Breads

I've gone bananas for bread! I'm making bread all the time, checking out methods, ingredients, temperatures, etc! I do have to start keeping notes though, otherwise I forget!

I'll add the various bread recipes here, as I go along.

This is the buttermilk bread:

Ingredients:

• 500gr flour

• 40gr dried yeast

• 1 tsp miele (need to use 1/2 next time)

• 2 tsp salt (I used the coffee tsp, need to use a regular one)

• 40gr melted butter

• 300gr buttermilk warmed up

• + additional buttermilk

Method:

• Melt the butter, when at room temperature mix it with the flour

• Warm up the buttermilk, and dissolve the honey in it

• Dissolve the yeast in the warmed buttermilk, then mix it with the flour in a big bowl

• Half way through, add the salt

• Mix it well and add more buttermilk if needed

• The full dough will be very sticky, make sure not to leave parts of flour unmixed

• ==> NOTE: add some gluten developing kneading time here, next time. I think at least 15 mins in the mixer

• Tip into a very big clean glass bowl

• Drench with water and then squeeze tight a teatowel

• Wrap the top of the bowl with a clean, dry teatowel, then cover it with the wet and squeezed teatowel

• Put it into a plastic bag to proof (4 hours)

• Knock the air out, knead a bit

• Put it into a baking tin (very tall), cover with a clean dry teatowel,

• Put it into a plastic bag to proof 2 hours

• Bake for 30 mins at 250 degrees C (fan)

• Once out of the oven, drape a dry teatowel opn top of the top, leaving it into the baking tin

• Drench and squeeze a teatowel, then drape it across the top dry teatowel

• Leave it to reach room temperature

• To keep it stored, always wrap it into a dry teatowel before a plastic bag

• Note: I used the small tall grey tin

This is the Olive Oil Bread:

Ingredients:

• 500gr flour

• 10-12gr dry yeast

• 1/2 tsp honey

• 2 small silver tsp salt

• 40gr olive oil

• 340-60 gr warm water

• Note: I used the middle black round tin

Method:

• Used the planetaria for 5mins at 3 before letting it to rest

• As usual, covered with dry teratowel and a wet teatowel, then a bag

• Let it rest to proof for 6 hours

• Fold the dough gently a few times, then shape it for the tin

• Poured it into the baking tin onto a baking paper sheet

• Let it to rest to proof for 1 hour (see the General Technique note below) - [note, actually I forgot it there for 8 hours!!!]

• Preheated oven at 250, then at 230 degrees C (fan) for 20 mins

• Loosely cover it with tin foil

• Let it cool down in its baking tin, but covered by a dry teatowel, then a wet one.

General Technique to see if the bread is ready for the oven

You want to bake it when the bread is full of air and the gluten has developed but it's not constricting it. So press the dough about 1cm deep with a floured finger:

• It springs back instantly: It needs more time. The gluten is still too tight, and the bubbles aren't full enough.

• It springs back slowly and leaves a slight dent: Perfect. Bake it right now. The dough is filled with air but still has enough strength to expand and create huge holes in the oven.

• It stays dented and doesn't spring back at all: It is over-proofed. The gluten has lost its strength. If this happens, get it into the oven immediately, but next time, shorten the rest.