Bread .......any kind

https://www.theclevercarrot.com/2021/06/easy-homemade-sourdough-bagels/

Working with one ball of dough at a time, poke a hole straight through the center. Move your finger around in a circular motion to gently stretch the dough until the hole is about the size of a walnut. You can also lift up the dough, insert both index fingers through the center hole, and barrel roll to gently stretch the opening. When finished, place the dough back onto the sheet pan. It’s okay if the hole shrinks slightly. Repeat shaping the remaining dough. ​

Emphasis mine - that's what I do, and the recipe up there is the recipe I use.

 

First the instructions you posted make this sound like it belongs in a completely different type of thread.


Thank you I have bookmarked it. I'm going to have to make a sourdough starter first it looks like since I have none. Going to give it a try though.

 

I found this old picture, my first attempt at a sourdough load. For all those intergammer types that show you the shmexy side of making bread, may I present: the duddest of duds.

 

Dense i can say been there done that...need a tshirt

 

This weekend we have a friendsgiving tomorrow (Saturday) and a family thanksgiving Sunday. I have a couple different pans in my arsenal, but almost always make focaccia in the 9x13 pan, using a recipe geared toward 9x13. So, if I want to use, say, my 10 inch cast iron which is a bit smaller, I use 2/3 (67% the size) for everything.

So here's where the nerd comes in. I made it a table in excel



Anyone see the issue here?



I had pulled the math for the columns to the wrong source, instead of 43% of the original size, I'm looking at 43% of the 54%, which was in turn looking at 54% of the 67%......chaos. The one "saving grace" was that the first one I made was 170%, for a big pan I have. Anyway, I made both the 55% and 40% pans, the small and large corningware. The large one seemed "okay", the small one seemed way too small, so I found the issue. Okay. Now it's chaos.

Turns out, I came over to this spreadsheet from another one in Google Sheets, so I went back to that one in a "okay, let's see the real numbers and then fix this".



Anyone see the issue HERE?



...The corningware was looking at how big it was compared to the 8 in cast iron. So, in my haste, I decided "okay, I need nearly 90%, I fixed it, basically combine the two, and that will be the large, then I make a small". Once combined, I looked at it, and thought "that small corningware is 88% of a 9x13? I don't think so...." and found the SECOND issue.

So I reset, made the two corningware pans after that CORRECTLY, and have some chaotic 9x13 focaccia going as well, that at least looks like it's working right. I figured if anyone would understand the chaos, it would be this thread

Pictures to come tonight. Anyone have input on toppings? I have 3, so, plenty of space to experiment! I typically do salt and pepper, or salt and rosemary.

 

That is pretty awesome!!
Love me some spreadsheets!
I use em for my baking stuff too - but I don't level it up and do the pan size stuffs.

IDK if I would have caught it but maybe - I tend to glance over them and see if the computations make sense
eg. if 10 buns = 100g of X then 8 buns should be 80g of X

What starter are you using?
Sourdough?

Also - were you the one that posted the chocolate focaccia?
[did ya ever post that recipe?]

re: toppings - have you thought about sage/salt, considering it is fake turkey day and all; or some sort of seasoning similar to poultry seasoning?

 

Yes

That's me!

https://grantbakes.com/chocolate-focaccia-recipe-yeast-or-sourdough/

I might make one for "real" thanksgiving as a rocky road.
https://bubblingstarter.com/rocky-road-sourdough-focaccia/

I like the sage idea. I might use the small one to experiment with that, and herbs de provence.




You can take the engineer out of the office but you can't take the spreadsheets out of the engineer, or something like that. I don't need to be exact, but it's nice to be somewhat similar and just wanting to make a small 8inch round for dinner or something.

 

Thanx for the recipes - I should really get some starter going [I keep saying this of course]..

I'm not an engineer but I did go to GaTech [biology] so - - spreadsheets are awesome and so freaking useful.
I like being able to scale recipes with a few key strokes.
I have maximized what I can make with my mixer [limiting component] and the # of sheet trays I have [i bought more cause]
Batch process it all, in one swoop = maximum efficiency
Then I bought a garage freezer so I can make large batches of buns/cuban bread/flat bread and freeze em for later - that is working out quite nicely...

