So it's been an hour or so, let's check on the dough...
Hmm, it's looking pretty good, but I want to have a more tender crumb and a more developed flavor. I'll check back in another hour.
Now if you like what your dough is doing in with an hour rise, then by all means, use it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the dough and it will be WONDERFUL!
My house is a bit on the cool side. I let it rise for about 3 hours total. This is what looks like:
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Punch that dough DOOOOOOWN!
See how it stays indented? Perfect!
Knead it a little to get the large air bubbles out.
Now it's time to shape it. Here I'm a bit more gentle with the kneading, but at the same time i'm rolling the ends under. This is merely cosmetic as I shape the loaf.
It's log, log. It's big. It's heavy. It's... BREAD! From this point, you could cut it into equal sized pieces and make roll shapes and put it on a cookie sheet, or keep the rustic shape and put it on the pan. You of course can make any shape you want, and mark the top. I put it in a loaf pan.
From here, let it proof til it doubles in size once again.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit...
Because it's close to Samhain/Halloween, I marked it with a pentagram using the tip of a sharp knife. As the bread rises and puffs it will be quite lovely.
Update @ 7:38 PM 10/15/2012: It's almost done. I never get tired of the scent of baking bread, never. Mmmmmmmmmmm. That reminds me, I need to go to the health food store to get local organic pastured (Not Pasteurized) raw cream to make butter for this delicious bread. And yes, I'll show you how to make that too!
Time to get out the cooling racks if you have em. If not a clean dish towel will work just fine.
Take the loaf out. The top should be slightly brown. It should be hard and with almost a hollow thud sound.
Cool it in the pan until it comes out on its own, otherwise it can break apart. The proteins in the wheat flour need to set up a bit.
Once it can come out on its own, cool it the rest of the way on a cooling rack or on the dish towel.
This loaf slices very well, with a nice crunchy crust. It goes nicely with a soup or stew to sop up the broth.
It also freezes and refrigerates excellently. I keep it in the fridge so it lasts longer. It slices better when chilled.
I slice it for sandwiches, toast and use the ends of the bread to make croutons or bread crumbs if I don't eat them first!
It is crusty, crunchy and a lovely chewy texture.
I hope you enjoy this basic bread crash course as much I enjoyed putting it together. And once you get this down, you can experiment with flavors, flours, bread types. The possibilities are endless.
If you have any questions, ask away. I'll be happy to help you.
*I am not a chef professional or otherwise. I'm a home cook, a survivalist and a homesteader. I've been making bread by hand since i was a child at my grandmother's knee. This is what she taught me. This is by no means the only method or recipe.*
Now if you like what your dough is doing in with an hour rise, then by all means, use it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the dough and it will be WONDERFUL!
My house is a bit on the cool side. I let it rise for about 3 hours total. This is what looks like:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit...
Because it's close to Samhain/Halloween, I marked it with a pentagram using the tip of a sharp knife. As the bread rises and puffs it will be quite lovely.
Then into the oven it goes for 45 minutes. I use the same time when making rolls from the dough.
Update @ 7:38 PM 10/15/2012: It's almost done. I never get tired of the scent of baking bread, never. Mmmmmmmmmmm. That reminds me, I need to go to the health food store to get local organic pastured (Not Pasteurized) raw cream to make butter for this delicious bread. And yes, I'll show you how to make that too!
Cool it in the pan until it comes out on its own, otherwise it can break apart. The proteins in the wheat flour need to set up a bit.
Once it can come out on its own, cool it the rest of the way on a cooling rack or on the dish towel.
This loaf slices very well, with a nice crunchy crust. It goes nicely with a soup or stew to sop up the broth.
It also freezes and refrigerates excellently. I keep it in the fridge so it lasts longer. It slices better when chilled.
I slice it for sandwiches, toast and use the ends of the bread to make croutons or bread crumbs if I don't eat them first!
It is crusty, crunchy and a lovely chewy texture.
I hope you enjoy this basic bread crash course as much I enjoyed putting it together. And once you get this down, you can experiment with flavors, flours, bread types. The possibilities are endless.
If you have any questions, ask away. I'll be happy to help you.
*I am not a chef professional or otherwise. I'm a home cook, a survivalist and a homesteader. I've been making bread by hand since i was a child at my grandmother's knee. This is what she taught me. This is by no means the only method or recipe.*
