baugette trek

Seems like we are on a at least 5 year mission, to go beyond where bread making has been , in search of the elusive baguette. You (tube) will be assimilated, resistance is futile. You will try , try and try again to conquer the making of the baguette.

This effort started with a you tube recipe from baguettes with Patrick Ryan.

This is essentially a double fermentation of dough, one added to the other done under refrigeration, you will be baking on day 3 as you let each fermentation go one day in length and bake on day three.

The theory is that the long fermentation builds flavor.

 I,m no stranger to this as I usually start any bread I make with a pre-fermention not just as long as this recipe states.

just some picture of my first 2 attempts

Batch One

Just 2 long baguettes

Batch ONE done

Didn’t really follow the exact measurements, not bad, top crust didn’t really open where scored, and generally a even brown crust on the top , not all crispy at the sides.

Baked at about 425 degrees F

The crumb soft with  moderate holes from the fermentation. Still for me a delicious meal in itself.

__________________________________ Batch Two_____________________________________

1/2 the recommended amounts again as I didn’t want to bakes as many as recipes dictates.

Even with the 1/2 of amounts the dough ended up dry, added more water at the final mix. The recipe states “strong bread flour” not sure if the would include all purpose flour. I would like to try this with double OO flour. I couched them in a floured towel.

 The first batch I baked in a curved bread pan  These are going directly on a tray.

Scored and already opening up. This batch we are going for full power to the oven.

“Scotty ! divert all power to the oven !” , “Aye Aye Captain, but I don’t know what this ol stove will take, she could blow at any moment! “

At this warp speed the bread only took about 9 minutes, in retrospect I should have let to go another 2 minutes the internal temp was 205 degrees of the bread at the finish.

Also we are fighting the fact we don’t have a steam injector oven available, but I did the ol baking pan in the oven trick and add water just before adding the bread. Maybe I could modify my espresso coffee maker to pump steam into the oven !!!

Better crust on these but the sides and bottom didn’t get to crust as the top did.

 Nicely brown fissures in the top

The bottoms and sides not as well done, soft.  It probably would be advantageous to have a bread stone in the oven or to lay out the loaves on pre heated sheet .  Maybe next time.

Crumb nice and soft but no large caverns that you expect with a french baguette type of bread. Top crust is what I want all over the loaf.

Again a rather close crumb structure than expected. Next batch will be definitely a wetter, softer dough.

Taste is good ,salty enough even without butter. Doesn’t take long for the bread to loose the crustyness and the right out of the oven texture.

As the mission continues,  will be baguette method be found or will I just be roaming the bread galaxy for the holy grail of the bread universe ? There are probably as many stories and recipes of how to accomplish this. Perhaps the only solution would be to set a course for France  Number One .  Captains log , Out.

 

Apple chocolate chip muffins

I believe this is from Bake or Break website , recipe modified

added some fresh ground spices not listed of course !

ground spices added

my new grated i was gifted for Christmas

 

not exactly a light muffin, the apples have a lot of moisture , but I needed some chocolate and fruit for dessert.

 

 

 

OK …..i made dough also, bread and rolls BC you can live on muffins alone !

 

 

spring roll pizza

I guess pizza toppings are unlimited……….

spring roll, less casing, from Sunshine Express

mushrooms, sliced

sauce, a combination of soy, hoisin ,fish, seasonings, a drop of hot sauce and shrimp paste.

Pizza shell is ready… brush with some of the sauce

add the spring roll contents (that’s not cheese)

add the mushrooms and more sauce

Into the oven…..

after baking sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds, cut and serve

recipe replicate II,

Back again, actually I made this recipe before the last posting…

again one from  myfavoritepastime.com  Buchty Dough Recipe

after sifting ingredients, make a well in the center and add milk and melted butter.

Start to mix the dough slowly as NOT to incorporate all the flour at this time. flick some of the flour over the mixture and let stand covered about 30minutes….kinda like the last recipe I posted…

The result  after 30 minutes

 

Gradually add the beaten egg, knead in the mixer about 8 minutes

knead for 8 minutes , the dough will come together

gradually add the beaten egg

Now for the usual, let stand covered for about an hour….

This time your going to divide into 16 sections….

Now you’ve got an 8 by 8 inch pan prepped, so fill it with the 16 formed balls of dough, with added butter brushed on.

An amazing rise !  Hungry already !

One variation of this recipe from the basic dough recipe is a either sesame or poppy seed filling, I opted for plain dough recipe with black sesame topping

after a bake time, browned and done

excellent crumb !

Fluffy pull apart goodness !

Broil, or toast test reveals the texture.

In comparison from the previous post, these are more a sweet bun (or bread type recipe). 1/4 cup sugar int he mix.

