Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2006 08:28:55 GMT -------------- BEGIN bread-bakers.v106.n006 -------------- 001 - lobo Subject: re: DRIED SOURDOUGH Date: Sun, 05 Feb 2006 21:15:37 -0700 I recently reconstituted sourdough that had been dried for 2 years. I had to add flour and water to it about 7 days in a row before it finally smelled right. It bubbled some right away, but smelled floury rather than yeasty. Eventually it took off and baked as good a loaf as any wet starter. : --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v106.n006.2 --------------- From: "Kyle" Subject: Maggie Glezer's Sourdough Challah Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2006 05:59:33 -0500 I find that bread recipes are more guideline than Gospel. I rarely use the exact amount of flour a formula calls for. Different kitchens have different levels of humidity. This will cause the amount of flour required to vary. The age of the flour also affects the amount of water it will absorb. You mention that you have existing starters. Did you convert the one you used to the same hydration she used in her starter? Maggie is a fan of relatively firm starters, 62-65%. All this said, when I tested this recipe I too had to add flour. I did not see big expansion in either the bulk fermentation or the proofing. I did get great oven spring and the finished bread had a nice open crumb. It can be seen here: http://www.kyleskitchen.net/collision_course.htm Hope this helps. KyleW www.kyleskitchen.net --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v106.n006.3 --------------- From: Maggie Glezer Subject: Sourdough challah help Date: Mon, 06 Feb 2006 12:46:21 -0500 Hi Adam, I AM a member of the list! Let's see if I can help you. About adding extra flour, are you weighing or measuring by volume? I would guess measuring with a cup, in which case all bets are off--there is just too much variation in how people measure a cup of flour. This is one of my favorite things to demonstrate in my hands-on classes--cups of flour can weigh anywhere from 120 g to almost 200 g depending on how they are added to the cup--a huge variation. If the extra cup worked with the way you measured, I wouldn't worry about it. But for the future, I highly recommend buying a cheap digital scale. Your baking will be faster, cleaner and much more accurate. About not getting volume, there are many possible reasons. Usually this is because the starter just isn't active enough. Does your firm starter quadruple in volume in 8 hours or less? If not, it's just not ready, even if you have been using it for years, and needs more refreshments to become fully active. My recipes use very little starter, so they require fully active starters. Also, since it's winter, you might not be giving the dough enough warmth to properly rise, it needs at least 70 degrees F, and does better at even higher temperatures. So you might need to find a warmer place for optimal performance. If you added too much flour, and the dough was too stiff, the starter might also have been slowed. The rule with starters is that the warmer and wetter the dough, the faster the rise (and the more mild the flavor, but that's a different topic). Another thought: what kind of salt did you use and how did you measure it? If you substituted kosher or sea salt, you might have added to much, which would have slowed the starter. Finally, if you added too much sugar or honey, you would have the same problem. It can be really hard to diagnose a problem, the symptoms are few and causes many. Let me know what you think might be the cause! All the best, Maggie --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v106.n006.4 --------------- From: "Gerald Ulett" Subject: Yeast Rolls & Freezing Date: Mon, 06 Feb 2006 10:26:00 -0800 My favorite roll recipe is using an ABM for making the dough and then shaping and oven baking. The recipe is at: http://bread.allrecipes.com/AZ/BreadMachineRolls.asp I have frozen them like Debunix sugested in the last transmission. They are great! Jerry Ulett --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v106.n006.5 --------------- From: "Gerald Ulett" Subject: Poulsbo Bread Date: Mon, 06 Feb 2006 10:40:47 -0800 Here in the Seattle Area we are able to buy Poulsbo bread in many of our grocery stores. It is a healthy, tasty, whole-grain bread with lots of fiber. The only recipes which I have found for it are for ABMs and always seem to turn out as bricks! The March & April issue of Cooks' Illustrated magazine has a non-ABM recipe for Multigrain Bread which is very much like the Poulsbo bread which I love. The recipe will be on their page in a few weeks at http://www.cooksillustrated.com/ If you don't subscribe to the page, you can use it on a trial basis. Try it. You'll like it. Jerry Ulett A 78 year old Weight Watcher who bakes in Seattle --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v106.n006.6 --------------- From: "Mary Fisher" Subject: Re: crunchy pizza & frozen rolls Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2006 21:22:52 -0000 "Barbara Ross" wrote: >Subject: RE: crunchier pizza crust >Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 12:12:11 -0500 > >I've been making my own pizza for years, but went to a King Arthur >training class and learned how to make the crust really crunchy. >First, the dough is made with a poolish. I'm not sure if that makes >a difference, but it's awesome. Then, and here's the trick, THE >DOUGH IS ROLLED OUT AND GOES ON THE PIZZA STONE FOR FIVE MINUTES >WITH NO TOPPINGS. Then you take it out, put on the toppings, and >put it back in to finish. The dough is crispy and thin and fabulous! I did that last night and the base was soggy in the middle - not your fault, I've only just read this! Mary Ansley wrote: >I am wanting to bake yeast rolls and would like a recipe that is not >too sweet, can be in the fridge, and possibly frozen. I have never >frozen bread before so any hints about when to freeze (before >baking, when partially baked, or after baking) would be appreciated. In my experience baked bread freezes wonderfully - I've done it for many years. I've never had the necessity to - or the guts to try - freezing dough or partly baked bread.. Mary --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v106.n006.7 --------------- From: Tarheel_Boy@webtv.net (Skallywagg ...) Subject: Amish Baked Pretzels Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 15:42:26 -0500 Aren't there some pretzel lovers on this list? If so, here's a Valentine's Day gift from Bob the Tarheel Baker... Amish Baked Pretzels 1/2 package or 1/4-teaspoon dry yeast 1 - 1/2 teaspoon sugar 2 cups flour Coarse salt 3/4 cup warm water 1/2 teaspoon Salt 1 beaten egg with 1 teaspoon water Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add the salt. Blend in the flour with a fork on floured board. Knead the dough until smooth. Pull off pieces of the dough about the size of golf balls. Roll into 14-inch ropes and twist into pretzel shapes (alphabet shapes are fun for young children.) Brush with the beaten egg and water; sprinkle with salt. Bake on a greased cookie sheets at 350F for 15 to 18 minutes. --------------- END bread-bakers.v106.n006 --------------- Copyright (c) 1996-2006 Regina Dwork and Jeffrey Dwork All Rights Reserved