Trial #1: I make bread (hopefully)

[trystinn]

I've chosen Focaccia as my first attempt because it does not require starter, which I don't have because I just bought the yeast (along with $60 of its favorite baking companions) this afternoon - I am, however, making starter tonight so I can attempt rustic breadmaking on Sunday and Monday. (Details to follow)

Observations
#1: Recipes for bread are suprisingly and shockingly short on details.

#2: There is now more flour in my hair than in the mixer.

#3: Husband was sufficiently wary enough to offer to go pick up dinner from a restaurant - thereby, in a singular master stroke, making himself scarce during this amateur attempt at breadmaking while getting to be the hero when he arrives home with hot food that I have no responsibility or requirement to cook.

#4: The smell of yeast "curing" has got to be the strangest smell on earth, one that not even the bassethound will beg for a taste of.

#5: "Lightly flour surface" is a bald-faced lie. "Massively flour surface" is of considerably more use, exponentially.

#6: There is now more flour on my clothes than in my hair (see #2).

#7: "Room temperature" is too subjective a term to be of any use.

#8: Waiting for yeast to "cure" is almost as boring a task as waiting for dough to rise, and only manages to be a tad bit more interesting because of the science involved in creating new life; albeit yeast-life.

#9: Two kitchen timers are barely enough for this attempt.

#10: "Bread starter" is surprisingly bizarre enough to warrant the need for comparison pictures for grading the accuracy of one's attention to detail.

#11: Friends you have not heard from in months will call you to chat and catch up while you are trying to bake bread.

#12: Baking bread by hand is sufficiently interesting an experience that truly, it should be an assignment for 1st degrees at Lammas. And for all I know, will be.

Update to come when focaccia comes steaming out of the oven. Stay tuned.


"Gorgeous bread, the topping is rosemary, sage and kosher salt:



Willing Volunteers:



And, yes, it tastes FABULOUS"

Comments

[rainbear.livejournal.com]

1) Because a lot of breadmaking is done by feel. ("knead until smooth," "stir until combined," "let rise until doubled.") The rule of thumb is simple: If you think you've kneaded it enough? Knead for 5-10 minutes more and feel the difference. The big thing about bread dough is this: Resting is *very* important. Recipes usually under-guess how long you should let the dough rest before manipulating it again. Resting dough relaxes the gluten, making for a more pliable dough, easier to form into loaves, rounds, etc, without having it fight you.

2) Strangely enough, vacuums (dustbusters!) are of more use than, say, hot water, when one has a massive amount of flour in their hair.. at least at first. :)

3) HAH!

4) Yeast has this very "warm" smell to me. For lack of a better way of describing it, we'll use a turn of phrase that I can't recall what it's actually named (sigh) but: "It smells brown."

5) Lightly is under 1/2 cup or so. More or less, depending on how humid your area is.

6) LoL!

7) Room temperature isn't subjective. Room temperature is defined as 72*F. As far as I know, it's been defined as 72*F (and whatever the equivalent Celcius term is) for decades.. silly Trys! :P~~~~

8) If your yeast is taking more than 5 minutes to wake up? You have bad yeast, or the water was too warm (yes 2 degrees can make all the difference between waking it up, and parboiling it...)

9) LOL!

10) True 'nuff.. until you get the feel for it, at least.

11) But of course!

12) LMAO! Yes, but personally, I'm a fan of cornbread for Lammas. :)

Good luck with the focaccia! We want piccies!

[tryst-inn.livejournal.com]

Very cool information, thank you - I'm making notes for my recipe binder.

Room temperature in WA is closer to 62 degrees, I'd have to put the heat on to get it into the seventies. And why, yes, its very humid here - almost always is, IMHO.

I just yanked the focaccia out of the oven, looks delicious! Will be posting pic goodness in a few minutes!

[winterlion.livejournal.com]

aside - that really is great information up there. Better than most I've got...
I've been baking bread for ever and ever.

I usually do my bread rising in an oven that's either been slightly warmed (or not - as whim and equipment allow) and then leave a light on when it rises. This allows for a slightly warmer environment for the bread.

my brother - who's a trained pastry chef (yes there's a profession devoted to just breads) could have better info but I won't see him 'til Sunday.

[rainbear.livejournal.com]

One of the best books I ever got on breadbaking was one my Mom gave to me. It was published in 1969, and it's called Homemade Bread - By the editors of Farm Journal. It's a book that came out before Betty Crocker Kitchens decided that adding more yeast made things "better"--sorry, but in my world, longer rises = more developed flavor--cutting out a rising, or making it so it's only 1/2 as long in time does nothing but make flavorless bread, IMHO. Anyway--enough ranting.