 

Do it I either got lucky, or it's really easy. When I feed mine, I put in ballpark 50g starter, then ballpark 50g water. Whatever water I put in, I match 1:1 with flour. So, if I end up with 55g water, I'll put in 55g flour. It can usually go 2 weeks in the fridge between feeding it, but daily on the counter. Mine's a little over a year old. Mr. Potato Bread.

I keep slowly dropping hints to my wife that we should get one. We can bulk buy meats AND I can make a bunch of breads and such! They're like 50$ on marketplace too so it would be so convenient

Funny - I also have a second tab for my sourdough cookies. That one's just to do a half batch for 18 cookies vs 36. 36 is a lot of cookies for 2 people

 

I found the upright freezer I wanted @ Best Buy - then I had to wait 8 months for it to go back on sale at -100$
I make big batches of meals and freeze em + meats + bread.
There is no food/pizza delivery where I live, so having freezer foods is important to me.

AND you can freeze cookies too!!
I made a huge batch of molasses cookies this week - mostly for someone else - but kept a bag, in the freezer for me to eat!

 

It looks like you’ve got the computations corrected, but I don’t see any inputs for depth or material variances (re temps, cooking times). Not much of a baker myself, but I know those can make a difference in certain settings. Just a thought

 

400 or 425, cook until it's brown and done. This focaccia is VERY forgiving on anything else.

Added wrinkle - last night I did a "wet" topping (peppers and onions, super thin) at 425 in CI, the bottom was cripsy but the top wasn't, so that I need to learn the temps/materials a bit better. But for a dry (rosemary, salt and pepper, etc) topping - super forgiving for time and temps.

 

Baguettes using KA instant recipe





I've had better. I've had A LOT of worse, so I'll count it as a win and see what I can pull off in the future. Easily scalable recipe from 3 down to 2 (I have a twin pan....), and in theory also down to 1 as well for a wing-it need it for dinner.

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/french-style-baguettes-recipe

Would make again. Will make again. Probably add a few of my own changes to things, ice in the oven for one.

 

Am trying a new flatbread recipe, calls for cold fermenting the balls.



this all works out

 

New flatbread came out pretty good.
Way more tender, most puffed correctly

 

Despite the looks of it, this new flatbread recipe holds up well for pita sandwiches.

Schwarma chicken/hummus/tatziki/feta

 

Wait, what? There's a bread thread on TW?
Sourdough baguettes with 50 percent whole grain flour.

 

New no knead recipe. Probably the easiest artisan loaf I’ve ever made. 3 hours start to finish (2 hours rising 45 min cooking)

Heat 1.5 cups water to 100 degrees pour in bowl add 2.5 tsp yeast and 1/2 tbls salt whisk until dissolved.

Optional but I noticed that I needed some or all of it each time: Heat quarter cup water to 100 degrees add 1/2 tsp yeast 1/2 tbls sugar (optional but speeds up the rise) stir to dissolve and set aside

Add 3.25 cups of all purpose flour and stir until mixed thoroughly

(Add additional ingredients here. Rosemary, garlic, sage, olives, jalapeño, raisins (wet ingredients drain well) etc)

If floury and dry add additional water/yeast mixture and mix well until dough is sticky but formed

Cover and let rise for 2 hours in warm place

At 1:45 minutes into rise pre heat oven to 450

Once at 450 place cast iron Dutch Oven with lid on to preheat for 20 mins on center rack

At 2 hour mark take 2 sheets of parchment paper and place on counter, one on top of other. Place a small amount of flour on first sheet near edge closest to you. Gently pour/spoon out sticky dough onto flour and with spatula pull up sides to form a semi smooth round.

Slide sheet backwards while flipping loaf onto center of second sheet. Gently reshape. With razor or sharp knife run a 1/2” deep cut across loaf repeat the other direction.

Using pot holders, lift lid off Dutch Oven, pick up parchment and place in Dutch Oven. With spatula smooth paper around bottom of the pot. This will ensure a smooth round loaf. Place lid on top until fully closed

Bake lid on for 30-35 min. Take lid off and let top brown for 10-12 mins more.

Remove by grabbing both sides of parchment paper.

Let cool for 10 mins

Enjoy

you can dress this up

I added rosemary (about 3 tbls) mixed throughout the loaf then brushed top with butter and sprinkled sea salt for the win


Tester loaf. Parchment paper mis-shapened the loaf

Second loaf came out clean. Both loafs were consistent. Great crust, good chew, light and airy with good holes and great flavor.

 

.

 

Banana bread...