new moons

begin new project

these objects in space were once franken-fruit from the box downtown

consumption has been granted to more organic creatures than myself

more later - peace - kevo

by kevin walsh, 2010

what is marshmallow soup?

as i've recently leveled up in my baking practices with the wild yeast starter, i figured i owe it to myself to better understand what i've been doing. so i invested in a cheap scale to break my bad habit of guessing measurements. it may sound impressive when i say i've been  mixing everything to feel - but it's a real headache sometimes and my poor math skills delay me too much (hence the silly ratio graphs).  so, with my new instrument, i've run some experiments to unite the two sides of my brain. however this scale doesn't help too much - in fact it's rather annoying. my local supermarket carries only one scale - not digital and unbearably hard to read. i aspire to obtain a digital in the future which would make this scale i have now useful for weighing my dough before shaping, whereas a digital scale can better accommodate my ingredient measurements. for the meanwhile, i've been using the scale to finesse my starter feeding.

i took a whole wheat starter and weighed my usual measurements at feeding - which is about a cup of starter to a cup of water to a cup of flour. here's what those measurements weigh out to as my crappy scale reads...

1 cup starter = 7 oz

1 cup water = 7.5 oz

1 cup flour = 4 oz

didn't surprise me much - guess this means i've had my starter over 100% hydration. beg the question: is this ratio incorrect? i have baked 9 successful batches from the starter being fed at this ratio. the consistency in this mixture is kind of soupy and i normally don't see a considerable rise after feeding. i've likened my starter to a marshmallow soup. talk to many bakers and they'll tell you my starter is too hydrated and probably shouldn't work - but hey it does. 

i referred to this article from the Fresh Loaf to retool my methods. i can't say my understanding is improved by it's information - i've become really quite confused. so, i went ape shit and carpet-bombed my starter stash with all kinds of new feeding ratios. 

i had several different mixtures using the following ratios (starter:water:flour) and the photos are 6 hours after feeding...

1:1:0.5

1:1:1

1:2:2

1:2:4

1:0.5:1

after observing the reactions of my feedings i came to the obvious conclusion - whatever works, works.

using correct ratios by weight, i found that the 1:2:2 ratio does what a starter should do - it's not the soup i've been using and i see the rise that i should within 6 hours after feeding. somehow, the old ratio i've been using seemed to kill my starter, the 1:0.5:1 ratio makes a sponge-like mass. the other mixtures proved successful and i baked a batch with the starter fed at 1:1:1. my dough was quite different than what i've recently come accustomed to, as my previous starters were over-hydrated. no matter, i'll adapt. i remember the immortal words of Hunter S. Thompson - "anything worth doing, is worth doing right"

factors of the environment will affect the starter and not one recipe can claim to have the perfect solution. in my opinion, this is a good thing, creating a diversity from baker to baker. this is why san franciso is so famous for their sourdough, as the yeast that flies about that city is evidently unique to the city. there are two variables i believe should be understood when reviewing my work.

1. the elements of my location: i live in the central texas hill country - and for those of you with a foreign knowledge of texas, let me explain that the hill country ain't like what's 40 miles in any direction. many rivers join in confluence around me and things are quite green even when there's very little rain - so i'm not in the western sand or the eastern mud or the northern grass or the southern nothingness. the weather is just as schizophrenic as the state's geography. for instance, earlier this week, in the middle of december, the temperature reached highs above 80ºF and the forecast is calling for below freezing nighttime temps in the next couple days. barometric pressure in my area can normally remain rather high for extended periods of time until a front comes in and everything drops. my apartment has no central air or heat, so the outside elements influence my kitchen considerably.

