Really crusty bread

I read a post about Daring Bakers: Dutch Crunch Rolls and wondered how it would be a full loaf of bread vs. the rolls. The recipe is here http://korenainthekitchen.com/2012/03/27/daring-bakers-dutch-crunch-rolls/ for rolls the bread recipe is http://baking-jds.blogspot.ca/

none the less here is my results on two white with wheat loaves.

 

 

If you ever wanted a really crusty finish to to your loaves and tried different methods of coating the crust, milk, water etc., then this is the way to go! Soft crumb interior and crunchy almost cracker like crust, reminiscent of a crusty Italian bread. The only thought I had was if there was an alternate method of getting the crust, as the recipe for the slurry like frosting that’s applied to the bread just before baking calls for yeast, a tablespoon. I used 1/2 the topping recipe and substituted potato starch instead of the required rice flour (it’s supposed to be  a non glutinous flour). To me that’s  a lot of yeast for just the small amount of topping and would try in the future different combinations. Why the yeast if it doesn’t really rise at all?

Aside from that, an awesome impressive crusty loaf …..

flatbread revisited

Flatbread is versatile. it can be more adaptable than a slice of a loaf bread since it call be more readily rolled and wrapped around it’s content.

 

A standard bread dough recipe (for two loaves). After one rise divided into 16 portions.

The dough is so workable that a bit of oil is all that is needed on the counter top and rolling pin.

 

Usually right after rolling, I cook them. This time I left them to rise under kitchen towels for a more thicker softer  bread.

  

Instead of baking the flats, I like to cook them on a cast iron griddle, it’s faster and you don’t have to shuttle them in and out of the oven due to their quick cooking time.

   

Extra points and flavor if you have seeds, this time, some sesame, some poppy, and some without.

The high heat of the griddle produces a toasted, mottled effect on the air pockets that form when the dough cooks on the griddle.

With a supply of flatbread, just about any filling/ingredient will suffice for a quick meal.

Multi Grain Tortilla

Bread wise today something for breakfast that’s light and fast, no rising times involved. Like a flour tortilla.

Gathered up the grains for a flour tortilla, on hand, some white all purpose flour, corn masa, wheat flour and corn meal.

So about 1 and 1/4 cups white flour in the bowl, with what’s left in the bag of masa probably about 1/8 cup, now you see where this is going.

Add about a handful or less whole wheat pastry flour and a slight amount of corm meal for crunch. Mix together in the kitchen aid with the whip.

Drop in some shortening less than a tablespoon, just enough to give it some fat content. Incorporate it in with the whip like your making a pie crust.

Pour small amounts of water, oh, switch to the paddle on the mixer, and water the multi grain crumble till it clings together, I like mine a bit on the moist side.

Divide into 8 balls. Prepare the rolling surface with corn meal and with the marble roller, roll the balls out into thin into circular shapes. 

These came out to

be roughly 8 inches or so.   

At this point they came be refrigerated, frozen, or in this case I grilled 2 slightly for stuffing.

By the way my tortilla press is out of service, the wooden hinge broke when applying pressure to make a tortilla, so It’s back to the basement hacker lab for revision 2.01

See Multi Grain Cheese and Veggie Tortilla

Multi Grain Cheese and Veggie Tortilla

You don’t really need a recipe for this but I wanted to post something and take some pictures using a mini tripod on the camera.

Use some Multi Grain Tortillas, I cooked some slightly in a large skillet, both sides. Now raid the fridge for some ingredients, this morning just veggies, I decided to skip the meat.

( I didn’t have the camera set for close ups)

It ends up chopped, red and green bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic, American cheese. Since this is kind of bland for my taste, and I’m skipping the hot pepper by the way, garnish with herbs and seeds I utilized fresh sage, since I have an abundance, fresh oregano, some cumin seed and dried dill and celery seed.