Deceivingly fluffy roll but with big flavor and thicker mouthfeel than anticipated. I guess the three eggs add a lot to the structure

Will definitely repeat this recipe with the sesame seed filling.

Here’s the ingredients, for brevity Ive left off the instructions

Ingredients

• 450g (1Ib, 3⅔ cups) all-purpose flour 
• 1½ teaspoons Fleischmann’s instant yeast
• 60g (¼ cup + 1 tablespoon, 2oz) sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 120ml (½ cup) warm milk
• 40g (3 tablespoons) butter, melted
• 3 eggs, beaten

BTW Buchty means small roll or cake.

beef stew pizza and ….

left over beef stew ! No problem !

sorta like stew with dumplings.

beef, potato, onion, cheese

Diane’s chicken BBQ pizza w/ onion

Apple Squares

A pie that turned into a bunch of squares. I was going to go for a pie but decided to spread the whole thing on to a sheet pan. I followed the dough recipe from the Cuisinart food processor by mixing the dough as directed and before it actually comes together, placing it plastic bags and squeezing it to a disk , then refrigerate for an hour. Butter was the fat utilized.

The apples were then prepped with fresh grated cinnamon, all spice,and nutmeg with both shaved solid brown sugar and granulated brown sugar. (and a touch of grated ginger root). To provide some structure bread crumbs were added also.

The dough rolled out very easy both top and bottom.

The squares ready to go, with a small one on the side.

Trimming into squares

Well, I went this far, so I added sugar and chocolate icing.

COFFEE?

 

PIZZA AGAIN ?

Probably about 3 times a month pizza is on the menu when making dough so often.

It’s pointless to post a recipe since there are an infinite number of variations.

usually different size shells are made

basically a do it yourselves toppings for the family members

Also a BYOP (bring your own pizza) here is a pizza for a Keto diet brought by a relative. I sampled it very tasty for a non wheat flour dough.

 

someone’s birthday celebration necessitated a cake and then some gaming.

 

and later, more gaming………………..

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE …pizza/bread outtakes

 

Irish Soda Bread

Shamrock time !  looking at some recipes I was going to make a popular posted Chocolate Potato cake but I switched to a more traditional Irish Bread. Glad I did , one of my better bakes as I have made soda bread before this combination had a very full taste.

It’s slightly modified from the recipe from Real Simple in these respects: 3 and 1/2 cups AP flour, 1 tablespoon buckwheat flour. The buttermilk substitute is simply whole milk with a tablespoon of white vinegar, let stand for couple of minutes. The rest of the recipe follows as directed with the exception of fluffing the raisins, let the raisins steep in boiling water for about 10 minutes, drain, toast the caraway seeds.

Oven set up for 350 degree

• 3 and 1/2 cups AP flour
• 1 tablespoon buckwheat flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon each of both baking soda and baking powder.

At this point, using a strainer sift the above several time to fully combine. Some of the kosher salt may remain in the strainer so empty into the flour mixture.

Now cut in as you would like a biscuit mix:

• 8 tablespoons of butter

to a crumbly type mix , then add :

• 1 cup raisins (steeped then drained, (or currents))
• 2 tablespoons caraway seeds (toasted if possible)
• 1 and 1/3 cups buttermilk (or whole milk with a splash of white vinegar)

Mix with a fork or with hands, turn out to floured counter top and knead about 10 times.

Form the shaggy mass to a 7 inch round about 1 and 1/2 inches in height.

Score the top deeply about 3/4 inch with a X pattern.

Bake @ lower middle rack seemed to work out, recipe recommended to shift position about midway through the bake, the oven seems to bake a bit faster so I downshifted to about 330 degrees when the bread went in the oven for about 50 minutes. I did take a temperature reading that indicated 200 degrees but I left in the about an addition 10 minutes as these moist type biscuit dough may have to go a bit further to insure a complete bake.

recommended serving with jam, but the best is sliced, toasted with whipped butter.

if you program in BPL Bakers Programming Language:

dim (array 1.105):

::{3 and 1/2 cups AP flour}{1 tablespoon buckwheat flour}{1 tablespoon sugar}{2 teaspoon kosher salt}{1 teaspoon each of both baking soda and baking powder. ::{}

..<>read array 1 to 5 to <string :;[dryingredients]>

“val004″= [1 tablespoon of butter]

`read “val004″+1”,`

`read` <read> if read :8 then (read :0 )| (break :next)

val (5); [dryingredients] {val004]

and so on…

 

 

 

 

Sliders

Grind time ! Course ground beef

Fire up the broiler.

Always seem to have a batch of dough around.

Ready for the burgers.

Three with onion and cheese one just cheese.

Does the stove need to be leveled? Melting the cheese !

Order is up !

Side of sweet potato slices baked with butter.

Happy 💓 Day

Chicken barbecue bacon 😼