Saturday, March 26, 2005

Trying It Again
.
I picked up some yeast along with my other shopping the other day. Why? I really don't know. Because it seems that no matter what I do, I still bake crappy bread.

I follow the directions. I patiently let it rise or rest. I give it room to be itself. And in the end, I get italian bread with a sourdough zing. Yep. Fluffy but grainy with a thick and tender crust, and it tastes like sourdough.
Which I suppose would be fine, except
I hate sourdough!

I've tried adding honey, and get honey glazed sourdough italian bread. I've tried using milk instead of water, and it comes out even grainier. (Although the crust is thinner)
-sigh-

Oddly enough, the same dough makes a perfect pizza crust. Go figure.
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7 comments:

achromic said...

I could have sworn I left a comment for this...... hummm where oh where did it go.... I'm begining to think that the land of lost socks is taking in immgrents of the lost comments....

Anyways incase my lost comment never returns... I was saying, have you tried changeing your rising bowl and covering towel along with getting a new cutting board for the kneeding. Sourdough is caused by a bacteria reacting to the dough (people spend like millions to get it right and what you have it for free! Oy vey) So in my opinion this would probably be happening when it rises. Do you live close to the brewery? or even in the downwind from it? That may be your culprate as dough takes in the air and often changes consistance and flavor according to the air quailty. Next science project build a box that filters the air for the dough to rise yet keeps consistance huminty and of course runs on solar without raising the temp.... LOL.

3/27/2005 1:19 AM
She Dances in Dragon said...

I never thought about the brewery. I live in St. Louis! Along the river, even! South of Anheuser Bush. LOL.
And I usually bake with the windows wide open.

You know a lot about bread!

Te rest of your list wouldn't be the problem. Good points, though. I use a steel bowl for rising, I usually cover with layers of paper towels, and I knead on a sealed surface.

3/27/2005 10:18 AM
Optima said...

wow, she left some really great points here. I never woulda thought of that!
The only other think I can think of is the EX used a towel to cover the dough. Maybe the paper doesn't stay moist enough, or somethin'.

Anyway, I LOVE sourdough, I'll eat up your mess-ups. ;)

3/27/2005 9:09 PM
achromic said...

Bread is actually one of the peices of magic I can do. :) Perhaps because it is so depenant on the weather? We use to make the best bread in our little apt in STL. Yummy! So it is possible.... although we would like sourdough... :)

I would stop useing a steel bowl and go to Goodwill or someplace like that and pick up a glass one. Steel can become to cold/hot and can react where as glass is perfect. Colored glass ones are the best! Then look for one of those cotten kitchen towels (you know the ones with no fuzzies), or you can make one out of a pillow case. If you can swing it get yourself a largish wood cutting board that you will only use for non meat prep.

You can use your oven for rising if you don't have a gas oven. Or empty out a space in the shelf above your
'fridge to stick it, even that much protection along with a real towel ought to help.

3/28/2005 12:05 PM
achromic said...

Bread is actually one of the peices of magic I can do. :) Perhaps because it is so depenant on the weather? We use to make the best bread in our little apt in STL. Yummy! So it is possible.... although we would like sourdough... :)

I would stop useing a steel bowl and go to Goodwill or someplace like that and pick up a glass one. Steel can become to cold/hot and can react where as glass is perfect. Colored glass ones are the best! Then look for one of those cotten kitchen towels (you know the ones with no fuzzies), or you can make one out of a pillow case. If you can swing it get yourself a largish wood cutting board that you will only use for non meat prep.

You can use your oven for rising if you don't have a gas oven. Or empty out a space in the shelf above your
'fridge to stick it, even that much protection along with a real towel ought to help.

3/28/2005 12:31 PM
Roberta S said...

More advice than enough here but I might as well add my 2 bits. I use a greased clean plastic garbage bag to cover the dough and a warm bath towel overtop -- that way no fuzzies. Also I find that if I wrap the bread in the plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 30 min. after the first quick mixing (it will be a bit sticky), it is nice and light and easier to knead. Surgical gloves are a must. A little flour on them and a light dough can be manageable. Too often the reason bread is not as light as it should be is just too much flour.

3/30/2005 12:24 AM
She Dances in Dragon said...

I was in such a bad mood this morning. All ready to rant about my son and the demerits he's likely to receive today for not doing homework over vacation... And then I read this comment from Roberta.
Thank you, dear lady. You've made my day.

3/30/2005 8:14 AM

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