Who's baking French Bread this weekend?

[housewolf]

Let's see a show of hands and share the experience.

I'm trying out a new recipe this weekend, one I'm excited to see how it works out.

[Mr. McD]

1. Not French Bread but

I just pulled 2 loaves of Whole Wheat Sourdough out of the oven.

[housewolf]

6. Yummm....

That sounds so great! Care to share your method for baking? There are so many ways/procedures for building bread dough and baking, I'd love to hear yours.

[Mr. McD]

11. This was a basic sourdough bread

100% Whole Wheat Bread

1/2 cup active whole wheat starter
2 1/4 cups water
6 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons salt

Mix starter with 1 1/2 cup flour and 1 cup water. Proof for 12 hr. at room temp 68-72 degrees or 6 hr. in a proofing box at 85 degrees.

Add 1 cup flour and 1/4 cup water. Proof for 12 hr. at room temp 68-72 degrees or 6 hr. in a proofing box at 85 degrees. (The dough is very thick and difficult to mix at this stage.)


Dissolve salt in 1 cup water. Add to the dough and mix well. Add remaining flour a cup at a time, reserving some for board

Turn out on a flouring bourd and knead in remaining flour.

Or if using a mixer about 3 minutes mixing the ingredients and about 5 to 8 minutes kneading is sufficient.

Form into 2 loafs (4x8 pans) and proof until double. (3-4 hr.)

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 min.

Remove from pans and place on wire racks to cool.

[NMDemDist2]

2. in laws here and a big Mars observing party tonight

the only baking I'm doing is cookies for the party :cry:

next weekend though......

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

3. I didn't order the starter.

I just got a new cordless keyboard & mouse, plus DH and I went to Tuesday Morning & I bought a mandoline. It was a Cuisinart for 40 bucks. Plus I bought a cute wicker basket for the kitchen to put the recycled plastic bags in. Plus I bought I don't know what else. If I order the starter on-line it will be on my charge card. DH will then have something to say. I am the best at tuning him out -we've been married forever-but I just don't want to listen to it now. I'll just wait a month & he'll forget all about it & will never notice on my card. :rofl:

Have fun with you bread baking & be sure to let us know how it turns out.

:hi:

[housewolf]

9. You could ...

order this one, the one Mr. McD suggested on the other thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=236&topic_id=12142&mesg_id=12241

I know of many people who have used and loved this starter, it has a heritage that goes back to the 18400's Oregan Trail and has been kept alive by the original family throughout generations. The last family memeber dies a few years ago and now there is a group of internet sourdough lovers carrying on Carl's work out of their love for sourdough. They make no profit and only hope to bring in enough money from donations to cover their costs of mailing out starters. If you can, send them a couple of bucks and if you can't, just send a self-addressed stamped envelope and you'll get an excellent starter in return.

You could work with it for a while and then buy some others to experiement with if you want some variety. This starter makes excellent sourdough, however.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

10. I'll have to try that one.

And of course I can send them money. It's only the charge card that DH sees. :rofl: He has no idea what cash I spend.

I'm really looking forward to trying the San Fran starter. And since I don't do a whole lot of bread making I don't think I'll have a problem with cultivated yeast infecting the starter.

Glad your loaves turned out well, blister & all.

:hi:

[politicat]

4. Prolly not...

I did our basic (oatmeal/white-whole wheat/bran) bread yesterday, and two loaves of that will get stale and nasty if I make french, too.

I may make tortillas or fry bread, though. Depends on a lot of circumstances, mostly how much I want to obsess about the test I think I just bombed. Thank dog I've been doing well on the reviews and quizzes and there's always the final.

(Midterms after being away for a week for a funeral suck.)

[housewolf]

7. Sounds like you've been doing plenty of bread-baking

I'm sorry you had to go away for a funeral. I hope that your test score comes out better than you think it might.

[housewolf]

5. My loaf is quite tasty...

On Fridy evening, I made a small ball of dough and let it sit out for 3 - 4 hours then put it in the refrigerator. At the same time, made a small amount of a semi-liquid sponge (poolish) and let it outside to ferment overnight.

On Saturday morning, the poolish wasn't fully fermented so I brought it in the house and let it sit until it was ready. I mixed the dough in the afternoon, let it rise for several hours, shaped and baked it Saturday night.

Unfortunately I baked it too early 'cause I got a huge big bubble out one side of the top but other than that, I must say, this loaf is right up there with the best-tasting loaves of French Bread I've ever made. I'll do it again (and let it rise longer before baking it).

[wryter2000]

8. I haven't had a chance

After all the help you gave me in the other thread. I gave a talk yesterday, and I'm behind on my novella, so those have to come first. I'd love to hear what you discover this weekend.