The Bread Thread

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I need to try a "fancy score" on my next bread cook!

those look really good! I made a couple of French bread loaves but mixed in a cup of my starter to add flavor. Spaghetti dinner tonight with a sauce made all day yesterday so garlic toast on the schedule.
 
I have been making that super-easy focaccia recipe that was promoted on WMT mid-summer ever since then. It is so easy and so tasty that I more or less abandoned my other bread efforts.

But.... we tire of all things in life. (Well, maybe almost all things! :) ) Anyway, I decided, not unlike Mike (@ibglowin) above, to go back to baking boules.

So, I made a boule of 1/2 K.A. bread flour, 1/2 K.A. whole wheat, fermented overnight, and cooked in the Dutch oven. I may not have that fancy "lame" of Mike (@Kraffty) above, but a couple of slashes with a sharp kitchen knife did not turn out too lame! :)

Boule Nov 2020.jpg
 
Back on the horse, with a feeble attempt (my first) at Focaccia. Rosemary, olive oil and coarse sea salt. I need a way to get this out of the pan more easily - guess I'll try parchment next time.

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On the bread lab's community college course suggested to make double the sourdough bread recipe. Then after the first rise put 1/2 in a proofing basket in the refrigerator to bake the next day and the other 1/2 make 2 pizza for that nights dinner. I was very skeptical that a bread recipe would make a good pizza. I gave it a try and OMG best homemade pizza ever. Really good structure despite my "you get what you get these days" bread flour at 10 - 11.5 protein. (likely the stretch and folds helped the structure). It also had more flavor than my 2 day refrigerator wait recipe. From now on, I will never do pizza dough any other way
 
Been so busy lately, I started to use bread making kits in a bag. And they actually work very well. Good bread.

For example (Translating from the German, it says basically "whole grain bread with yeast already added")

2020-11-12 16.37.32.jpg

Of course, kit or all hand made, always cooked using our wood fired oven.

https://stcoemgen.com/2014/03/06/simplicity/
 
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I have (believe it or not) never made any of the "easy focaccia bread" so today is the day. What is the minimum rise time needed? It says 8 hours but wondering if 4-5 would be enough or is more "better"? I could toss into the fridge but was hoping to bake it off tonight.

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@Boatboy24 ..was anybody hurt when that loaf "Sploded!"
Love the grooves, are they created with Banningtons? spelling??

Banneton? Yes. (I actually typed Banningtons into Google and Banneton came back) Something I picked up after reading Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast. Got 'em on Amazon, of course.
 
I have (believe it or not) never made any of the "easy focaccia bread" so today is the day. What is the minimum rise time needed? It says 8 hours but wondering if 4-5 would be enough or is more "better"? I could toss into the fridge but was hoping to bake it off tonight.

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I am probably too late with my answer, but I have done 6 hours with good results.
 
First couple of loaves in a while tonight for me too and I made a couple of tweaks that got me much closer to the taste and texture I've missed so far. Standard stuff the same, 5.5 cups flour, 2.5 cups water, tablespoon salt but I used 3/4 cup of starter last fed this morning with whole wheat and then I added an additional 1/2 cup of an older un-fed starter (last fed about 3 or 4 weeks ago) for additional flavor. Lastly I've been cooking open on a stone, this time I used the stone at 450but covered the loaf with a large stainless bowl for 30 mins then 15 uncovered. Bigger flavor and the crust was thinner yet crisper. Will see if I can repeat results tomorrow. Additionally the second tonight one I stuck with the boule shape but didn't dust with flour and like the look much better.

Sourdough2.jpg
 
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