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making bread in Texas heat

"J. Mathew" <joanm@bigfoot.com>
Sun, 19 Jul 1998 06:10:25 -0500
v098.n054.7
> I missed the first description of 'Summer Loaf' event.  Sounds like it's up
> in the Pacific Northwest somewhere?  Guess you wouldn't expect a lot of
> heavy breadmaking to be occuring down here in Texas in July.  Most folks
> here think it's a sin to light the oven when it's 100 outside and the A/C
> is begging for relief. 

Actually, I live near Dallas and am finding that the summer heat is a 
great way to rise the bread dough!  What I do is make up the different 
batches of dough in the morning around 6am, just after my husband has 
left for work.  Then I pop them in various bowls with a little plastic cover 
(I use those shower caps that you get in hotels/motels on trips -- works 
great) and put them out in my enclosed garage to rise.  My sourdough 
rises nicely in about 3-4 hours with a nice flavor, my bread sponges 
spend about 3-4 hours out there, and my regular, faster-rising bread 
doughs spend about 1 or 1-1/2 hours out there to rise double.  

If I do this for just one day I can end up with a batch of sourdough rolls, 
seeded wheat rolls, and different kinds of bread loaves (about 5-6 in 
total).  And that's just taking it easy and only making about 3 different 
kinds of yeast doughs!

While things are baking I'm puttering around the house doing various 
things, including my course work and studying, etc.  Everything gets its 
"turn" in the oven, and so my oven heat is utilized fully because I've filled 
it up several times in succession with breads.  I have two large ovens 
(one is in my 36" Viking range, the other is a 30" electric wall oven -- 
both are thermal/convection), but I only need the Viking for what I've 
described above.  Once the oven is heated I fill it up with about 6 loaves 
at a time, or a combination of things (e.g., rolls, loaves) and bake with 
convection.  

Everything is usually out of the oven by about 2pm, and I have fresh 
breads for dinner if I want to use any of them.  Instead, what I usually 
end up doing is letting everything *cool thoroughly* and then wrapping 
thoroughly and freezing.  I use Ziploc 2-gallon freezer bags for the larger 
loaves and just try to get all the excess air out of them when I close 
them up.  Rolls can fit into smaller-sized freezer bags.  By the time 
hubby comes home and dinner is over (6 or 6:30pm) I have a whole 
bunch of new things in the freezer, some of which I've torn out of hubby's 
hands as he grabs for freshly-baked goodies from the kitchen counter!!  
;)

Might as well utilize all that heat for something good!!

Joan
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