Like I said zip it up as you wish with the ingredients. Salt and pepper is a given. roll it up !   (just an excuse to get my fat paws into the picture! must be the camera lens that make them look like that! )

 

 

Heat up the skillet to medium high and back off on the flame. In goes the tortillas and use another skillet to cover making sort of a stove top oven to bake the roll ups. About 10 minutes or so. (roll them over about 1/2 way through).

Go back to the fridge for some garnish, They really need some dipping sauce or other, I was fortunate to have some sour cream, just a dollop and a sprig of fresh parsley clipped from the countertop garden.

Coffee is the selected beverage pairing today, Since I roasted some Mexican organic last night and made some simple sugar syrup to sweeten the cup along with a spot of milk , that was the inspiration to go for something light after I drank the first cup.

Now that I’ve blogged them and eaten two, it feels like an appetizer, but unfortunately I have other things to do to keep my mind off of food, but then i have other meals to prepare later so I won’t have too cook during the week nights. 

Hershey’s Chocolate Cake Recipe

for file and reference:

Multi grain bread

 

(not a good focus on this picture)

 

1/2 cup wheat flour

1/2 cup rye flour

yeast (~4 teaspoons)

white flour (? cups)

sugar, granulated

salt

vital wheat gluten

 

Water ~2cups

honey

1 egg

sesame seeds

dill seed

 

For a multi grain, it was a light loaf, noticing the vital wheat gluten (4 teaspoons per loaf) gives a better rise, structure and crumb .The bread  seems to have an longer lasting texture even though most loaves are consumed within a few days.

shopping

September/October

LOCAL

just a few items purchased, this bakery is well stocked with many items and of course dairy products.

http://www.wrightsdairyfarm.com/

bakery items Wrights Dairy Farm, Woonsocket Rhode, Island

not pictured, cheddar cheese $14.00 per pound

milk

_____________________________________________________________________________________

also produce from Morris Farms, Warwick Avenue, Warwick Rhode island

They now also sell beef

Morris Farms link through farm fresh.org

 

other notes:

shopping from warehouse club

organic spinach 4.99

Botto Hot Sausage patties 4.5 lbs  $5.99

Strawberries 2lbs @ $4.99

whole milk $3.01/gallon

Also  peaches and apples from Bardens Farm, We missed the prime picking for peaches this year, practically all of the peach orchid was picked cleaned. Purchased 20 lbs B grade tomatoes ,processed into sauce and peeled and froze some whole for later use.

 

internet shopping:

Monterey bay spice /herbco.com

restocking items

sampling teas

 

SKU:	Product	Quantity	Price	Ext. Price
112	Sesame seed, natural Organic-Per Pound	1	$3.50	$3.50
1499-OUNCES	Cumin seed, whole-Per 1/4 Pound	1	$1.60	$1.60
816-OUNCES	Poppy seed, whole-Per 1/4 Pound	1	$1.40	$1.40
884-OUNCES	Celery seed, whole-Per 1/4 Pound	1	$1.16	$1.16
813-OUNCES	Ginger root, c/s-Per 1/4 Pound	1	$2.40	$2.40
467-OUNCES	Dill seed, whole-Per 1/4 Pound	1	$1.20	$1.20
1068-OUNCES	Caraway seed, whole-Per 1/4 Pound	1	$1.52	$1.52
1488-OUNCES	Cinnamon sticks, 6″ (50 sticks/lb)-Per 1/4 Pound	1	$1.60	$1.60
1833-OUNCES	Green tea (China), c/s-Per 1/4 Pound	1	$2.20	$2.20
383-SAMPLE	Green tea (Sencha), Organic-SAMPLE (4 servings)	1	$2.00	$2.00
2094-SAMPLE	Jasmine tea Organic-SAMPLE (4 servings)	1	$2.00	$2.00

Order Notes: None

SubTotal: $20.58 Shipping: UPS Ground $13.12 Tax: $0.00 Total:

 

Hodgson Mills

restocking grains, flours etc.

As I have been baking bread often, I vary the recipe using white ,wheat and rye flours and a variety of seeds.

The vital wheat gluten has improved the texture of the breads.

