Ah ha!

My last batch of dough was "not right." What does that mean? I don't know how to describe it, but it wasn't right. The bread was coming out heavy, not enough holes, the crust was too hard. What was it?? I finally went to the website of the breadmakers and tried to figure out what was up when I came across a video! I've been wanting a video to see if I was gluten cloaking the bread correctly and not only was I not, but I found my error. I was shutting the lid all the way on the wet dough. Ah ha! So I tossed what I had (which incidentally made my trash smell lovely, no really!) and started fresh and I'm back to my beautiful bread! The last batch of dough soured me, hee hee, and I didn't even want to make bread anymore, nothing was coming out quite right. But I'm back in the saddle again! So next is the Crunchy White Bread Loaf! I'm excited as I think my kids will like that a little better for our "sandwiches." I use quotes because they will not eat them as sandwiches, they eat all the pieces separately. Kids. It does make me think about the nutritional quality of the bread however. The authors also wrote a book called Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day that I've been adding and removing from my Amazon cart for a month. I want to buy it, but shouldn't I finish this book first? But that's healthier, then do I even need this book? Alas, I am at an impasse. My current plan is to finish at least a bit more in this book, just out of some inner need to make it "worth it" and finish what I started and then I'll get the other. I did attempt the naan out of Book 1, it was with the failed dough though and with 2 darling interrupters...

timing is everything!

Here's another picture of a better boule before it hits the fiery furnace!

This is what it was supposed to look like!

Ciabatta!

Slowly but surely, I'm making my way through this book and and alas, slacking on my updates. The important thing here is, drum roll please, my ciabatta rocks! The crust is so much softer which is nice for my kiddos. I love the crustiness of the classic boule, however my kids have a hard time getting through it sometimes. And it's just plain fun to gluten coat and spread out. Rather than the floury dough of the boule, with the ciabatta you get your hands nice and wet and stretch out the dough. It feel fabulous! And then you can chase your kids around with gross, sticky hands. Added bonus. Here are some pictures of my masterpiece!

The Bread Chronicles

Some interesting discoveries and results in the last few loaves. First, I can not hold a double batch of dough in my container. can NOT.  This finally stops overflowing and I put the lid on it and put it in the fridge to relax a little. This is my next discovery:

You have to appreciate- this is after I've taken the exploding container out. This is part of what's left. part. The lid has flown off and dough. is. everywhere. Surprisingly, the dough (in the container) was still ok. It felt air hardened and I worried it would be any good, but mixed it in and gave it a go and it was tasty! 

Next discovery- the steam is absolutely crucial to the great crust and must be started immediately. As in, not 10 minutes after the bread goes in (even if it's a 30 minute bake.) You can still eat it the other way, but the crust is much chewier and distinctly less fabulous.

failed baguette/awesome batard in process

Discovery 3: I make a great Bâtard. Alas, what I was trying to make was a baguette. Interesting side note, Bâtard is French for the word it sounds like. This is stolen from the Yankee Pot Roast. It's so beautiful I must share it:

It's the end of our date, that awkward moment where we kiss good-bye and I hope it's not really good-bye.

"Would you like to come upstairs and make sandwiches?" Lucy asks me.

"Oh yes. Yes, I would."

"I have many varieties of meats and cheeses," she whispers. I lick my lips.

We walk up three flights to her apartment and I'm getting hungrier with each step. She unlocks the door and before we even reach the kitchen, I'm rolling up my sleeves.

She opens the fridge. I grab a knife. We slice some Genoa salami, very, very thin. We slice turkey. We slice turkey ham. We slice turkey balogna. Slice, slice, slice. She pulls out some muenster, some Swiss. We're slapping slices on bread. We're squirting mayo, squeezing ketchup, splashing mustard. Spreading everything evenly. We're pushing our top breads onto our bottom breads. We've made great, big Dagwoods. I give her the knife and she slices her sandwich diagonally. Then mine, likewise. And then we raise our sandwiches and, at the same moment, we each take a hearty bite, as much as our mouths can handle.

