Bread

It floats! So I'll move onto the dough, though I've read the bulk fermentation takes, 2 to 24 hours, I'm going for room temperature and doubling in size.

Is there a sensible order to add the remaining flour and water?

Loaf number 7, this is the first of two.
With the help of @nefarious am starting to get my head around bulk fermentation and overnight fridge proving.
So this loaf was made and baked yesterday, as I normally do, really happy with the amount of holes, and the texture.
Second loaf I put in the fridge overnight and baked this morning, it’s still cooling. Excited to see how the interior of that one came out as well..

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Ha ha. Of course, I could have borrowed my Mum's copy but then I'd have to have told her that I lost it :D

Vaguely related anecdote: my grandad had a bakery in Dalston for 20 years or so starting from the 50s. He led the typical bakers life of 3am starts and was proud to make all of his own stock. There was one exception. He reckoned he could never beat the beigels made by Beigel Bake so my Mum had the task of visiting to buy stock first thing each morning. I wonder if the beigels have changed at all since then? Still pretty banging.

Beigel Bake

Man I miss those bagels. And the salt beef.

I've got some beef brining at the moment. Not sure if I'll stick with salt beef or turn it into pastrami though.

Pretty much the only reason I'm doing this is because I miss BLB.

Apparently they are open and delivering to local post codes btw...

Saw that on instagram. Lucky bastards who lives close by. Poor delivery person riding around catching the virus...

I can confirm they are still open.
Still an essential post night shift meal.

Turned out great, one of my tastier breads

Thought the flavour would be more roasted or nutty like it smelled, but turned out it just had more of a bread flavour. Hard to describe, but worth a try

Is there a sensible order to add the remaining flour and water?

Yes, but I can't remember. Will check in one of my books.

Edit: Add the water to the poolish, pouring around the edge to get the poolish off the bowl, then add that to your dry ingredients.

Also, what I hadn't realised/remembered is that some recipes call for extra yeast in the final dough. I don't ever remember adding more at that stage.

Looking banging!

Worst bit's always the waiting to cut into the loaf - I want my lunchtime bacon sandwich...

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Oh my days, great caramelisation and colour on that. A E S T H E T I C.

Yeah, I was quite pleased with that - the shaping's a little wonky on the other end, but one of those loaves where it all comes together.

That looks almost too good, you sure it's not a bland loaf through instagram?

Cheers, I figured wet to dry.

How about adding salt? Supposedly it slows gluten production and should be added later? I mixed through the flour before adding the sloppy poolish paste.

Busted on the crumb shot!

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In the recipes I have, there is no autolyse. Simply adding water to poolish, then adding that to remaining dry ingredients including salt.

It kinda depends on the ratio of poolish is in the final dough. The more poolish, the less water remains to be added at the end, meaning there isn't as much use for an autolyse.

(That'll do...)

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That looks perfect

thread ends

ok, I used 50% of flour for the poolish.

The autolyse is to generate gluten? So if less flour remaining then less gluten is being introduced by the remaining flour?

Thanks for the advice, I learn a lot more from discussing than reading.

Saw this for cutting bread, from here a french shop. How would this work?

An autolyse does a couple of things: it starts gluten development and the breakdown of the flour starches into simple sugars (which provides food for the yeast). It means you won't have to work the dough as much when you come to knead, which helps reduce oxidation. These processes rely on reasonably high hydration of the flour, so if you're doing a poolish there usually isn't enough flour and water left over to autolyse. With their high hydration, poolishes and preferments will provide some of the benefits of an autolyse anyhow (though the yeast fermentation inhibits some of the chemistry); if you really wanted you could do an autolyse of the poolish before adding the yeast. I've never bothered, but now I'm intrigued.

More autolyse info here: https://www.bakerybits.co.uk/resources/autolyse-what-why-how/

Aren't serrated knives designed to be used with a sawing motion? ^^

Opps posted edited.

I have thought that too. Saw it and wondered how you would use it. Move the bread?