>>5089526
Google brotform, or banetton. Thats basicly a wicker basket you proof dough in, and they help quite a lot when working with high hydration doughs so its not just for pretty lines.

Just got an interview at a local bagel shop set for monday at 3:00. Retty excited, since the shifts start at 4:00 am and they don't open until 7:00. I look forward to just baking a fuckton of bagels and not having to interact with shitty customers.

>>5075070

Just subbed in bread flour for my chocolate chip cookies. I usually use AP flour. What can I expect?

>>5071799

Basically after you do your kneading and proofing shape your bread loafs and let the loafs themselves proof for a good 30 minutes. That should improve your bread.

>>5090687
If you had a good deal of fat in the recipe, you shouldn't notice much difference because fat fucks with gluten somehow, maybe someone can explain the details, so they will be breaddy good but they won't be bready. Thats my guess, though.

>>5090343

Ex-Baker here:

I used to do the bagels and doughnuts at a bakery and the early shift was always my favorite. I'd put on my headphones and rock out to Black Sabbath as I did my work with no interference. Went home as customers arrived. Most days didn't have to talk to anyone - it was great.

>>5090343
That sounds like it would be a really nice job. How much will they start you at if you get it?

>>5091220
That sounds so fucking awesome.

>tfw work at a baker
>tfw you can get as much bread/pastry every day that you could ever want

Truth be told, I'm kinda sick of it by now.

And I can't even touch 'regular' bread you buy in stores now.

;_;

>>5088362
Hey, if you're dealing with a pretty wet dough, ie 70-80% hydration, and you don't have a stand mixer, several 'high powered' (250 watt) $20-30 hand mixers come with weird little dough hooks that actually do a pretty decent job. Or, if you've got a food processor of an appropriate size, they're actually pretty good at kneading dough, too.

edit: jesus fuck these captchas are ridiculous. I no shit just did like twenty in a row and seem to have mistyped them all. Cocksuckers.

God, I wish this thread would die. Every time I see op's pic it turns my stomach. That bread looks like a desiccated watermelon blown by flies with tiny maggots just starting to emerge. An unrelated pic just so this thread will reach the limit.

>>5091348
lool you are very funny and smart :)

I'm new to bread but this is rye and whole wheat with some coffee and a bit of cinnamon in it. I think I added too much coffee because it was a little bitter. Still tasted cool, though.

Also I ordered the bread bakers apprentice and it's in the mail but I watched the guy's ted talk and he's kind of a goober.

>>5091373

Peter Reinhart is god-tier. That book will teach you a ton about baking.

>>5091220

You are only making my erection harder for this job.

>>5091290

No idea yet, definitely going to find out at the interview. If it's anything above $8 an hour and they give me around 25 hours per week I'll get to quit my shitty job I have right now. I think most people consider baking as sort of a "special skill" position so I'm hoping for at least a bit above minimum wage.

>>5091324

I'm kind of worried about this. All dose carbs.

Danish rye bread.

>>5092062
At what point does something stop being bread and become baked porridge?

>>5090687

They were oatmeal chocolate chip. Pic related is the result. Cookie balls.

For reference, with AP flour they normally look like "normal" cookies with a 3-4" spread or so. I even threw these in for an extra two minutes.

>>5092305
looks like my banana oats cookies.

>>5092329

Yes, very similar. Do you use bread or AP flour? For reference, this is my recipe:

Yields 24 Cookies

Ingredients:

150 grams all-purpose flour (bread flour will result in cookie "puffs")
1 gram baking soda
1 gram baking powder
5 g kosher salt
115 g (one stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
80 g granulated sugar
70 g packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
170 g semi sweet chocolate chips
100 g rolled oats

Directions:


In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter, granulated sugar,
and brown sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla,
beating well to combine. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in
the chocolate chips and rolled oats.

Chill in refrigerator for 24 hours.

Scoop 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls and place onto
prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 9 minutes at 350F, or until golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes
before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

>>5092347
my recipe attached. All purpose (white but not bleached) flour.

>>5092358

Hm. I wonder if your lack of spread is due to using shortening instead of butter, and mine is due to bread flour.

>>5092388
probably. The shortening also isn't creamed with the sugar.

They come out as dense tasty cake-like cookies.

>>5071649
OP, your bread-baking stuff is very inspiring. Any advice for someone attempting a croissant recipe for the first time? Or any pointers in regards to laminated dough in general?

>>5092472
Keep everything cold and be patient. There's an America's Test Kitchen episode where someone makes croissants and I think it takes her like half of a day because she sticks the dough in the freezer in between most steps.

>>5071649
You're a pretty cool guy OP, what with answering all these questions in the thread.

Do you have a list of recipes / good website that have them / good book to start with?

>>5092554

See:

>>5075708

>Books I would suggest are The Bread Baker's Apprentice, Tartine, and Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes. The Bread Bible might also be of interest if you'd prefer a more casual introduction to the hobby.

>bake loaf of whole wheat bread
>let it do final rise in slightly warm oven in a loaf pan
>looks great
>take it out to pre-heat oven
>it immediately deflates into a whole wheat brick

Why does this happen? The flavor is still good, it just becomes really dense.

>>5092770
>whole wheat brick

As it should. Baking with nothing but whole wheat is asking for trouble unless you're doing somehting like >>5092062

>>5092775
really? could you explain why? just curious to know a little bit of the science behind the different types of flour

>>5092998
Whole wheat contains all parts of the wheat kernel (endosperm, germ and bran) whereas regular/white wheat flour contains only the starchy endosperm. The endosperm contains the majority of the protein and thereby gluten. Gluten gives the dough its elasticity which helps "trapping" the air produced by fermentation.

Since whole wheat flour also contains the germ and bran the gluten content is lower. Also studies show that bran releases gluten-weakening compounds.

Not many rye bread lovers here.

>>5093256
I love it, dude

I love rye bread, I'm even thinking about buying a machine to make it.

>>5081654

About to bake another one of these. I've made higher hydration dough to try to get an airier crumb, but what about the crust? I've heard I should throw a cup of ice into the oven and that will help out. Is this advisable?

>>5093397
Why would you do that?

>>5095125
Use boiling water and be careful not to burn yourself.

>>5095153

>boiling water

At what point should I put it in if I'm baking for 35 minutes at 375?

>>5092472
Be patient. Croissants are a bitch without a dough sheeter on hand.

>>5092770
Overproofed.

>>5095157
You should be baking high hydration lean doughs at 475F-550F. Throw the boiling water into a pan that has been preheating with the rest of the oven when you place the dough on the stone.

>>5095404
>You should be baking high hydration lean doughs at 475F-550F. Throw the boiling water into a pan that has been preheating with the rest of the oven when you place the dough on the stone.

Aw fuck. Oh well, always next time I guess. Thanks for the info.

>>5095404
>>5095416

Sorry for the double post, but how should I adjust the baking time if I'm bumping to heat up to around 500F?

any one interested in some professional advice? German master baker reporting in.

>>5095534

Answer this pls:

>>5095435

>>5095548
baking time depends on loaf size, heat capacity of your oven, how much steam you're having and how ripe the dough is. as a rule of thumb a baguette should be done after round about 26-30min. rolls should be fine after 18-22min. get a thermometer and check the inside temperature of the loaf and once it reaches 95-97°C you are done.

>>5095570

Gotcha, thanks.