BREAD baking

They don't talk about the Dutch oven/iron pot method in the book.
But they do have it on their website, here!:
http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=552
with some good instructions and photos!
One tip: they have you place your dough directly on the parchment paper. If you sprinkle the paper first with a generous amount of corn meal in an area twice the size of your dough ball,, the loaf won't stick/glue itself to the paper once it's done baking.

I've made a lot of loaves both on a stone with steam pan, and in an iron pot (covered only first half of baking). For great golden crispy crusts, the pot method wins hands down for me. :p

By the way, I got my book used on Amazon so I saved some 'dough' there. ;)

Oh sure.... NOW you tell me.

Those photos at the Dutch oven link are great. I did pretty much everything they said, except cook the whole thing at 450, covered. For what it's worth, the knob on my Le Creuset did just fine. Now I know for next time.

Has anyone made the herb bread with thyme and rosemary? I think I want to try that one next. Ought to be perfect for turkey sandwiches.

Martha

Bleeker: Those loaves were baked right after they rose. I rounded and let them sit 40 minutes. I turned the oven on 450 and had the stone in there for 30 minutes before I put the dough on. So it should have been warm enough and the dough wasn't cold at all. That's why I was thinking maybe slightly (like 425) lower the temp so it could stay in a little longer without the tops burning. I'm going to pick up the book tomorrow, I found a coupon for 25% off one item at Barnes and Noble:cool:

guess its time to go make some baugettes and get out the soft brie or goat cheese... A glass of white wine...

All those loaves of bread looks so good and the house is getting tad cold.

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Originally Posted by NoNo

Bleeker: Those loaves were baked right after they rose. I rounded and let them sit 40 minutes. I turned the oven on 450 and had the stone in there for 30 minutes before I put the dough on. So it should have been warm enough and the dough wasn't cold at all. That's why I was thinking maybe slightly (like 425) lower the temp so it could stay in a little longer without the tops burning. I'm going to pick up the book tomorrow, I found a coupon for 25% off one item at Barnes and Noble:cool:

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Ok, so knowing all that then....
I would leave the temp the same, but quickly open the oven door and lay a sheet of foil lightly over the top of the loaves for the last few min you plan on baking them longer. Lay the foil on right when the crust looks good to you....that will stop the tops from getting any browner. But leave the temp the same I'd say (especially since you just opend the oven) . Just my own 2 cents. Try both ways! :)

The foil method worked perfectly! It also protected my bread's brain from being read by aliens.

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._7720594_n.jpg

Sadly, I'm bringing that loaf into work tomorrow, but I do have a fresh batch of dough curing in the fridge, and I finally got my hands on the book! I think it's time to try something new...

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Originally Posted by NoNo

It also protected my bread's brain from being read by aliens.

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Always important! :D


Withm - I did the thyme/rosemary bread with the basic boule and it was amazing. My favorite variation so far!

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Originally Posted by GLC1968

How big is your mill that you need a 45lb bucket?! :eek:

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I buy bulk wheat berries in 45lb buckets. Un-milled, the berries are "alive" and will keep for years if they are kept dry and pest free. Processed flours, even the high quality varieties, are stripped of the most healthy nutrients to prolong their shelf life. The good stuff goes bad fast.

If you buy from a mill whose flour can sit on a shelf for more than a week and not go sour, they have processed out some of the vital nutrients.

I keep three varieties of wheat in 45lb buckets in my pantry. I buy some special varieties and other grains in 5lb pails. I also buy bulk honey for my bread. Next time I order I plan to get 45 lbs of Kamut as I have had such success with it.

I use an electric mill called the WonderMill and a huge capacity mixer called The Elecrolux Assistent. I usually make a six loaf batch which requires up to 15 cups of flour.

I order most of my "Real Bread" making supplies from:
http://breadbeckers.com/

Sue Becker has a great testimony on the site about her family's experience with home milling.

I understand the reasoning behind home milling - but I still don't see why you have to mill all the wheat berries at once. In my case, there are only two of us, so I would never mill the whole 45 lb bucket in a single pass. We'd never use it up before it spoiled.

If you are trying to do this on a smaller scale (for a smaller space), why not just mill what you need instead of doing the entire batch at once?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GLC1968

I understand the reasoning behind home milling - but I still don't see why you have to mill all the wheat berries at once. In my case, there are only two of us, so I would never mill the whole 45 lb bucket in a single pass. We'd never use it up before it spoiled.

If you are trying to do this on a smaller scale (for a smaller space), why not just mill what you need instead of doing the entire batch at once?

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I do not mill the whole 45lbs at once. I scoop out the wheat berries I need for the recipe I am making, mill and store any remaining flour in the freezer. The buckets do not store flour, they store the whole, un-milled wheat berries.

I do mill around ten cups of berries at one time when I make bread. Smaller amounts for tortillas and other uses.

I empty 2-3 of the buckets a year. Wheat berries (seeds, grains) keep for years and it is more economical to buy in bulk than to get a pound here and there at the health food store. I use Gamma Seals on my buckets to make them more moisture and pest proof and easier to open.

We rarely purchase store bread. Only if my schedule has been hectic and I have not gotten a chance to bake.

Sundried tomato and parmesan loaf:
http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._1909387_n.jpg

Inside (sorry about the crappy cell phone picture):
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._8086389_n.jpg

I forgot to brush the top with olive oil and score it, but believe me, it has not affected the taste at all!

This thread is so inspiring! Now that my stuff is out of storage I'm looking forward to trying that cast iron pot method!

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Originally Posted by MommyBird

I do not mill the whole 45lbs at once. I scoop out the wheat berries I need for the recipe I am making, mill and store any remaining flour in the freezer. The buckets do not store flour, they store the whole, un-milled wheat berries.

I do mill around ten cups of berries at one time when I make bread. Smaller amounts for tortillas and other uses.

I empty 2-3 of the buckets a year. Wheat berries (seeds, grains) keep for years and it is more economical to buy in bulk than to get a pound here and there at the health food store. I use Gamma Seals on my buckets to make them more moisture and pest proof and easier to open.

We rarely purchase store bread. Only if my schedule has been hectic and I have not gotten a chance to bake.

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Ah - got it. I thought you needed the big buckets in order to mill. You just use them to store the berries prior to milling. That makes more sense! I do the same thing - I was just confused by your dilemma of needing to fit a 45lb bucket in a small space. ;)

GLC1968-
I had to re-read my posts to see what "small space" you were talking about.
I have a huge pantry in my house, but I do not have a lot of storage space in my Airstream. Trailer, aluminum, twinkie shaped thing.
I use processed flour only while camping because I need the shelf life.
I couldn't figure out why you were so confused. Now I understand.
Sorry for the confusion.

I have a question to those of you who have made the olive bread. I made it the other day with the olive oil dough and it was fantastic! However, I feel like I need to double the amount of olives they call for, and all of my olives ended up at the top of the loaf. How do you get them to spread more evenly throughout the dough?