Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2002 04:02:18 -0600 (MDT) -------------- BEGIN bread-bakers.v102.n023 -------------- 001 - Reggie Dwork Subject: wood-fired ovens and classes Date: Sun, 02 Jun 2002 02:35:37 -0700 Mugnaini Imports, the North American importer of Valoriani ovens from Italy, has a showroom and demonstration kitchen "La Cucina Mugnaini" in Watsonville, CA. We're looking forward to visiting them soon and hope someday to take one of their classes. Mugnaini Imports, LLC 11 Hangar Way Watsonville, California 95076 Toll free: (888) 887-7206 Phone: (831) 761-1767 Fax: (831) 728-5570 http://www.mugnaini.com/ The culinary director is Susie Dymoke, . Susie is a new subscriber to the bread-bakers digest. La Cucina Mugnaini has some very exciting bread baking classes coming up: Wood-Fired Bread Baking Clinic Craig Ponsford June 15, 2002 La Cucina Mugnaini is honored to host award winning bread baker Craig Ponsford as the instructor for this day long clinic. Craig is the co-owner and baker-in-chief of Artisan Bakery in Sonoma, and earned first place at the 1996 Coupe du Monde, and coached the 1999 US Gold-medal winning team for the International Baking Olympics. He is coaching the US team again to defend their title in the 2002 event, and also will be the judge representing the US. This class is limited to just 16 students, in order to have plenty of one-on-one interaction with the instructor. Craig will give information on the tried and tested formulae for beautiful bread baking, using ratios, percentages, and the calculations that master bakers use to achieve consistent results. Theory will be put into practice and you'll be given guidance on how to produce a perfect loaf. This is a rare chance to learn at first hand from the best in his field. Craig is a keen user of the wood-burning oven and the rustic qualities it imparts to his loaves. A Weekend of Wood Oven Bread-Baking Kurtis Baguley August 10 & 11, 2002 Kurtis Baguley was classically trained at the California Culinary Academy and the famous Konditorei Tivoli in Copenhagen. Kurtis headed the professional baking curriculum at the California Culinary Academy, and has recently received a nomination from the James Beard Foundation for "Top Pastry Chef in Northern California". This is a wonderful opportunity to experience hands-on bread baking with an acclaimed instructor. Clear and straightforward instruction on the techniques involved for perfect results, as well as invaluable hands-on experience, will give you the confidence to recreate the class recipes in your own wood-burning oven. Every step, from choosing ingredients and equipment through to shaping and baking techniques will be thoroughly explained and demonstrated. Tuition costs include lunch from the wood oven, all beverages, espresso/cappuccinos and recipes. Saturday - Levain and Sourdough The wonders of levain and sourdough breads are uncovered in today's class. You'll be taught how to create your own starter, how to store it, and nurture it. Measuring, mixing, kneading, rising, timing, shaping, slashing and baking will all be clarified under Kurtis' expert supervision. Sunday - Classic Flatbreads There are many different varieties of flatbreads baked worldwide. This class covers some of the most popular. Stretched Cracker Bread with Pear, Gorgonzola and Toasted Walnuts Classic Pita Bread - discover how to produce perfectly puffed pita Garden Herb Foccacia styled in a free form, and made with a prefermented starter to produce a wonderful texture and crust Ciabatta - rustic, crusty country texture combined with a tantalizing taste --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n023.2 --------------- From: Nifcon@aol.com Subject: Re:reduced-bran whole wheat Date: Mon, 27 May 2002 09:05:14 EDT Paddy I've been using sieved wholemeal for about a year now with excellent results - I just pass the wholewheat through an ordinary kitchen sieve - which is probably a close approximation of the commercial process to reduce bran content. You lose 5% or so of the original weight depending on the fineness of your sieve and the grind of the flour. When added to doughs it gives a beautiful colour, all the sweet wheat taste and none of the harsh acrid flavour that high proportions of bran can produce, The dough also rises higher and more stably than unsieved wholewheat. I owe the use of this ingredient to Peter Reinhart's recipe for Poolish Baguettes. John >Has anyone ever heard of reduced-bran whole wheat flour? I have Rose Levy >Beranbaum's recipe for whole wheat croissants which, she says, she first >had in Montreal, so I should be able to get the flour here. So far, no one >I've asked has heard of it. Would it be the same if I just sifted some >regular whole wheat flour? >Paddy Lanthier. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n023.3 --------------- From: Sue Hermosillo Subject: artisan breads Date: Mon, 27 May 2002 07:49:01 -0700 Sue Hodder, Mpls. Minnesota wrote: "HI I love to bake bread and I would love to be able to make sour dough bread like it just came out of the oven in San Francisco. Or, like the "Artisan Bread" that I buy here in Mpls. MN. Any tips ?" I really like Nancy Silverton's book "Breads From The La Brea Bakery". It has a long introductory section on the process, beginning with making a grape starter (which I didn't do, I bought the one sold by King Arthur and I love it). With one exception all of the breads are sourdough and take at least 2 days. Sue H --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n023.4 --------------- From: Andie Paysinger Subject: A very old French bread recipe Date: Mon, 27 May 2002 08:29:16 -0700 This is a very old recipe for French bread which doesn't require a special place for rising. It does very well at ambient room temperature (as long as it is at least 60 F) Old French Bread recipe 1 cake Fleischmann's yeast 1/4 cup boiled water, cooled to skin temperature 3/4 cup flour 2 cups boiled water, cooled as above and poured into a large bowl. 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 to 6 cups white flour Break up the cake of yeast and soften in the 1/4 cup of water, stir in the 3/4 cup of flour. Knead the little ball of dough until smooth and elastic. Make a cut the shape of a cross about 1/4 inch deep across the top of the ball of dough. Place the ball of dough into the water in the large bowl, cover and set aside in a place with normal room temperature out of drafts. When the ball becomes a puffy mass and is floating in the water (should take about an hour in normal room temperature, shorter during warm weather, may take longer in winter): Stir the 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt into 1 cup of the flour and stir into the dough with a wooden spoon or broad whisk. (A broad whisk is a flat uneven coil of very heavy wire with the ends secured in a heavy long wooden handle.) Mix until the dough is smooth. Add 4 more cups of flour, one at a time, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Sprinkle the remaining flour little by little on a kneading board or dough trough and continue kneading until th edough no longer sticks to your hands. Continue kneading about 15 to 20 minutes. Cover and set aside in a draft-free place (at about 70 F) until doubled in bulk (2 hours or more). When the dough has doubled in bulk butter your hands (the dough will be stringy and slightly tacky). Shape the dough by separating into 3 or 4 balls, flattening and stretching each one into a long flat rectangle, starting at one edge roll into a torpedo shape, sealing the bottom edge by pressing the seal against the board with the heel of your hand. Stretch to desired length and place on oiled baking sheet. Using the side of your hand make a trough lengthwise down the center of the loaf and set aside, covered, to rise again for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 425 F. Just before baking make 3 or 4 diagonal slashes across the top of the loaves. Place in oven on center rack. After 30 minutes remove the loaves from the oven, brush the tops with milk or a little beaten egg white. You may sprinkle sesame seeds on one or more loaves after brushing the liquid on the loaves. Return to oven for an addiitonal 10 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool. Allow to cool completely before slicing. Loaf should sound hollow when rapped on bottom with wooden spoon. This bread stales rapidly. Store wrapped in oil cloth or in bread keeper with tight lid. To refresh, run cold water over uncut loaf, wetting all sides, place directly on rack in hot oven (425 F) for about 10 minutes. Bread refreshed in this manner may be sliced and eaten while warm. Andie Paysinger & the PENDRAGON Basenjis, Teafer ,Singer & Player asenji@earthlink.net So. Calif. USA "In the face of adversity, be patient, in the face of a basenji, be prudent, be canny, be on your guard!" http://home.earthlink.net/~asenji/ --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n023.5 --------------- From: Bszim@aol.com Subject: malt answer Date: Mon, 27 May 2002 11:33:28 EDT I bought some Malt because it should be used when making bagels. (The usual "bagels" are just rolls with holes.) A bagel should NOT be big (over 3") and should be chewy enough to tire your jaws when chewing. The malt gives them a terrific flavor without which no bagel is real. My malt is grainy, and in a jar. It's from King Arthur. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n023.6 --------------- From: "Shauna S. Roberts" Subject: Crusty Bread with Large Random Holes in Crumb Date: Mon, 27 May 2002 11:56:40 -0500 Nick Halbrook wrote in Bread-Bakers vol 102 #22: >I am interested in learning how to make crusty bread with large random >holes in the crumb... I'm not familiar with the bakerie you mentioned. But one method that has worked well for me for creating large holes in bread is to beat the dough with a rolling pin. No kidding! During the first knead, knead it partially, then whack it with a rolling pin from various directions 100 times, folding it over on itself every so often. I learned this tip from _The Village Baker: Classic Regional Breads from Europe and America_ by Joe Ortiz. -- Shauna S. Roberts http://www.nasw.org/users/ShaunaRoberts/ --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n023.7 --------------- From: "Susannah Ayres-Thomas" Subject: RE: What is MALT? Date: Mon, 27 May 2002 20:12:52 -0500 There are two things which are referred to as Malt in breadmaking--either diastatic malt powder (available from KA Flour) or barley malt syrup, which you can get at most health-food stores. Both are simple sugars which are derived from malting (or sprouting) barley, and they not only contribute sweetness--though much less than table sugar--but they also promote enzyme activity and add to the leavening effects of yeast. I've used both, and lean towards the barley malt syrup, as it's a less refined product. You only use a couple of tablespoonfuls in a recipe, but it will keep indefinitely in your fridge. A tip when measuring it: spray the cup or spoon with vegetable oil spray (such as Pam(R)) before pouring it in, and it will come out very nicely, it's extremely thick and sticky. Susannah --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n023.8 --------------- From: "Gardner, Meryl" Subject: breads for gift giving Date: Tue, 28 May 2002 11:15:52 -0400 Hi -- My bread making skills are currently limited to simple, made-in-the-ABM recipes, but I am hoping to find a way to bake breads for end-of-the-year gifts for teachers. Does anyone have a fool-proof recipe that would enable me to make a bunch of breads at a time? I have to make about 20 gift breads, and don't have time to make them one at a time in my ABM. I would very much appreciate fool-proof recipes that would enable me to bake a bunch of breads at a time? They don't have to be big loaves and don't even have to be breads in a strict sense, but they should be a little "gifty". Thanks -- Meryl --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n023.9 --------------- From: "Frederick J. Krall" Subject: Source For Malt Date: Tue, 28 May 2002 12:00:49 -0400 Gene recently asked about purpose and sources for malt. I don't know the chemistry, but as I understand it, malt is primarily a flavoring and, maybe, a light-duty sweetener as well. It's typically used in bagels to provide--you guessed it--a malty taste. King Arthur carries it, as do many health food and brewer's stores. It's also called Barley Malt and is usually a thick syrup. Rick Krall --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n023.10 --------------- From: "Mike Avery" Subject: Re: Kitchen Aid mixers Date: Tue, 28 May 2002 16:15:38 -0600 On 25 May 2002 NuttyBakerGirl said: > Buy a Kitchen Aid and your small appliance repair guy will love you." > This depends on what kind of Kitchen Aid you buy. The small 4 1/2 qt > mixers that sell for less than 200 hundred dollars are not good for > making bread. They don't have the power to them. The Professional > model, at 525 watts of power is a worthy model. The magic mill is > something like 600 watts. There really isn't much difference in the > power. Well, I've had my K45SS with 275 watts since about 1980. It's made more bread than I care to think about. It's made hundreds of pounds of pasta. And more. And it's still going strong. I don't think that the watts is a key issue. It's build quality. I've heard it said the older machines were better built than the newer ones. I know that mine is still going strong. And it has a 275 watt motor. Which is about 1/2 horsepower, if remember the conversion formula correctly. > In the end what really tears up a stand mixer is how you use it. There > is no reason to crank the mixer up to full speed for anything that > your mixing. Well... there is beating egg whites and whipping cream. It's warp factor 10 on those things. > Speed 2 on a Kitchen Aid is fine for bread kneading. And there is high hydration ciabatta style doughs which I usually crank up to 6 or so. > I've never had any problem mixing any kind of bread in my machine. If it's wet enough, the mixer will handle it well. I'd stay away from bagels and authentic German pumpernickel though. > If you truly want something that can knead bread into oblivion, then > buy a VitaMix. Those things are 2 horsepower (Think about it, a lawn > mower is 4 horsepower). If you need more capacity, then go for the gusto. But I've been happy with my 4 1/2 quart KitchenAid. Mike --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n023.11 --------------- From: "Maija Dixon" Subject: Potato Flakes for Flour? Date: Tue, 28 May 2002 20:56:17 -0400 I've read that using potato flour increases moisture and shelf life in yeast breads. Is it possible to substitute mashed potato flakes for the same purpose? Maija --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n023.12 --------------- From: "Dick Carlton" Subject: Schuttelbrot Bread Date: Tue, 28 May 2002 11:54:42 -0700 A friend has asked me for the recipe for Schuttelbrot bread, a thin crispy bread found in the Alta Adige, Trentino area of Italy. I've searched through my recipe books to no avail. Can anyone help me? Thank you, Dick Carlton, Brookings, OR --------------- END bread-bakers.v102.n023 --------------- Copyright (c) 1996-2002 Regina Dwork and Jeffrey Dwork All Rights Reserved