WGB # 4 Transitional Cinnamon raisin Bread

This is the fourth bread of theWGB challenge, a group of us are baking our way through Peter Reinhardt's book Whole Grain Breads.It' being hosted by Jenni at  http://somethingtosavor.blogspot.com/2011/05/wgb-challange.html. She rearranged the recipes from transitional to whole grains, so we will start with part whole grain recipes first, a good way to begin.
Most people love/like cinnamon raisin bread,I am of the former group.Toasted, spread with butter/non butter spread, cream cheese, ahh french toast YUMMY! This sweet bread is such a delight, part bread, part dessert, part sweet sandwich bread. I was looking forward to making this recipe,as in all new first attempts the unknown is always present, and sometimes creates minor obstacles to overcome, thus the learning process.
I have made other raisin breads, just never a part whole wheat one, and I do like ww bread, so this was going to be interesting.
 Let's make some bread!!















 


 


























BBA#23 Pane Siciliano

I really enjoyed eating this bread, rich with the flavor of semolina,the sesame seeds adding a touch of nuttiness. The recipe uses a pate ferment ( a batch of pre fermented dough), after all ingredients are assembled and incorporated it's kneaded. allowed to rise till double.Then shaped into the 'S', creating a very handsome loaf, and then right into the fridge for an over night ferment.The slow cold ferment creates a depth of flavor which would be missing with baking after a room temp rise.
        I made this last week, but haven't had time to post it? Now that I'm retired, I often wonder how I found time to go to work! Seem to be always busy with something.... 
Let's make some bread!!                                                  
                                                                                      

Removed the pate ferment from the fridge cut
 it up into lots of small pieces ,will warm faster
that way.





 

Into the mixer bowl, bread flour,semolina,salt yeast ,oil honey, water to make a tacky dough








After about 2 hours, rose nicely

Cut into three pieces

Shaped into baguettes first, allowed to rest,then extended to 18', let rest, then to 24", covered and let rest before I shaped them

Shaped into an 'S' by curling one end to the right and the other to the left

Placed the loaves onto a parchment lined pan, which was lightly oiled and dusted with cornmeal
covered with plastic and went into the fridge over night

Baked on the  pan with a steam pan and spraying water into the oven 3 times at 30 second intervals then lowered oven to 450 and baked 15 minutes,rotated pan and baked 10 minutes more till
 brown  .



  




 



 







 











WGB#2 Transitional Rye Bread

This bread uses a soaker as well as a biga ( a pre fermented dough).The soaker consists ofwhole rye flour and some ww flour,salt and buttermilk. They are blended together ,covered and allowed to soak overnight.The biga is bread flour yeast and water, blended then kneaded to a smooth dough which is then placed in an oiled* bowl or zip bag to ferment in the fridge overnight, which develops flavors.
The following day the final dough is made using the soaker, the biga , rye flour, yeast,salt and molasses, honey and caraway seeds. it is kneaded then proofed for about an hour. It may be shaped into a sandwich loaf, batard, or boule.  It is then allowed to rise not quite double in size (1+1/2), prior to baking  either in a pan or free standing shape on a pan. I baked mine as a boule on the stone.  









BBA#22 Pain De Campagne

This bread I really enjoyed eating,it is flavorful, not too dense,tender crust.With this recipe I did not do a step by step photo process.The dough consists of a pate ferment which is then blended with bread flour and some rye or ww flour,I chose some of each, yeast salt water.It came together easily with a little adjustment of flour. It rose in 2 hours.
I selected three shapes, the crown, the fendu,and the cap. shaping the batard and the boule, I found this method works for me, this is a link a fellow Baker posted, on her blog Life and Bread.

 http://thebackhomebakery.com/Tutorials/MoreBreadShaping.html

The fendu or split batard is cut side down on the pan,the crown shows the creases, the cap is just a piece of dough rolled thin then placed on top of a boule that has been lightly oiled .
They are to rise 1+1/2 their size,which I thought I did properly.

As you can see in the baked loaves, the creases of the crown sealed, as well as the split in the batard.Since the cap is not creased it came out fine.
It seems I may have proofed them past that one and a half point of rise.
Regardless the bread is delicious, sort of a tender Italian type bread, which we really enjoyed, the cap loaf disappeared with dinner!
I would not consider this a difficult recipe other than the shaping may be a little tricky.Although PR has photos of various breads that can be made from this dough, he does not show the baked crown, but shows the fendu which does have a distinctive split.
I can only assume I over proofed the the loaves, the next time i will pay close attention to the proof stage.