 

 

Semolina Pasta Flour-2LB. Product code : 71518-05040-001

each (1-2LB.)1$3.70 /EACH$3.70

Whole Wheat Couscous-11oz. Product code : 71518-00042-001

each (1-11oz.)1$2.10 /EACH$2.10

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour-2lb. Product code : 71518-05038-001

each (1-2LB.)1$3.10 /EACH$3.10

Whole Grain Flax Seed Product code : 71518-01011-001

each (1-16oz.)1$3.25 /EACH$3.25

Bulgur Wheat with Soy Grits-18oz. Product code : 71518-02422-001

each (1-18oz.)1$2.40 /EACH$2.40

Gluten Free Xanthan Gum Product code : 71518-02175-001

each (1-9g. pkg)1$0.45 /EACH$0.45

Vital Wheat Gluten w / Vitamin C-6.5oz. Product code : 71518-00810-001

each (1-6.5oz.)1$1.90 /EACH$1.90

Organic Whole Wheat Flour-2LB. Product code : 71518-05104-001

each (1-2LB.)1$3.55 /EACH$3.55

Sub total : USD $20.45 Shipping : USD $11.77 Total : USD $32.22

tortilla press

for some time I wanted to construct a tortilla press and having scrap wood at my disposal it was only a matter of time. Scanning the internet and getting an idea for one, I rounded up the scraps, cut and fashioned them for a basic press.  It was definitely  worth the time since rolling them out with a rolling pin is  a much slower process. It’s not pretty but functional and also makes making  flat bread an easy task. I’m also going to try it to make the pasta for stuffed manicotti. 

a curved piece of oak

from a chair back

was used for the handle

 

 

 

 

 

use plastic wrap on both sides of the dough

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                      freshly pressed

 

 

cook in a skillet

 

 

 

SHOPPING: Hodgson Mills

Having used white flour for quite some time as the warehouse club usually stocks two or three varieties some being a Con-Agra and King Arthur brand, I wanted to get more variety in the types of flour we use for baking. Doing some research, I decided to try Hodgson Mills as their prices and shipping seemed to be reasonable and at one place (website) I could get a wide variety of flours and grain products for baking. Hodgson Mills also offers a choice of organic flours and meals along with pasta products, cereal and mixes. One plus is that they offer a paper catalog by mail that I had received. Ordering through their website was fairly easy though their search engine didn’t give me any results when I typed in a product number and I used the paper catalog as a guide to order the products by the categories they are in. I placed the order via the web on 9/30/10 and received the confirming email with a notation that the UPS ground shipping would be 10-14 business days. On 10/04/10 the debit cleared through my bank. Hodgson didn’t provide a separate email for shipping confirmation or tracking number for the UPS delivery. On 10/15/10 the order was on my doorstep. consisting of the full order with no items back ordered.

Products:
Brown Milled Flax Seed,  quantity: 1, price: $2.55
Wheat Bran, Unprocessed (Millers Bran),  quantity: 2, price: $3.50
Multi Purpose Baking Mix,  quantity: 1, price: $2.55
All-Purpose, Unbleached Naturally White Flour,  quantity: 4, price: $15.00
White Corn Meal, Plain - 5 lb.,  quantity: 2, price: $7.10
Whole Grain Rye Flour - 2 lb.,  quantity: 1, price: $2.60
Whole Wheat Flour - 2 lb.,  quantity: 1, price: $2.60
Buckwheat Flour,  quantity: 1, price: $3.80
Active Dry Yeast,  quantity: 1, price: $1.00
Sub Total:   $40.70
UPS Ground 10-14 business days Shipping: $14.50

The flax seed, wheat bran and multi purpose mix are packaged in boxes and the other items (except yeast) come in the traditional paper flour type bag and all were in good condition shipped in two boxes with green packing peanuts. All of the packages provide recipes and/or info on the products, even on how Graham flour got it’s name. Hodgson Mills also offer some of their flour products in 2lb.,5lb and case quantities. Their web site also has numerous recipes. Most of the products are stone ground which is supposed to be superior to other types of milling.