With the exception of biscuits, yeast rolls, and cornbread (got those down pat!), I've baked bread for quite a while with mixed results...sometimes it comes out just right, sometimes it's "meh", and (sometimes) it's not even the same UNIVERSE as right, so I've decided to up my game, so to speak.
Made myself a spreadsheet to input baker's percentages so I can keep track of what works and what doesn't and, most importantly, have consistency, did some research on artisan baking (a LOT of research!), and made my first lean-dough,high-hydration bread using a poolish and stretch&fold instead of regular kneading and baked it in a pre-heated covered clay baker (that my Mom gave me YEARS ago for which I've never found a good use until today)...below is the result:
I made a couple of mistakes (I panicked when the initial dough before adding the poolish seemed too dry and added more water, so the hydration is a bit higher than intended, and I think I let the final rise go a bit too long), but there it is, nonetheless.
This thing made a "crackling" sound for at LEAST 20 minutes after I pulled it out of the baker and the crust seems to be spot-on...I'll know more about it and the crumb when I cut into it in the morning.
It sure smells good!
Made myself a spreadsheet to input baker's percentages so I can keep track of what works and what doesn't and, most importantly, have consistency, did some research on artisan baking (a LOT of research!), and made my first lean-dough,high-hydration bread using a poolish and stretch&fold instead of regular kneading and baked it in a pre-heated covered clay baker (that my Mom gave me YEARS ago for which I've never found a good use until today)...below is the result:
I made a couple of mistakes (I panicked when the initial dough before adding the poolish seemed too dry and added more water, so the hydration is a bit higher than intended, and I think I let the final rise go a bit too long), but there it is, nonetheless.
This thing made a "crackling" sound for at LEAST 20 minutes after I pulled it out of the baker and the crust seems to be spot-on...I'll know more about it and the crumb when I cut into it in the morning.
It sure smells good!