2. something is in the water: some bakers recommend using bottled water - shun - bottled water is the biggest con perpetrated on our society since the democratic party - not to mention a horrible waste. i use water from the tap. i heat the tap water in a kettle and let it cool - this should remove any chlorine. then i filter it through a brita - now all other impurities should be removed. i have no water softener - so i assume there's some minerals in the water even after the heat and filter. during any step of my method, i always use the water at room temperature. 

i realize my lab work is poor and my explanations leave much to the imagination. but it's creativity that i wish to promote. there is no single answer to solve any riddle in bread baking and what i've spelled out here are just a few of the possible solutions to the mysteries of wild yeast. as an apprentice under no master, i will continue to relay my findings to this blog no matter how obtuse. i think there's a purpose and i think someone can benefit. peace out - kevo

by kevin walsh, 2010

the dump, revisited

my friends - i have a problem - an addiction - not the usual, so let me divulge right quick - i haven't had a stiff drink in over a week and a half, i haven't played zelda for other a month, and last night i went some 8 hours without touching any tobacco - so, what's my addiction - yeast! i loose sleep reading recipes and letting dough ferment, i spend endless amounts of custom on new flours and grains, i waste even more time blogging all about it - it's an addiction - no one can help me - i don't need your help - i'm sotally cunder untrol - that's it - you've all pissed me off - imma gonna hit the marshmallow soup now...

...ah, sweet release, thanks for understanding. i just i'm really obsessed and i will ride this crazy comet to the coldest edge of the solar system. i enjoy this way too much, must be in my blood - what i enjoy the most is the exchange of ideas on an unscripted and uncensored prose that we know as the internets. as an amatuer baker, i feel it is most positive to disclose my findings and promote others to the art. when i was in art school, i remember talking to the pros when they came in for lectures and felt both awestruck by their work but unfulfilled by their explanation. the real meat came from my fellow students, and i specifically recall an alternative process photo course - we all slaved away in the darkroom on new processes (new to us, old to the world), trading half-baked remedies to problems only noobies could create and eventually stumbling onto the correct and logical solution. this is my motive for these posts - though it's woofully one-sided (how's about some comments you passive masses) hopefully some other noob baker catches me in the search results and finds my experiments helpful. i for one have been cruising blogs of other bakers on my level and finding their wisdom more beneficial than a recipe, without elaboration, concocted by some master who is probably withholding a secret or two. 

on the subject of working with wild yeast starter, i can see no reason why not to confound and amaze whomever catches a glance at my designation here on google's approximation of geocities. space and time become the defying factors to excellent breadwork, so i figure, the more people giving their fresh ideas and discoveries away, the better the entire class of bakers becomes.   

in the previous post on my "dump" bread, i mentioned saving a portion of the dough in the freezer. i've never frozen dough before and want to find more economical methods of baking as i seem to make such large batches. to expand my experiment, i worked up a small batch of similar "dump" dough. i somewhat followed the method described in Seeded Multigrain Sourdough from the Wild Yeast blog and took it through it's full fermentation, just as the previously frozen dough, and then wrapped it up tight and set it in the ice box. the differences between this dough and the first dump batch are as follows:

different assortment of grains in soaker

no preferment

no dry yeast

larger ratio of starter

less whole wheat flour being replaced by white bread flour

one fundamental difference is the size of the batch. i made the second dump dough at about a fifth of what i made earlier, the total mix equaled about 3 to 4 cups - i did this for several reasons - first off, i've speculated that small batches don't work as i commonly like several loaves in the oven at once - the more moisture in the oven, the better, right? i also wanted to work my kneading skills - turns out, the slam/fold kneading is a great process for most straight-up white doughs but when the dough is grainier, it's wisest to just dig you palms into it. working with the smaller amount of dough let me control the dough with one hand and i could easily observe what reaction the dough had to my process of kneading. i have learned this about kneading - two primary functions of the kneading process are to stretch the gluten and trap air inside the dough - no mater what technique you employ, as long as the dough is physically stretched and provided air. yeast are living things too, and all us censused as the living need to breathe and do some yoga, ya dig. 

other differences from the first batch, no sponge pre-ferment was implemented and i did not use any dry bastard yeast. (can you tell i'm forming a bias).  the soaker sat for about 6 hrs and the final dough was mixed with the straight starter, same multigrain starter as the first batch. as aforementioned, i've been collecting my kitchen scraps for the dump - this newer dough incorporates the last of those scraps but also some new ingredients - because payday came around and what the hell. i soaked newly vended millet, quinoa and hemp seeds, along with a few other grains i had that were soon to turn to dust. one ingredient i have plenty off is rolled oats, which was part of the soaker in the first dump. you know how great oatmeal is, right - i always liked the consistency and flavor that bread has whenever i incorporate oats. 

