trailrunner's blog

Still same formula and times. I did one extra set of folds to develop the gluten even further because of Semola. I also proofed them a full hour before baking. I also took Kendalm’s advice on shaping and am well- pleased with the improvements on that “ score” which is also better. Better color which has always been good but really love this bake. Better grigne throughout scoring. 

Thank you to those of you who have offered wonderful suggestions and support. It’s really paid off. Crumb to follow these are for family dinner tonight. Couldn’t be happier with crumb! The extra fold and 15 min of final rise paid off handsomely. Only a wee bit of the two loaves left. 

Everything the exact same just added more Semola Rimacinata . Incredible crackling out of the oven. Gorgeous grine. Crumb shot in a bit. 

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 Not quite as open with the increased Semola but given the incredible flavor and crust I’ll take it. 

Well batch 4 and I couldn’t be happier. Snap crackle pop! Gorgeous color crust and grine all along the slash. I’m using a single edge razor blade and being intentional instead of the fraidy cat I used to be. It’s also making sure to not let these loaves proof longer than 45 min. I remove the dough from the fridge immediately divide and pre shape and only rest a few minutes and shape right to couche. 

Well batch 4 and I couldn’t be happier. Snap crackle pop! Gorgeous color crust and grine all along the slash. I’m using a single edge razor blade and being intentional instead of the fraidy cat I used to be. It’s also making sure to not let these loaves proof longer than 45 min. I remove the dough from the fridge immediately divide and pre shape and only rest a few minutes and shape right to couche. 

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Incredible crumb . I’m using my stored YW starter not even building a levain. Can’t believe how great these are coming out. 

am embarking on a journey to get a consistent baggie. This is my first batch. If I can keep this up I will be well pleased. Ease of making the dough, shaping, scoring, baking , crumb and most importantly flavor … everything went very well. 

I used the formula from the French baker video that was posted here a while back. He compared 3 French flours . I have T 65 so used that. I followed another baker’s method. I wanted very little hands on and I got it. 

400g T 65

7 g salt

1.2g ADY 

40g active liquid starter 

264g filtered room temp water ( +10 g if needed) 

Whisk water yeast salt starter very well. Fold in flour till all very evenly wet. add 10g if needed. Cover rest 30 min. Fold on itself several times return to covered bowl. I  very lightly dust countertop and dough. 30 min do folds again. Should be non- sticky already and very extensible. 30 min do one last time. Dough should pull a window . Let rise til double. Covered retard in fridge overnight. Preshape 2 360g baguettes. Rest 30 min. Shape into 15-17” long rolls. Floured couche  covered til puffy . Preheated 500 degree  baking steel. Transfer loaves  razor blade for scoring and cover with a large lid( I used my graniteware roaster lid). Turn oven back to 460. 13 min covered . 10-12 min uncovered. 

I don’t know how to post a video but the crackling and snapping was amazing! Fantastic flavor. Had ham and Swiss po boys. Just took two more out of oven and have a batch resting for tomorrow. 

 Added crumb shot. A tiny compressed place at top where lid caught when I peaked at before putting in oven😩 have to stop peaking! Taste and fragrance are rich and a deep almost chocolate fragrance. Eating it with butter. Could use a bit more salt. Crumb is like a moist cake very pleasant and not gummy at all. No sour present. Very pleased. 

https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/70103/13%E2%80%9D-pullman-rye-yw-levains

previous bake 86% rye

I’ve made this before for Ian’s post . Watching the fermentation is the key to success. I hurried it once before and the texture wasn’t as fine as the first time I made it. This time I watched for the very first pinhole size bubble on the surface and immediately covered and refrigerated it. Perfect so far. The buttery fragrance is intoxicating. It’s wrapped in towels til tomorrow. 

My YW has been wonderful since it vacationed with me at the beach 😊. I made one levain using stored YW starter added stored  YW unrefreshed and t65 for 1/2 the called for levain and used stored Rye SD starter to which I added the same stored unrefreshed YW and fresh milled Danco Rye. 570 grams of levain total. All the rest of the flour is Danco rye milled fresh fine grind unsifted. My Holy Trinity of olive oil/Palmetto honey from Florida/ buttermilk made up 90g of the liquid. This is a batter poured into very well buttered 13” Pullman smoothed with wet spatula. The dough had 8 ridges showing when it was first put in the pan. This is right before going in the oven. When it came out filled perfectly to top. 

Thick slices of Cabot cheddar , buttered Challah and a 100 yr old iron skillet. Nothing could surpass the flavor and fragrance. 

Same old same old. Only new thing is using sweetened 1/2 and 1/2 on the dough pre bake. I love the flavor rather than the egg yolk wash. 

Baking exactly the same formula every 2 weeks. Make a levain with  stored Apple/ raisin YW and flour and another one in equal amounts with a spoonful of stored YW starter and YW and flour. Both tripled in a few hours . Dough rose and puffy and light in 2 hrs. Shaped and it was ready for the oven in 30 min. Beautiful fragrance. 

I have no problems with my stored YW I carried it to Florida for a month and used it 2x there. I’ve  been leaving the sludge in the bottom and keeping large pieces of fresh orange rind in it and only changing the apples and raisins when they sink. Works perfectly no dough deterioration when mixing , rising or shaping. Very happy with this series of successful  YW  Challah bakes so moving on to some other ideas . 

Edited to add : I think my bread is trying to tell me something!!! Huge!!!  Unprecedented! Amazing! Ok enough. No egg wash. I can’t tolerate the smell after having Covid 😩😬. Fragrance and powerful growth . Same flour as I brought it with me as well as the YW so everything is the same. Will bake it probably one more time in 2 weeks. Keep ya posted. 

First picture is YW and flour just the one feeding. 2 nd picture is a “ glop” of YW levain from home and YW and flour just one feeding. They are extremely fresh smelling and huge bubbling. More later. Headed out cycling to the Y via paved bike paths and then swim in the heated saltwater pool. Have to honor priorities! 

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 There are pictures in this thread of the YW and levains 

https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/70160/yw-challah#comment-505885 

 The crumb is very much like the Hokkaido bread!!! Wow that 10 min intensive mix really worked. So tender and light and so fragrant. Amazing bread

This is more like what I usually get when I bake this decades old ,originally ADY , yeast bread. 

I changed a few things. I used my YW without refreshing it as the fruit was still floating and it was fizzy. I made 2 levains subtracting from the total flour and water of the original formula. The levains were made using YW from the surface for one and sludge with added clear YW for the second. I used YW as the remaining liquid in the formula as well so essentially three forms of  the same rising agent. 

I always autolyse all ingredients for one hour and did so today. I always use my Kitchen aid mixer on 2 for 5 min after the autolyse but today I decided to try what others have been doing and head toward an intensive mix so I did 10 full minutes at level 2. Pulled a lovely windowpane! 

Amazing plush dough. Rising time was 2 hrs to double. Shaped easily and 2 hr rise again. Egg wash baked 350/ 35 min. 

Rich pastry fragrance fat well risen browned braids. I had stopped making Challah as I was pursuing other multigrain breads and techniques. This is how my Challah looked from the 70’s on until recently when I wasn’t really paying attention to details. 

My YW  with fruit and a batch of YW  flour starter in the fridge will both be traveling to FL next week for a month. I’ve never done this before but I want to solidify the things I did today. Guess I will pack the KA mixer too 😩

Bennie started it with his lemon love! This is a mixed up  crust with YW SD whole wheat and a bit of T65 and the rest AP. Toppings are mozzarella and Parmesan and black olive tapenade with pepperoni and homemade sauce.