Doris' Birthday Breakfast

I made a special breakfast for my wife Doris, special  because it was a upscale version of french toast.I used slices of my Easter Bread ( had in freezer), real bacon, almond cream cheese sauce, diced fresh bananas, coffee,decaf of course, sliced fresh strawberries, glass of juice.

 for the egg custard: 3 eggs, about 1/4 cup heavy cream (may sub milk), 1 tsp real vanilla extract.whisk vigorously to blend.
 Bread: use any rich bread you like, or have, don't use store  soft white bread it won't hold up.IMO 
Almond cream cheese sauce: 1 pkg 8oz softened cream cheese, unwrap place on plate micro wave 15- 20 or more seconds to soften
 2tbsps sugar, 1 tsp pure almond extract, 2-4 tbsps cream or milk, blend thoroughly till smooth.
1 medium banana diced  .

 Procedure:
 Place sliced bread in egg custard to wet and turn to wet other side, leaving in as long as desired to achieve  the wetness you prefer.I personally don't like soggy wet french toast.
Have an electric griddle or skillet , or fry pan heated to 375 .
 Butter griddle or pan generously, place in slices of egg custard soaked bread, cook till golden brown ,then add more butter to pan and turn slices over onto melted butter , brown other side

 To arrange:
Place a slice of the cooked bread on a plate, top with some almond cream, ad diced banana, add second slice of toast, add a dollop of almond cream ,placed a piece of banana in cream, serve with crisp bacon, sausage, ham, or on it's own.
 Serve to the Special person in your life!

BBA # 21 Pain A`L'Ancienne

This is real bread!!Crusty ,tasty, delicious! the recipe is simple,ice cold water to make the dough and an immediate overnight cold ferment. Actually the name is missleading,as PR mention's, this is a new technique, ancients didn't have ice,or refridgeration, unless they made it in winter?LOL. In any event the bread is good!! no exotic methods, or ingredients,just flour,salt, yeast, ice water. The ice cold dough preparation and immediate overnight cold ferment slows the yeast to almost nothing,while naturally occuring bacteria break down the carbs into sugars other wise not available for the yeast to feed on, using other methods.
The shaping is simple, cut and stretch, place on parchment lined pan,bake. Cool, EAT!
 Let's make bread!

Mixed the flour,salt,yeast, ice water to make a  wet sticky dough

Using wet spatula pushed into an oiled bowl

Ready to cover and put in fridge overnight

Next day out of fridge, almost double

An hour later bursting

With a wet spatula placed onto a floured work surface

Dusted tops with flour and using a bench scraper dipped in water cut through to make two pieces

Again with a wet bench scraper cut each half into three pieces

Lift and stretch to place on cornmeal dusted parchment on an upsidedown 1/2 sheet pan (note dust pan with semolina or cornmeal so parchment slides off easily)

Ready to bake,steam pan in oven,baking stone in bottom 3rd of oven, temp 550

20 minutes for the first three, and I took a suggestion from Chris our host in this challenge at  akuindeed.com, to bake some longer to create a more pronounced crust

first three out of oven

Second three show a darker crust compared to the slices on left of the first loaves, both have open crumb, I prefered the 2nd loaves, the 1/2 hour wait for the oven proofed them a bit more and gave them more hieght than the first loaves.
We enjoyed the bread  spread with our homemade mushroom and mixed olive tapenade with our dinner.

Wgb#1 Transitional Wheat Bread

This is the first of our WGB bread recipes.Transitional Wheat Bread, sort of a 50/50 ww and bread flour mix, to acclimate non ww eaters to ww breads, thus the name transitional. the recipe is simple.Mix ww flour with salt,milk ,cover let sit at room temp overnite,or up to 24 hours. Next make a dough of bread flour,yeast, filtered water, refrigerate overnite. Next day make the final dough, remove soaker and biga ( bread flour preferment) from fridge, cut them into a dozen or so pieces to warm, under plastic wrap.
There were no unusual problems,thru the process, and thru the final dough .Al came together in the mixer as stated, this is an easy recipe that even a beginner could do with any issues(imo).
the bread did rise and spread  significantly in the oven, I would have made two smaller loaves instead of one large one.
Let's make some Bread!! 

the ww soaker,and the biga

cut up the soaker and biga into a dozen or so pieces let them warm about 2 hours

they have warmed and risen also

after mixing with the rest of the final dough ingredients and kneading about 5 minutes,  allowed the dough to rest 5 minutes, then kneaded again one minute, the dough was soft and tacky,  placed in an oiled bowl to rise



about 1 hour later, the dough has not quite doubled



turned out on a floured surface

shaped into a baguette. Used the method shown here ...

http://thebackhomebakery.com/Tutorials/MoreBreadShaping.html 

placed on parchment lined sheet pan, spray oiled the parchment first,covered and let rise

about 45 minutes later, scored and baked with steam pan in oven

after 45 minutes bread was 200 degrees and sounded hollow when tapped on bottom.The flavor was nutty and wheaty