i also refrained from adding caraway and fennel to see if their flavor was really that intricate. the final and probably most significant change to the new dump was the flour. previously, i had used basically a whole wheat blend. the small batch uses mostly bread flour and no vital wheat gluten.

when i take the dough out of the freezer, it's rock hard. i had to let it thaw for 4 hours and then jumped right into shaping. it was still kind of cold but was perfectly workable. i proofed the dough just over an hour and baked the loaves as i would normally. and here are the results...

fuckin' hell yeah - i will start saving dough in the freezer at every batch and maybe get some of those lost hours of sleep back. at the top of the post is the second batch and directly above is the original dump bread.

i can't expound much right now - for there's a festivus to celabrate - but i've run some amazing tests with my starter and a new squash bread. i've also worked up some batches of the sweet bread which was the feature to the video on slam/folding technique. all of that next time from the ship - peace - kevo

by kevin walsh, 2010

Multigrain "Dump" Bread

yes, you read me correctly, it's Dump Bread! or respectively everything i had in the kitchen put into a bread. i've got quite a story to tell - but let's get the ingredients and ratios out of the way first, shall we.

specific ingredients used

sponge:

king arthur natural unbleached white whole wheat flour

hodgson mill natural 100% stone ground rye flour

bob's red mill vital wheat gluten flour

80% hydration multigrain wild yeast culture (starter)

boiled and filtered tap water

soaker:

rolled oats

steel cut oats

brown flax seeds

toasted sesame seeds

black rice

caraway seeds

fennel seeds

boiled and filtered tap water

final dough:

king arthur natural unbleached white whole wheat flour

hodgson mill natural 100% stone ground rye flour

hodgson mill organic whole grain whole wheat flour

bob's red mill vital wheat gluten flour

fleishmann's instant dry yeast (my batch used approx 5 tsp or 2 packets)

sea salt (approx 7 tsp)
unsalted butter (approx 2 tbsp)

boiled and filtered tap water

all of sponge

all of soaker

toppings:

egg wash

sesame seeds

sunflower seeds

rye and whole wheat flour

wheat bran

in previous postings i've detailed my first workings with wild yeast and had mentioned separating my starter into two different consistencies - a light starter fed only rye and white flour - a grainy starter fed rye and whole wheat flour as well as bulghur wheat. since then, i've used both starters to make 6 different batches and put some of each away in the fridge. bytheway, i found some side projects for the starter you have to discard at each feeding - sourdough pancakes are quite easy and very delicious, the light starter i have works best for this as the grainy starter leaves itself too chewy. also tried crackers but nothing amazing there. all the while, my sitting culture of grainy starter has been fed a veritable cornucopia of ingredients - let my see if i can recall each...

rye flour

whole wheat flour

bulghur wheat (or cracked wheat)

cornmeal

cut oats

rolled oats

wheat bran

100% wheat cereal

some scraps from toppings that fell off loaves prior to baking, sesame seeds, flax seeds, chopped pecans, various other flours

...i basically have been trying to see what these guys will eat. i'm carelessly noting when their activity slows after feeding a different ingredient. the sturdy base of every feeding is equal parts rye and whole wheat and then i have a "grain du jour" for the the yeast's bounty. i've been feeding once a day, normally. if i see the starter looking weak, i'll feed a second time in the day. i had the constant urge to push the starter to it's edge of sustainability. so after a week of feeding this chaotic blend, i find they eat most anything i put in. cornmeal and rolled oats resulted in a decrease in activity but the starter was easily rejuvenated with a straight shot of rye. bulghur wheat seems to make the yeast very active but it makes the starter chunky and doesn't form a nice fluffy texture - i've staggered the days i feed bulghur wheat in between other ingredients to counter act. so you should be getting the idea why this is a "dump" bread.

