Cooking Cheap

This time I tried a lot of new techniques I picked up from the video clips (see yesterdays post for the link). Standard white bread recipe for one loaf . Click the picture for a larger image. The second picture is huge so be patient..

The details of the mixing and kneading are in yesterdays post. This afternoon I took the dough out of the fridge and let it warm up for an hour. Then I scooped it out of the bowl onto a light floured surface and I deflated the whole thing, not just a punch in the center. Just like one of the videos showed, two hands, all of it. Then I shaped it into a betard shape (not two mini-loaves, though) .I didn’t really follow the chefs instructions for shaping – thats for another days experiment,

I floured an old kitchen towel (just like the TV chef) and I folded it to make a trough with flaps for the dough to rise in. Put the dough in, fold the flaps overs and let rise for 3 hours and change. I probably could have gone longer but I don’t know how much longer. The bread did not stick to the towel and it did not dry out on the surface. Saves a lot of hassle with plastic wrap.

I put some corn meal on the peel and I rolled the dough off the towel onto the peel, basically flipping it over. That’s the beauty of the towel rising tip. I slashed (sawed it ) it on the peel. brushed a little water on and onto the pizza stone in the 500 degree preheated oven. My normal technique from then on. Reduce to 450, bake 10, take a peek. bake 10 more, turn it over and bake 5.

I could have baked it a bit longer I suspect, maybe 425 for 30 minutes? There is no doubt in my mind that kneading a lot more than I used to do is responsible for the gluten strands. The picture of the interior shows that maybe, my holes are too big. Did I let the second rise go too long? That’s my guess but I wanted strands and holes and boy do I have them.

Here’s the result of the taste test: 99% on the the Doesn’t Suck At All scale. I’m going to be hard pressed to top this. It has every thing I could want and may I humbly suggest, it’s, better than what you can buy at many bakeries. I did good this time.

Wildly different techniques from what I was doing two weeks ago but the only real difference was the kneading. Now I know. The dreaded round loaf should be the next experiment. Maybe I’ll get the starter out of the fridge tonight. I don’t need the bread, but I do want the experience.