When I first moved to Philadelphia I had a friend and neighbor who introduced me to the art of bread making.:-) Several years later I am still practicing my new skill. I checked out a book from the libray the other day called Baking by James Peterson and it contains some very useful knowledge about how to make the perfect loaf. Another friend :-) mentioned I should blog about some of the 'secrets-of-the-trade.' So for any of you bread lovers out there here are some tips mentioned in the book that I have found helpful. I would also highly recommend getting the book. It has a lot of information on the science of bread making and is replete with demonstration pictures.
1. Bread that is allowed to rise slowly, in a cool environment-even the refridgerator-will develop better flavor; if the temperature is too high-above 80 F-the dough will ferment very quickly and may develop "off" flavors and odors. Try letting your dough rise for an hour on the counter and then putting it in the refridgerator overnight.
2. The 'leftover dough' method, one of the easiest ways to make flavorful bread, is to save a piece of dough from a previous batch and include it in the next batch of dough. The dough should be used within 3 days if you refridgerate it, or you can freeze it for up to one month. Fermented dough lacks rising power-it's old and tired-so add a little of your commercial yeast to your dough to help things along.
3. One mistake beginning bakers make is to use too much flour, which will make the dough heavy and dry. If kneading by hand it is better to keep dipping your hands in water then to add more flour. It's okay to have sticky fingers!
4. Don't let your yeast get to hot or cold when you first moisten it or you can kill it.
5. To extract more flavor from your flour, most bakers make a starter with some of the yeast and water called for and let this ferment before combining it with the rest of the ingredients. The longer your starter takes to double the more flavorful your bread will be (either decrease the amount of yeast or let rise in a cooler temperature for slower growth). 1/4 tsp. yeast will cause a cup of flour to double.
A good all round formula takes all the yeast called for, 1/4 of the flour, and 1/2 of the water. Let this double then mix it in with the rest of the ingredients, and let rise again until double.
6. Don't add your salt and yeast at the same time. This can alter the ability of your yeast to rise. It is better to knead it in.
7. If you refridgerate you dough, let it get to room temperature again (about 1 hr.) before baking in the oven.
8. To ensure the best baking experience place a pizza/baking stone at the bottom of your oven and then preheat to 500 degrees for 30 minutes. Then adjust to correct temperature. When ready to bake, place a pan of warm water on top of it. Bake your bread on the next rack up. Within the first ten minutes of baking squirt water a couple of times into the oven to create a steamy atmosphere.
9. Bread baked to 205 degrees is ideal.
10. Enjoy!
Look at that cute little first grader. Her class earned a pajama party and got to watch Charolette's Web. We supplied the movie and the snack (grapes) and Thula felt so special.
I painted our back door a Twilight Purple and I think I really love it. This summer I want to paint the rest of the wood trim that color. (Don't mind the pile of rubble by the door-Stuart had to bust up the concrete by the door so that it would open better).
See that little green sprout? Well, last fall I planted a bunch of tulips and they are now coming up! I feel as happy as a spring kitten.
I just had to get a picture of my baby clothes flapping in the warm breeze like a Connecticut prayer flag.