The book is amazing, has different styles of recipes (loaves, rolls & buns, coffee breads/rolls, yeast specialties (waffles, flapjacks, etc), cool-rise, easy mix, batter breads, quickbreads), and is short--only about 152 pages (including index).

The recipes are simple to follow, and they have excellent tips on how to do the various steps.

Anywho.. :) I believe wild_heart got a copy of the 1969 publishing recently.. and something tells me I told her where to find it, but that's escaping my mind right now...

[tryst-inn.livejournal.com]

Yummy! I recently read a book called "Rustic breads" or something similar about a gal who worked in a bakery known for its rustic breads. That's the recipe I'm trying this weekend.

Btw, the focaccia is almost gone. Next time, I make two loaves!

[dana3.livejournal.com]

#4 - "curing" yeast ??!? I've made a lot of bread, but WTF?

How to start yeast: take 1/2 c warm (not hot) water (<110*), 1/2 c honey or sugar, 1 pkg yeast. Let it sit til it starts bubbling. Ta dah. What's to "cure"??

Can't wait to see your focaccia pics ... hope it tastes great!!

[tryst-inn.livejournal.com]

"cure" was the only term I could think of for prepping the yeast, mea culpa!

The topping was sage, rosemary and kosher salt - very good stuff.

It takes fabulous, pics are now up on the original post.

[wild-heart.livejournal.com]

Next time, if you have questions, CALL!!!!!

[tryst-inn.livejournal.com]

Yes, ma'm!

[wild-heart.livejournal.com]

BEAUTIFUL!!!! (The furbeasts are cute too.)

[dana3.livejournal.com]

Good pics. Focaccia looks good. Beasts are cute (and diverse!).

Bread-making as a 1* Lammas assignment ... yes, for women. Men have different lessons for that particular Sabbat. IMO, etc.

Good job!! Congrats on a successful first try! B*B -- :D

[tryst-inn.livejournal.com]

Yep, we is a mixed family, as my hubby says.

Hmn...something "else" for the men, eh? Can't wait for Lammas to see what the hubby is assigned.

Thank you!

Bread making as homework..

[wastedmouthfull.livejournal.com]

Hmmm ive made bread, Annas made Bread, Christies made bread, so has you now, so NO homework, unless you want to see the guys do it i say wine and laughter should be fun that day.
Or if you realy want to test your skills make Pita, or Tortillas ooh or even Indian flat bread.
Done it been there, even made homemade scones.... Bite your tongue woman. :) lol

Re: Bread making as homework..

[tryst-inn.livejournal.com]

Ye Gods, woman, I've made tortillas before - sort of a requirement living in Arizona. You figure you have to try it at least once, then you realize why having them made by large machines is vastly preferable.

I've made scones and muffins, bread in a breadmaker, etc. Just wanted to try something harder, as I'm no baker. Growth is fun, so is kitchen experiments.

Big zen hugs, hon.

[jenett]

I get a tremendous amount out of making bread for ritual. (And, well, pretty much any other time I can spare the time for it.)

My standard is a really basic, fairly quick, herb loaf - rosemary, basil, bouquet garnis mix, whatever's handy. I also, for the more finicky stuff, really like the recipes out of the Breadbaker's Apprentice book - the cranberry walnut celebration bread gets people asking after it every time, and the long rise time white loaves do too.

I do my kneading in a large stainless steel mixing bowl (5 quart, I think) sitting on the floor - none of the counters in this apartment are a good height for me to knead on. It works surprisingly well, because I can work the dough against the curved suface of the bowl, and I don't need lots of added flour.

It has the added benefit of being a lot easier to clean up (though putting down an old tablecloth or some paper for the bits of flour that poof up in the kneading process helps.)

When I'm letting it rise in the winter (ok, in Minnesota, it's chilly here), I stick the bowl (covered) in the corner between the two sides of the heater. I know people who run the dishwasher and then crack the door and stick the bread bowl over it. Or some who turn on the oven on low for about 30 seconds, and then stick the bread in there. Proofing is very much a seasonal variant thing. Mostly, I don't care as long as it rises.

[garden-pixie.livejournal.com]

My sis makes bread regularly and really has a knack for it. Me, I smile gratefully, and ask for the butter!
I really appreciate people who can make bread! If I had to make it for my first degree, I would still be dedicant!! :)

[tryst-inn.livejournal.com]

You know, my sis was always the breadmaker in our family but I finally decided that it was my turn at bat!