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Working Bread

PostPosted: Tue Jul 05, 2016 5:23 pm
by NCPaul
This isn’t a recipe (though I’ll give you one) so much as it’s a timing and procedure that works for me. Making bread on the weekend has usually caused me problems: I have to stop what I’m doing to knead the dough, I want to go somewhere but the dough is still rising, it gets into the oven late and pushes back dinner time. My wife helped me by volunteering to get some fresh tomatoes for one of my co-workers and also volunteered, “Paul will make you a loaf of herb bread to go with them”. The idea being that he would be able to make tomato sandwiches for his wife. All well and good but to deliver tomatoes and bread Friday morning meant baking Thursday night, that much was clear but how to handle the rest? I was looking through Ideas in Food by Aki Kamozawa and H. Alexander Talbot at their “Fail Safe” bread (a focaccia) when I read this, “Adjusting the temperature of the environment around the dough is an easy way to make the yeast work on your schedule“. That’s when I figured out my timing – make the bread one evening and place in fridge overnight. Next morning give the bread a second kneading and put back in fridge. After lunch at 1 PM pull dough from fridge and allow for a long slow first rise (since the dough is starting from a cold temperature). At 6 PM when I get home shape dough and bake at 8-9 PM (after dinner). Deliver bread triumphantly the next morning. This process uses the fridge to slow down the fermentation and first rise of the dough to fit my schedule. Baking books are written by bakers who are at work, I needed baking at home when not at work. Each step can be done quickly if necessary except the final baking. If no one is home at lunch, have a neighbor pop in, take the dough from the fridge and put it on the counter for you. The bread recipe is from here (with the usual procedure for baking) http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/ ... ead-recipe
My modifications were to add some whole wheat flour, some herbs (optional) and to use a weekday procedure.
All purpose flour 400 g
Whole wheat flour 47 g
Water 285 g
Mix and allow flour to hydrate for 15 minutes
Salt 9.7 g (1 ½ t)
IDY 5.7 g (1 ½ t)
Sugar 9.8 g (2 t)
NFDM 9.3 g (4 t)
Butter 28 g (2 T)
Mix in bowl then turn out onto floured counter. Start kneading; after a minute or so the dough will seem to become wet and sticky, add a small amount of flour if necessary. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky. Put in bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning knead the cold dough briefly on a floured counter. Add chopped herbs at this point if using. Return to bowl, cover and refrigerate. At 1:00 PM remove from fridge. At 6:00 PM gently flatten dough into rectangle about 5X8. Roll up and put into buttered bread pan seam side down. Cover pan with plastic wrap and allow to rise over edge of pan, about 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350F then bake bread for 40-45 minutes. Turn out from pan and allow to cool completely. The whole wheat flour can be increased or replaced with rye. The sugar can be changed or dropped. Add onions or cheese if you like. This procedure can be applied to other bread recipes as well.
What you get from the recipe above:
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Herb mix:
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Kneaded in:
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Baked:
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Toasted with butter:
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Working is no longer a good excuse for not making bread. :D

Re: Working Bread

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 7:39 am
by DanMcG
Great advice on chilling the dough to meet your schedule Paul. Your bread looks fantastic! If the weather ever cools down a little I'll give it a try.

Re: Working Bread

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 10:56 am
by wheels
That looks to have a great texture.

Phil

Re: Working Bread

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 4:46 pm
by NCPaul
Cinnamon raisin bread next. :D

Re: Working Bread

PostPosted: Thu Jul 07, 2016 11:33 pm
by NCPaul
I soaked 100 g raisins in brandy overnight then kneaded them into the dough with 1 t cinnamon the next morning.
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Re: Working Bread

PostPosted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 2:42 pm
by wheels
Nice. Softer textured?

Phil

Re: Working Bread

PostPosted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 3:51 pm
by NCPaul
Slightly. Under baked and cut while still warm. Fantastic toasted and rich without being sweet.

Re: Working Bread

PostPosted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 6:41 pm
by wheels
It sure looks good.

Phil

Re: Working Bread

PostPosted: Mon Jul 11, 2016 7:55 am
by Snags
Great idea and nice bread
Ive been using the fridge for pizzas for a few years now
I make the dough Thursday let it half rise then put it in the fridge
Pull it out on Saturday make pizzas let it sit and rise for an hour.
The slow rise also adds to the flavour 2 days in the fridge and you can really taste the difference

Re: Working Bread

PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 1:51 pm
by denty632
great posts chaps and top ideas... will defo be trying these out soon

Re: Working Bread

PostPosted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 12:36 am
by NCPaul
I would be very interested in your opinion of this workflow denty632 and of the bread that results. :D

Re: Working Bread

PostPosted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 12:52 am
by denty632
It's a constant snag in my world... Family love fresh bread, little time in my life to get it done. I find myself tied to the house while breads being made... This looks like a very good plan!

I also find myself teaching secondary school cooking (long story!!) so this could be good for my GCSE CAtering mob

I'll report back shortly

Re: Working Bread

PostPosted: Mon Apr 24, 2017 1:32 pm
by NCPaul
Lately I've been slashing these loaves right before baking. Fancy slashing tool

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Slashed

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Baked

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Re: Working Bread

PostPosted: Mon Apr 24, 2017 2:08 pm
by RodinBangkok
Looking good, love bread pics!...Want a simple easy Lame for your loaves try this:

http://www.feldoncentral.com/garden/photos/d/21026-2/Homemade+Double-Edged+Razor+Blade+Lame.jpg

Re: Working Bread

PostPosted: Mon Apr 24, 2017 9:54 pm
by wheels
I've never got the knack of a razor blade lame, I find a very sharp knife easier. However, I'm amazed when I watch videos of the pros slashing 30 or 40 loafs at a time.

Phil