it's the prefect bread to bake after a few months of insane self-schooling. i have about a dozen different bags from the bulk section that are running thin on their original fill - and rather than dumping more money at the store, right now i'll dump as much as what i got at hand - i figure this is the premise in which many a great bread had been conceived ages before i was but a blip on google's radar - i can only hope to gain a glimpse at the old world for i'm too spoiled with our well stocked stores and piped in fire. though i can honestly admit - creating this bread was one of the most difficult exercises since i first tried baguettes (and then immediately tried again). through the dumping process of this batch's creation, i dumped fresh ideas into my brain and ran with a few trials of new methodology. this time around i adapted the Sourdough Multigrain Bread from "Advanced Bread and Pastry", explained by dmsynder from The Fresh Loaf blog. to fit my available grains and starter, i took a general tweaking to the ingredient ratios he gives but decided to follow the method exactly as prescribed - i don't think i've ever followed a recipe's method, ever - but ya know, why be such a smartass all the time - i might learn something. this method calls for the longest pre-ferment time i've ever employed at 12 hours. the recipe also calls for instant yeast, which i first cringed at - i mean, i got the starter going like mad, why are we spiking the dough? i learned to stop worrying and love the bomb - i did as the recipe asks and added the instant yeast. in this batch i also gave myself a workout with the slam/fold kneading technique, which is all the rage now, thought ya knew - this multi grain dough, however, is not your typical french fluff - it is dense and and gritty and mean - it called me names and insulted my mother - in other words, not the best batch to test my newly discovered tactics in kneading. these efforts also mark my first use of a soaker, of which uses rice - a new ingredient to my baker arsenal. 


i photo-documented a few moments of my madness - the act itself another challenge with dough-covered hands. i have arranged the photos through the method run down and will elaborate when i feel appropriate. to save space on this post, i've minimized some of the photos - clicking on any image will link to an enlargement.

above is the starter i'm working with - note the large chunks from the various ingredients i've been feeding the culture. this starter began it's day at about 50% hydration and i want to get it up to about 80%. without discarding any of the starter, i added more water and a small amount of rye flour to encourage activity. the starter sat for about 3 hours and took on a softer texture with more bubbles. at this time i mix the sponge ingredients until just combined and cover for 12 hrs. i've already gotten my proportions down by first measuring the amount of grains i have for the soaker as these are my most limited resource. i apply the ratios depicted in the graphs but to be specific about the soaker, i used equal amounts of the rolled oats, steel cut oats, brown flax seeds, toasted sesame seeds and black rice - i only sprinkled the caraway and fennel seeds. below is the sponge and the soaker after 12 hours

 

to start mixing, blend flours together with dry yeast and salt

mix most of final water until current ingredients are combined

add all of sponge and mix until mid-level gluten development is reached

below is when i stopped mixing in the bowl and turned the dough out to knead. note: if someone were to replicate this method and use an electric mixer, i would advise to autolyse before kneading (let the dough sit for 20 mins).

kneading this mass took me about 30 minutes before i was ready to incorporate the soaker

as i said before, this dough a pain in the ass to work

but trapping air and folding gets the job done eventually

 

the thing i love most about working with a starter is the expansion of time - when i work with dry yeast, i feel so rushed - having to make a benchmark time so the newly rejuvenated yeast doesn't run out of steam. with a starter, time becomes all too abstract - the yeast have been living and active in the starter for quite some time and have become a hardy stock - they'll put up with all the abuse you can dish out until the inferno.

i introduced the soaker to the dough as a continuation of the kneading process. the soaker contains a considerable amount of the recipe's water - when adding the soaker, it will seem as if the dough is falling apart. i dusted flour into the dough as i folded the soaker in and continued to knead. i first i wasn't sure i needed to add all the soaker, afraid that too much water was being added at this stage - although, i eventually got all the soaker in the dough which returned to it's appropriate texture - which is still kind of wet and sticky.

now ferment the dough for 2 hours with folds after one hour

below is the dough at the beginning of fermentation

and this is the dough, risen significantly, after one hour

to fold the dough, i reach under the dough ball in the bowl and pull it's underside around to the top and then turn it out onto my work surface.

 

i fold the dough in every direction - at the same time i'm stretching it and being sure to trap air inside the dough.

this step should not take long, shape the dough ball again and return to it's bowl.

