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Post by windyindy on Jan 9, 2016 12:46:40 GMT -5
I'm sorry to hear of your disappointing experience. Sourdough does seem to be a bit tricky sometimes. I'm not sure what you could do differently, but sometimes it's worth trying over a few times and then all of a sudden you have beautiful bread!! If your bread failed and you cannot eat it, process it into crumbs and freeze or dry it and freeze. Use these crumbs for E meals or other foods like topping an E casserole or trying a crust for an E dessert containing fruit. I tried this recipe from the first book and it didn't turn out. It seems she made some adjustments in the second book, so I've been thinking of trying it again. I have a great bread that I make all the time called Desem bread. It is fermented using the yeast from within the grain. I'm sure it catches wild yeast from the air as time goes on. I've had the same starter for about 2 1/2 years now. I love the science and almost mysterious way that it works and becomes something our taste buds bodies can enjoy. I hope you will give it another try using the left over starter. Sometimes the starter needs time to get 'strong' and just right to turn out beautiful bread. I'm curious about your bread. How do you make it? Is it lower in gluten too?
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Post by susieq on Jan 9, 2016 16:57:12 GMT -5
The bread I make is Esther time consuming to establish a starter, but it's kind of neat. I've not made the starter myself, but friends of mine did and handed down starter to me, which is real easy to take care of after the initial starter has been made.
There's a website under cultures for health that sells a starter for Desem bread. That might be your best option. I have found that if I can get a recipe that has exact weights for all ingredients it turns out consistently every time. Sometimes humidity or temperature such as summer or winter so play minor roles in how it behaves.
I hope this helps you. I'm really curious now to try the recipe in the book, just to see. I'd love to make more use of rye in my breads. I don't buy kamut since I already buy spelt, wheat, and kamut berries.
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Post by windyindy on Jan 9, 2016 17:05:09 GMT -5
Thank you for explaining that to me. I would be curious to know how yours turns out compared to mine. My family really likes rye bread, that's another reason I was excited for trying the artisan.
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Post by susieq on Jan 9, 2016 17:15:04 GMT -5
*It's rather time consuming* is what I meant to type.
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Post by susieq on Jan 9, 2016 17:18:36 GMT -5
Sorry, another typo. I buy spelt, wheat, and rye berries. Not kamut.
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Post by susieq on Jan 9, 2016 17:20:27 GMT -5
Maybe Serene would do a video in the near future on the artisan bread since so many have commented on failures in making this bread.
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Post by windyindy on Jan 9, 2016 17:29:02 GMT -5
No worries, I know how typos go I sure hope she does, I like the flavor of it. I'm going to start researching Desem bread and find out more about that and maybe give that a try That's on plan right? It would be an E?
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Post by windyindy on Jan 9, 2016 17:56:58 GMT -5
I think before I fully throw out the towel on this starter that I'm going to give it one last shot. I think I'm going to only use 3 pans instead of 4 and skip the 10 minutes at 400 and go the full 2 hours at 350. If that doesn't work I'll probably be done. I hate the thought of throwing in the towel,but I also don't want to keep "wasting" ingredients. =/
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Post by susieq on Jan 10, 2016 15:55:18 GMT -5
Yes, the Desem recipe I use has a full 7 hour ferment and has no fat in it, so a clean E. Try covering your bread with a plastic tent while rising to keep the top from drying out. Or waxed paper. Does Serene recommend a pan of water in the oven to keep some hydration going? I'll have to read the recipe over again. Some people recommend baking artisan breads in a heavy duty covered dish and then uncovering to brown. You bake these at longer, higher heat levels and this gives a chewy crust and seals in the moisture on the inside which also lends itself to being moist yet chewy. It also gives the bread a boost in rising before the crust has fully set. Can you tell I just LOVE working with and learning about breads? I hope your third attempt gives better results and enough change so that you know how to tweak it for the results your family will love.
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Post by windyindy on Jan 10, 2016 16:54:24 GMT -5
Awesome! Yes, I can tell you love it! lol! I'm finding I like it too, I just want it to turn out in the process Thank you for the tips, I really appreciate it! I do have it covered with a clean towel and rising in the oven. She recommends a water pan when baking the bread and if it's too cold in the house to put steaming water in a cupboard with the bread and switch out a couple times, but I'm using the oven. Should I still have water in there with it? When you say baking it in a heavy duty dish, would that mean something like a dutch oven? And then I wouldn't separate the dough? I could then use the dutch oven cover, but would that wreck it not having air? Thank you! I hope it does too, I'll let you know how it goes. So far it's at the top of the pans!!
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Post by windyindy on Jan 10, 2016 20:42:01 GMT -5
I meant not getting air as it rises before baking. I would love to try it that way too =) I love kitchen experiments!! =D
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Post by susieq on Jan 11, 2016 10:09:27 GMT -5
You would still form a loaf, a free form or put it in a pan that fits into the Dutch oven. The water goes into the oven when baking to provide the steam. Covering your bread with plastic wrap or waxed paper during rising would prevent the dough from drying out on top. You would put the cover on the Dutch oven during baking and take it off for the last while to brown. Since this is a large bread recipe it wouldn't be ideal to do it this way or you'd be baking for most of the day. Waiting to hear about your results!
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Post by susieq on Jan 11, 2016 10:11:19 GMT -5
The yeast has been established in your dough by the time it's ready to rise, so it won't need any air to rise. It could be tightly covered after forming loaves.
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Post by windyindy on Jan 11, 2016 10:14:31 GMT -5
Gotcha, thank you! I have two dutch ovens, one cast iron and the other is a coated cast iron. I'll try the plastic wrap or wax paper next time.
It raised to the top of the pans, but didn't get the nice rounded top that other bread does so still seems a little small to me. I haven't cut it yet, but the outside still feels hard. I had it at 350 and after the first hour it started to feel like it was going to over bake and get super crunchy again so I dropped the temp to 300 for the last hour. I'm hoping this doesn't mean that the middle will be doughy. =/
PS. you can't free form this bread as it's supposed to be porridge oatmeal consistency. Crossing my fingers that the pans fit in the ovens
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Post by windyindy on Jan 11, 2016 10:16:52 GMT -5
The yeast has been established in your dough by the time it's ready to rise, so it won't need any air to rise. It could be tightly covered after forming loaves. Wow! That's great to know! I just can't thank you enough for all your help, I'm hoping one of these days it'll turn out, though, we're almost swimming in bread! lol I'm thinking I may have to put my starter in the fridge until we eat up some of this bread
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