Working Bread

[NCPaul]

I'm hopeless with a lame, the serrated knife is my best bet. There are some remarkable examples of slashing bread that are way past my efforts.

[vagreys]

Back in January, my wife bought the microbakery where she'd been senior baker for the prior 3 years (Tater Dave's LLC). On Wednesdays, she produces 40 pounds of sourdough sandwich loaves, 40 pounds of multi-grain sourdough sandwich loaves, and 16 pounds of multi-grain sourdough batards for her wholesale customers. On Fridays, the market bake, she produces on average about 125 pounds of bread including several kinds of sandwich loaves, a rye bread, several types of potato bread batards, baguettes, mini loaves, sandwich and dinner rolls, and sourdough rounds.Eight months out of the year, she also makes Portuguese muffins, English muffins and crumpets on the griddles. Other days of the week are for smaller custom orders, like the seven dozen sliders for a barbeque caterer, tomorrow, or the occasional order for brioche dough by another bakery in the commissary. We mix and first proof in an air-conditioned room, and depending on the weather, use the mabient temp of the bakery, a dough retarder, and a proofing rack for benching, pre-shaping and shaping. If we didn't use the environment and weather to make the dough work with us, we'd never be able to get it all done. It's a tight, constant schedule from arrival until the last loaf is packaged.

She uses a razor blade for slashing, and while some of the slashing is decorative, it's absolutely vital for positive identification of the various loaves when everything is cooling on the racks. If you want to see pics, you can go to the bakery's FB page (no link).

[NCPaul]

What's her favorite non-sourdough loaf? Any tips for the home bakers?

[Snags]

Ive been making the no knead bread the last few weeks
Love the results
Favourite is the sourdough version.

Basically
3 cups flour
1 and1/2 cups water
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon yeast or 1/4 cup sourdough mother
Mix together I use a butter knife
Put plastic wrap on the bowl and leave overnight
When doubled take out fold over 3 or 4 times on a floured bench top
and then put it in a bowl lined with baking paper for another hour
Heat up a cast iron dutch oven for 30 minutes at 230 C
Put dough in paper in the dutch oven lid on for 30 minutes
Take lid off and bake till desired browness on top about 10 more minutes or longer

For Clay baker put dough in the baker on paper and put in a cold oven for 45 minutes set to 230 C
Take lid of for an extra 10 or so
Wet lid if you want a crispier crust

Dutch gives a round loaf clay gives a oval loaf
The results are very very very good

[wheels]

Is this the "New York No Knead" one? I have trouble keeping up?

Phil

[Snags]

Is this the "New York No Knead" one? I have trouble keeping up?

Phil

Yes with a sourdough,baking paper and clay baker twist

[wheels]

Nice.

Phil

[NCPaul]

If you make this bread using 100 % whole wheat you should come out with this:



Slightly tighter structure but still tender



The flour I used (quite good):

[wheels]

That looks good. FWIW, I always increase the water/liquid content when making whole meal breads.

Phil

[NCPaul]

That's a good tip to remember.