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Breadmaking adventures
Mar. 9th, 2011 12:41 pmSo, my start date has, shall we say, "slid". As in, they're talking about putting me on a 1-3 week assignment. Which is okay - I think I was good with a few days of rest, though I *am* starting to champ at the bit here and there.
One of the things this has done is forced me to make bread. See, I don't want to not do stuff, and if I can't earn money, well, I've wanted to know more about breadmaking for a long time, so now's the time, right?
I've learned something. Kneading, one of the great mysteries of breadmaking, is over-rated. Really.
I don't mean that you can just not knead, though there's possibilities there, too - see http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/dining/24curiousrex2.html (or http://www.formerchef.com/2010/03/09/healthy-bread-in-five-minutes-a-daywhole-grain-master-recipe/ if it's behind a login) (NB: haven't tried it yet, but I've found the recipe all over the web!) - but I was reading books and they all say wow, knead that bread dough until it's smooth and elastic.
Smooth means it's got a smooth textured surface - it's not all crater-y, grainy, etc.. Elastic means you can stretch it. Stick a finger in - do you break the surface, or does the dough stretch in with your finger?
I'm not sure I can get there... not the satiny smoothness I've seen some books describe. But I've gotten *partly* there. I've had bread that stretched more than it broke but never a dough that (as some people have said) could be stretched to translucent thinness. But here's a hint for you despairing bread makers who follow instructions too closely... the rising changes stuff.
While it's rising, the water permeates everything. There's probably a bit of Brownian motion causing a bit more mixing. If you've done some good kneading, you'll have developed the gluten and gotten a better loaf than you'd get without it. Even imperfect kneading seems, to my eyes, to be partially corrected during rising.
After that, well, everything else is easy.
Rising doesn't require actual *warmth*, but it does require a lack of cold. (Yes, I know, scientifically, that's nonsense. Bear with me.) Given the choice, better a slow rising in a slightly-too-cool area than too much warmth which can over-rise, or even kill yeast.
A second rise (or "resting" - I don't know if a rest is always 'just' resting or if it's partly rising) helps get you puffy enough for the oven. There will be (or may be) a bit more rising while it bakes, but once you're in the oven, you'll start killing the yeast, so there's not as much possible rising that can occur.
Oh, and the tapping for hollowness? It's actually pretty darn noticeable. But for a large-ish loaf, tap both top and bottom if you can. (So far, all of my bread has fallen right out of the loaf pan.)
One of the things this has done is forced me to make bread. See, I don't want to not do stuff, and if I can't earn money, well, I've wanted to know more about breadmaking for a long time, so now's the time, right?
I've learned something. Kneading, one of the great mysteries of breadmaking, is over-rated. Really.
I don't mean that you can just not knead, though there's possibilities there, too - see http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/dining/24curiousrex2.html (or http://www.formerchef.com/2010/03/09/healthy-bread-in-five-minutes-a-daywhole-grain-master-recipe/ if it's behind a login) (NB: haven't tried it yet, but I've found the recipe all over the web!) - but I was reading books and they all say wow, knead that bread dough until it's smooth and elastic.
Smooth means it's got a smooth textured surface - it's not all crater-y, grainy, etc.. Elastic means you can stretch it. Stick a finger in - do you break the surface, or does the dough stretch in with your finger?
I'm not sure I can get there... not the satiny smoothness I've seen some books describe. But I've gotten *partly* there. I've had bread that stretched more than it broke but never a dough that (as some people have said) could be stretched to translucent thinness. But here's a hint for you despairing bread makers who follow instructions too closely... the rising changes stuff.
While it's rising, the water permeates everything. There's probably a bit of Brownian motion causing a bit more mixing. If you've done some good kneading, you'll have developed the gluten and gotten a better loaf than you'd get without it. Even imperfect kneading seems, to my eyes, to be partially corrected during rising.
After that, well, everything else is easy.
Rising doesn't require actual *warmth*, but it does require a lack of cold. (Yes, I know, scientifically, that's nonsense. Bear with me.) Given the choice, better a slow rising in a slightly-too-cool area than too much warmth which can over-rise, or even kill yeast.
A second rise (or "resting" - I don't know if a rest is always 'just' resting or if it's partly rising) helps get you puffy enough for the oven. There will be (or may be) a bit more rising while it bakes, but once you're in the oven, you'll start killing the yeast, so there's not as much possible rising that can occur.
Oh, and the tapping for hollowness? It's actually pretty darn noticeable. But for a large-ish loaf, tap both top and bottom if you can. (So far, all of my bread has fallen right out of the loaf pan.)