 

after another hour, the dough has risen back to it's bulk prior to the "punch-down".

i quickly knead the dough, first gently folding it as i did earlier, then roughing it up for a few seconds - now the dough feels like what i'm used to with dry yeast - not nearly as sticky or wet as it was pre-fermentation.

now i divide the dough ball - you can call me a hippie if you want, i've been called worst - i like to divide my dough into a peace sign to judge the sizes of each loaf.

 

i usually proportion my batches to produce two large boules and two small batards.

this time, i have a very large batch (somehow i've got more dough than usual while using just the scraps of my kitchen). so with this large batch, i'll try another untested practice and will save one of the large boules in the freezer

i divide dough for 1 large boule, 2 small batards and 1 small boule

a quick preshape and then a 20 min bench rest

the first picture below shows the 4 preshaped balls slightly expanded

i shape the four loaves and place them in proofing baskets, pictured second

 

i proofed these loaves for only 50 minutes - proofing has taken up to 2 hours for previous starter based breads i've baked

preheat the oven to 450º F, ready stones and steam

below is a shot of my preoven work area, quite cramped but it works

the sifter is full of the same rye flour and whole grain whole wheat flour listed in the ingredients.

i use semolina flour to powder the bottom of the loaves and rest them on parchment paper.

you can see i use a haik for brushing the egg wash and an exacto knife to score the loaves. is it obvious i went to art school?

i prep all loaves before putting anything in the oven

there's no rush here and with small conventional ovens like mine, it's best to start all loaves at once

 

each of the four loaves have a different topping.

the fat batard is given sunflower seeds with a second coat of egg wash

the longer batard has sesame seeds

the small boule has wheat bran

and the large boule is given a heavy dusting of flour from the sifter

once the loaves enter the oven, i pour hot water into a tray of water that was placed in the oven when preheating. the loaves are baked at as high a temperature my oven will get (usually in the range of 400-450º F) for 10 minutes.

after these first ten minutes, i remove the water tray and lower the temperature so that the oven doesn't go above 400º F for the remainder of the baking time.

below is what the loaves look like after the first 10 minutes, the second is another ten minutes later

 

and yes, that is a shattered baking stone - a fantastic improvement to my oven feng shui that happened last week - if you'll notice that i remove the parchment paper from underneath the loaves and start moving them in the oven as the heat is inconsistent - i want an evenly toasted crust and especially no burnt spots.

my oven will take 20 additional minutes after i remove the steam to bake the loaves completely.

i like to let the loaves sit in the oven for a spell, with the flames off and the door ajar, so the loaves begin a gradual cool down.

i will vow not to slice a loaf until no less than 4 hours after baking - ive learned time and time again to let bread do it's thing but it's always so hard to wait this last stretch

and that's the whole process right there, folks - my, am i hungry...

one of the best crumbs i've produced yet - the white specs are the inside of the black rice grains. the bread cuts perfectly, not getting hung up on anything - all the grains are well integrated into the gluten strands, not one ingredient stands out and dominates the flavor or texture. aside from the crust, the black rice is the hardest thing about the bread but they are soft enough for a pleasurable chew. the sesame seeds and flax seeds are there if you look for them. the oats seem to be completely absorbed within the greater dough - their ghostly presence is quite essential. the small addition of fennel and caraway seeds i believe was a wise choice - the aromatic nature of these herbs could of been overpowering in larger proportions. i've always had a habit of short-changing the salt in my bread. this bread has the most salt i've ever given bread and after seeing and tasting the final result, i'll stop being so paranoid about the amount of salt per batch. the sunflower seeds make a great topping and don't fly off the crust when i cut a slice, thanks to the second application of the eggwash. i'll probably gift the larger boule and the handsome batard so i can't give a report on how those toppings worked out.

next on the horizon will be the holiday marathon, i intend to bake the frozen dough from this batch in the next few days and will share those observations. saving dough, rather than baking it all at once, seems to be a logical system if it produces the same excellent bread. thanks for lending me your mind today, you can have it back now - peace - kevo

by kevin walsh, 2010