Bread

A cranberry sourdough and a thyme sourdough as a Christmas thanks for our toddler's preschool teacher

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Stollen (Stollens?) Either way they're fuckin huge.

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Love a stollen, but haven't made one in years. Might have to give that a go.

In other news, my freezing kitchen has meant cold ferments and proofs, but it seems to have worked out ok:

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I’ve had great success in the past with Dan Lepard’s Stollen recipe.

Interior shot. This is the recipe I used, except I used 125g milk.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJBZo8AlsGe/?igshid=l1qlay9bt7ny

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50% 6 grain flour, 50% strong white. Starter a good old mix of flours including rye.

Went for a 24 hour levain, as starter was under active and then an overnight prove. Trying to take on board comments about overactive starter and wanting the yeast activity in the oven, not in the prove.

Seems to be working ok. :)

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Tried the Vanessa Kimble recipe on bakery bits, the 20 minute mix in stand mixer stopped working after about 7 minutes and it just climbed up the attachment so I finished it by hand. I was testing if it was cooked with a thermometer and in hindsight I don't think it should be as high as bread, so it was in the oven for a little too long and has a thicker crust. I think I'd put some more fruit in next time too. Overall pretty pleased though

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Decent effort. I was checking out how to make an authentic leivito madre panettone the other day and it was enough to put me off for another year!

Is anyone here clued up about kitchen assistants? I’m choosing between an Ankarsrum and a Bosch Universal. There’s heaps of sponsored blog posts on why I should get one or the other but can’t find any good comparisons or tests. Anyone got links or can recommend one or the other?

Very happy with my kitchenaid. It’s also really useful with the attachments.

Pasta roller, pasta extruder, mockmill and sausage maker. With hindsight I’d get the stainless steel sausage maker (it’s a copy of kitchen aids one) because the aluminium one isn’t dishwasher proof.

I think the kitchen aid is closer to the Bosch than the Ankarsrum. Rotating bowl vs rotating gubbins. Haven’t checked out the kitchen aid one, will do.

How are you cooking them?

In the absence of a tandoor, I use a very hot, heavy frying pan, sometimes also under a very hot grill.

It was on a very hot steel. I think my issue was probably rolling then baking straight away, rather than hand shaping and letting them prove on, like with focaccia.

black sesame sourdough from this morning

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Tonight’s effort

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Have you got a link to the recipe and method. I’m not having much luck with my current one

Bao buns? Soft and fluffy...has anyone had sourdough success here?

My past attempt was just steamed rubbery dough.

My blender died so my mum gave me her old magimix which she hasn’t used in ages. It’s got a dough blade in the box. Has anyone ever used it to make a decent sourdough loaf or am I better off sticking to my usual method of hand mixing?

I made one for this year and can attest, it was a colossal faff.

It's kind of my own recipe ay this point. Bit of a hybrid between the Tartine basic sourdough method applied to a yeasted no-knead recipe.

450g strong white (or a mix of strong white and something else, the above is roughly 350g of strong white and 100g of "country grain" wholegrain).
350ml of warm water
7g packet on instant yeast
2-3 tsp salt

mix dry ingredients and add water. I mix with the handle of a wooden spoon for about 5-10 mins till it's nice and elastic looking then leave somewhere warm covered with a tea towel to rise.

Leave 30-45 mins then using a hand wet with cold water, I stretch up and fold over 3 or 4 times. I'll then repeat that cycle every 30-60 mins for as long as I have available, putting back under cover and leaving somewhere warm in between. I think the above was may be 5 or 6 stretches over about 3 hours. I'd prefer to have had longer but meh. Dinner time was approaching.

Then about an hour before baking I dump the dough (it's still quite wet and sticky at this point) out onto a floured surface for folding. Gently roll it in the flour so it's covered and not sticking. I kind of roll it about till it's formed a cohesive blob. Being careful not to squash it or knock the air out. then it's just gently formed into a rectangle, folded in on itself from each end, turned over and repeat half a dozen or so times.
I've started doing the final prove in a banneton, just because. and i like the pattern it makes.
Then it's just dust with flour, gently lift, flip over and place into preheated cast iron dutch oven (also dusted with flour) and into a 230c oven for half an hour with the lid on. then 15-20 mins with the lid off.

I'm really happy with these. They have everything i look for in a good sourdough texture, great crunchy crust with a lovely nutty flavour and a stretchy, chewy aerated middle. The only thing it doesn't have is that sour yoghurty flavour.

The one in the pic didn't develop any big air holes but it was a quicker ferment than I'd usually do. I'd normally leave it all day if poss. Also I forgot to score the top so it split. This had no effect on the epic leftover christmas ham and mustard sandwich I made with it last night though. *homerdroolnoises

i used this, "The Fatberg method" that you posted a month or so ago. It does it for me, works great every time

Tried the Perfect Loafs sourdough burger bun recipe

Would have liked a slight better rise when final proofing, but a better effort than earlier in the year when I didn't have a Kitchenaid and slap and fold to incorporate butter just proved to be a nightmare...

Made a loaf yesterday and it’s been in the fridge over night. Does it look proofed enough? It’s definitely no where near doubled in size

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Interesting, will give it a go. Currently self isolating so no excuse! I've been using Bertinet's book which seems pretty similar (slightly more flour) but gives a loaf over much shorter period of time, will let you know results!

Looks good to go to me, but then the texture is probably a better metric than size. Also I'm a crap baker so don't listen to me.