"Mmmmmm," she mumbles through a stuffed mouth. "This is delicious."

"Mmmm," I say. "Mine too."

- Josh Abraham, Yankee Pot Roast

Now that is just hot. I have to go make bread right now.

It crackles!

The Book (I feel it begs capitalization, yes) says your bread will crackle when it comes out of the oven. Well, sure, maybe their bread. But yesterday it did! I felt like the old Rice Krispies commercials- I just sat hunched over the bread listening and grinning like a 4 year old! Which happens to be an excellent grin. This second batch is significantly better than batch 1! So the question must be, is it the weird rising? It rose more, in all the wrong conditions, but none the less, it rose more. And this morning it received it's highest compliment. My husband was slicing some to take with some chili for lunch to work and asked, "can I just take the rest of the loaf with me? Are you making more today?" <insert said proud grin here.> My kids devoured it, the crust was better (I think that lies in the steam- when you remember it that is), I of course love it, but now a new fan! Hoorah! I can't wait to see how the baguettes turn out! I still have 2 more loaves worth of dough in the fridge before I attempt those. Though, these loaves are going pretty fast... Also, I'm really loving the herbs in it (rosemary & thyme.) I was a little worried they might add too much flavor, but no, it's just perfect! All in all I'm still loving this book! The authors have another book, Healthy Bread in 5 minutes a Day that I may have to try after this one, though I don't know where on earth the dough would fit in my fridge!

• Something wonderful has come of this project, lettuce! A friend of mine mentioned on FB that she was planting lettuce and there are few things in the world as tasty as really good, really fresh lettuce and I was inspired. So off to the dreaded Wally World (this is where she obtained hers, so I followed suit, I am generally not a fan of the place.) and they are planted and looking lovely on my potting table! Where is this all headed? Hopefully to the worlds greatest sandwich! I have a dream...avocado, turkey, still warm bread, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts maybe, a slathering of mayo, a suggestion of mustard, and...joy. The pure joy that only comes from a kick ass sandwich.
• 
  

Holy Rising Yeast, Batman!

Glorious bread, round 1!

So, I'm embarking on this bread adventure, ready to try my luck, no matter how many tries and low and behold, the first batch. whoa. My butter is happy to be on this bread. I'm posting the the book I'm using, and no, I'm not one of those cool bloggers who gets sent free stuff to review. Just an Amazon junkie who bought this book hoping not to drive 30 minutes to Publix to get the closest thing I could to great bread. Why doesn't this town have a real bakery?? The book is Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking


Now this is the basic, "Master Recipe: Boule" as they call it. The book has more (thank goodness!) And yes, it did only take 5 minutes of actual work a day, over two days to start it. It has to sit quite awhile, but that doesn't require anything from you other than counter and fridge space. I really didn't expect this to work out so well initially. First of all, I'm not much of a baker, I'm more of a stove top kind of lady. Second, I made 2 loaves and tried to squeeze them on the same stone in the oven. And did I mention my dough was all kinds of wet? And I grabbed too small of dough balls to start? This is like idiot proof bread- perfect! I love all bread, all carbs, let's be honest, but I adore crusty bread. I'm stuffing my pie hole, as I type, hopefully no butter on the keys, with crusty, $4/loaf kind of bread. That I made. That I have enough for 2 more loaves just sitting in my fridge, waiting to be brought to life. I'm. in. heaven. The only true crime here is that it's too late to make an awesome cup o' joe to go with it. WAIT! I bought decaf the other day! I knew there was a reason! I love it when I outsmart myself!


Next project: Herb Bread variation. 
It recommends thyme and rosemary, but I already have fresh rosemary growing out of control in my backyard. Do I really want to go to the store for fresh thyme? I bought some herbs a bit ago, I'll have to dig through the fridge and see if there's any thyme there...


After that? Baguettes! That is typed with glee and a little bum wiggle in my seat! I can wolf down a baguette like a starving Frenchie! When I get really good I'll have to run my bread past the true Frenchies and see if it passes muster!