This is my first loaf with the new technique, as well as my first attempt at bread that's neither rolls nor rolled up in a loaf pan. I think from the top it looks pretty good.
From the side, you can see it's "shortcoming" a little more. It was only about 3" tall. But, gloriously, the book comes with a troubleshooting guide...
Short, spread out bread: ✔
Really freaky-large holes: ✔
Delicious flavor, but with a texture a little too much like bagels for bread: ✔
Problem: Too much water/not enough flour.
This is not surprising, since the technique relies on a high-moisture dough, and I'm a total N00B at anything but cinnamon-swirl bread. Easily remedied, though, and I have enough dough remaining in the fridge for several more loaves. I'm looking forward to making another tomorrow. And then moving on to things like brioche and intentional bagels. Yum!
5 comments:
I carried that book around the bookstore for an hour the other day but didn't buy it! Do you like it? Is the method easy? I've been eyeing that book forever but I feel like it might be too much of an endeavor for my "after-7-PM" availability for cooking.....
How funny! I thought of you as soon as I saw the book - it really seemed like something you'd like. The method is super easy compared to traditional bread making. I'd say it took ~10 minutes total to mix up the bulk dough, then a 2 hour rise and then you refrigerate it until you are ready to use it, up to 10-14 days later. It takes about 5 minutes of total attention to make a loaf, but about 70 minutes of time at home. (1 minute to cut off a hunk of dough and shape it, let it rest 20 minutes, preheat your oven, 20 minutes later slash the top and stick it in the oven, 30 minutes later take it out to cool.) I think it would be fairly easy to incorporate the cooking into a morning or evening routine, and the dough making on the weekend) A bulk batch of dough seems to make 3-4 loaves.
I'd totally recommend the book, especially because you can use this bulk dough to make things like naan or pita that only take about 20 minutes (vs 70). I was drooling at the more specialty/ethnic section. C'mon, chocolate bread?? I'm sold!
(And, as a cousinly aside, I, too, walk around stores carrying things that I want but aren't "practical" enough ($- or idea-wise), and then wistfully put them back when my reasonable side wins out. I once did that with a can of pineapple in my very student-budget days.)
Hi, Becky-
Eric mentioned something about this bread when I saw him earlier in the week. It sounds interesting. Do you think it would work well in a dry climate like Lubbock? I know that sometimes my cookie bars don't come out as moist as they should, so I'd be concerned that the same might happen with the bread.
I think it should work okay. There's a troubleshooting guide in the book that tells you whether you need to bake it longer or shorter, more or less water, etc, and how to fix the bulk of the dough after you make your first loaf. My first dough was a bit wet because Maryland is wet and low, but I fixed it with the next batch, so yours would probably be dry since Lubbock is high and dry. I think that, relative to normal bread-making, this is so easy that it is worth a shot. Let me know if it works for you:)
I just now read your response. That is sad, I know. I think we are hilarious for carrying around our non-purchases. Steven likes when I make a list of grocery purchases, and he's always pushing me through the list -- "ok, what's next? Ground beef? Ok, cross that off, what's next? Is that it? Ok let's go." So much for the days of idly wandering the stores without a plan in place, carrying around pineapple, only to leave it behind. :)
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