Breadbaking Foundation Class

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Welcome

https://excelsior.zoom.us/j/92686434744
Meeting ID: 926 8643 4744
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Meeting ID: 926 8643 4744

Checklist: What you’ll need for our Zoom class

Ingredients

Water Water straight from the tap
Sugar Normal granulated sugar
Salt Normal Iodized table salt 
Flour All-purpose unbleached (I use King Arthur)
Yeast Active dry yeast (I use Fleischmann’s)
Sesame seeds ½ cup, toasted before hand
Cheddar cheese 8 oz (I use Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Yellow)
Vegetable oil or olive oil is fine

Equipment

Large mixing bowl 4 quart-ish is good
Small bowl Like a cereal bowl (for softening the yeast)
Wooden spoon I use a bamboo spoon – just needs to be sturdy
Kitchen towel Tightly woven (i.e. not terry cloth)
Dough scraper Plastic is good – won’t scratch the counter
Measuring cups ¼ cup dry and at least 2 cup liquid
Measuring spoons We’ll only be using the teaspoon
Cheese grater For the cheddar
Pans (or cookie sheet) Dutch oven if you have one, pans of different sizes
Parchment paper Parchment is essential for baking cheese breads
Instant read thermometer Your secret weapon for knowing when bread is done
Oven of course…
Cooling rack We can adapt if you don’t have one

Download this checklist (PDF)

Basic White Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 3 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
    __________
  • 2 cups water

Preparation

  1. Soften the yeast  
    In a small bowl, stir yeast into ½ cup water to soften.
  2. Combine dry ingredients
    Mix the sugar, salt, and flour in a large mixing bowl. 
  3. Add liquids
    Pour the water and softened yeast in with the dry ingredients and mix them together.
  4. Knead the dough
    Sprinkle flour onto your work surface. Scrape the dough onto the flour and knead for ten minutes. Add flour as necessary, until you have a smooth, elastic dough (try to add as little as possible).
  5. First rise
    Put the dough into an oil-coated bowl. Roll the dough until it is covered with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and place in the oven with the light on. Let rise for an hour or until doubled in size.
  6. Shape and second rise
    Shape your dough, place into pans, cover with a towel and let rise for 45 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 400 toward the end of the second rise.
  7. Bake
    Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees. Remove loaves from oven and transfer them to a cooling rack. Wait 30 minutes to serve.

Download the recipe (PDF)

Ingredient ideas for extending the basic white bread recipe

Grains & Flours Liquids Cheese Fats
Amaranth
Buckwheat
Farro
Freekeh
Kamut
Kañiwa
Masa Harina
Millet
Quinoa
Rolled oats
Rye
Semolina
Sorghum
Spelt
Teff
Almon milk
Beer
Beet juice
Buttermilk
Cashew milk
Coffee
Goat milk
Milk
Orange juice
Red wine
Rum
Soy milk
Stout
Asiago cheese
Blue cheese
Brie
Cheddar
Cream cheese
Feta Cheese
Goat cheese
Gruyere cheese
Havarti
Parmesan
Pepper Jack
Ricotta
Butter
Coconut oil
Heavy cream
Ghee
Greek yogurt
Olive oil
Shortening
Sour cream
Vegetable oil
Sweeteners
Brown sugar
Honey
Maple syrup
Molasses
Herb & Spices Nuts & Seeds Vegetables, etc. Fruit & Drupes
Basil
Black pepper
Cardamom
Cayenne pepper
Chinese five spice
Cinnamon
Coriander
Curry powder
Dill
Fennel
Ground mace
Lavender
Mint
Mustard
Nutmeg
Rosemary
Saffron
Sage
Almonds
Anise seeds
Caraway seeds
Cashews
Celery seeds
Chia seeds
Flax seeds
Hazelnut meal
Hemp seeds
Pecans
Pine nuts
Poppy seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Sesame seeds
Sunflower seeds
Walnuts
Za’atar
Beets
Black beans
Capers
Carrots
Chipotle peppers
Chives
Garlic
Ginger
Green onion
Jalapeño peppers
Mushrooms
Pesto
Pine needles
Potato
Salsa
Turmeric
Sun-dried tomato
Sweet peppers
Apples
Apricots
Blueberries
Cherries
Chocolate
Coconut
Coffee
Cranberries
Currants
Dates
Figs
Lemons
Mangoes
Oranges
Pears
Pistachios
Raisins
Olives

Download Ingredient Ideas (PDF)

Food for Thought

Weighing vs. Measuring

European bread recipes list ingredients by metric weight (170g water, 298g flour) and American recipes tend to list ingredients by imperial volume (3/4 cup water, 2 1/2 cups flour). My Mom told me that early American settlers could not carry heavy scales in their wagons and so relied on what they did carry with them: spoons and cups.

Western-style vs. Asian-style 

Generally speaking, Western-style breads tend to be crustier, chewier, saltier, and with bigger holes in the crumb (the part of bread that isn’t the crust). Asian-style breads are softer, sweeter, and springier. One reason is Tangzhong dough invented by the Japanese. This dough starts with cooking equal parts flour and water and gives the finished bread a soft, moist texture.

American vs. European flour

Over 60% of the wheat produced in America is hard red wheat, while under 25% is soft wheat. Hard wheat, despite it’s name, produces a softer, fluffier bread – partly because it also contains more gluten than soft wheat. In Europe, soft wheat varieties prevail. Other differences include mineral content (for example, American wheat contains 10 times the amount of Selenium) and sourcing (many European grain varieties are regional).

Sourdough starter vs. Commercial yeast 

Sourdough starter is made of “wild” yeast that you cultivate yourself using flour and water. It makes bread have a tangy flavor and big air pockets in the crumb – and usually adds several hours to your rise times. Sourdough starters are unpredictable in that different starters can have different qualities.  Commercial yeast is predictable in that one packet of yeast is fairly identical to another (of the same brand). A sourdough recipe can take as long as 12 or even 24 hours to complete. Bread made with instant yeast – a type of fast-acting commercial yeast – can be on the table in less than two hours. 

Conventional vs. Convection Ovens

Conventional ovens have heating elements on the top and bottom inside. These elements heat the still air inside the oven. Bread baked in a conventional oven may come out darker on the bottom and top because of this. Convection (first popularized in Europe) ovens have a fan that circulates the heated air and keeps it moving around the food — and usually cook food 25% faster. Bread baked in a convection oven will be evenly cooked on all sides. 
Download Food for Thought (PDF)