Baking, baking, baking.

Live from my kitchen. Some hard rolls and bread dough ready to bulk ferment.
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Plain White

Fresh out of the oven. A plain white loaf of bread. Straight dough. I did make it with some left over viennoiserie dough. The slight butter scent fills the kitchen.

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*Edit* I am sorry for the blurry cell phone pics. Each posting that sez 'Sent via BlackBerry' might have pics that are sometimes blurry.

Baked last night...

I know it has been ages if not centuries since I have been updating my blog. Thanks Hans Joakim for reminding me.
Did I stop baking? Not at all, but there is going a ton of things on in my life and I just cannot seem to make myself update this blog. I should. So I apologize to you all.
I will try to revive this blog again and posting pics via my mobile phone should make this easy!

This is one of the loaves I baked last night, just a variation on the Special West-Flanders brown bread. I used no broken wheat because I did ran out of it and I seem to not be able to make it to the store to get some.
I did use a mixed flour with grains inside, but only like 10 percent, so it is not like too dark.
Once again a straight dough, no sourdough, my starter is staying in the fridge. Actually after this posting I should make some dough again, otherwise I would ran out of bread by the end of the week. I bake like 4 loaves or so during the weekend and store them in the freezer. I have to admit that years ago the thought of frozen bread was something I could not imagine at all. I thought it was like sacrilege. :-)
Nowadays after being surprised how little the bread is different after being frozen or not, I do this all the time, it became my work flow. Okay, it is not a 100% like fresh bread, but it is either baking during the weekend and freeze them or go to the baker...
And since I love baking I choose to freeze them.
The picture is not perfect, but it will do for now. Talk to you guys later!

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Special White

Too dark

Just like everyone, once and a while my result is not good. This time my loaf was a bit too dark. I like my loaves well baked, but this is a bit too dark ;-)

A simple loaf.

I've had great results lately using the following recipe :

500 grams flour
6 grams dry yeast
260 grams water
15 grams butter
10 grams salt

Mixing : 2 minutes 1st speed
7 minutes second speed

Bulk Ferment : 45 minutes + one fold
Divide and shape.

Proof : 45 minutes more or less.
Bake 230°C 40 minutes.

I ususally bake using a pre-ferment or sourdough.
When I need bread rather quickly I use this straight dough method.
I use different flours and grains giving it some extra taste.

Hamelman - Pain au levain

My starter became two years old. It still amazes me that some water, flour and natural yeast can make a dough rise. Here's the rather simple to make Pain Au Levain bread by Mr. Hamelman. I love the simpleness of this recipe. The taste is always superb, this picture isn't but hey, take your 'Bread' books and make this bread!