# Decided to up sharpen up my bread-making skills...



## SherryT (Mar 14, 2018)

With the exception of biscuits, yeast rolls, and cornbread (got those down pat!), I've baked bread for quite a while with mixed results...sometimes it comes out just right, sometimes it's "meh", and (sometimes) it's not even the same UNIVERSE as right, so I've decided to up my game, so to speak.

Made myself a spreadsheet to input baker's percentages so I can keep track of what works and what doesn't and, most importantly, have consistency, did some research on artisan baking (a LOT of research!), and made my first lean-dough,high-hydration bread using a poolish and stretch&fold instead of regular kneading and baked it in a pre-heated covered clay baker (that my Mom gave me YEARS ago for which I've never found a good use until today)...below is the result:













I made a couple of mistakes (I panicked when the initial dough before adding the poolish seemed too dry and added more water, so the hydration is a bit higher than intended, and I think I let the final rise go a bit too long), but there it is, nonetheless.

This thing made a "crackling" sound for at LEAST 20 minutes after I pulled it out of the baker and the crust seems to be spot-on...I'll know more about it and the crumb when I cut into it in the morning.

It sure smells good!


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## indaswamp (Mar 14, 2018)

I'd eat it! point for honesty on your failures, lord knows I've had my share too!

I worked for years perfecting the perfect pie crust...and wow is it good now!!


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## daveomak (Mar 14, 2018)

Looks good....  Sounds like the crust will be perfect....


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## SherryT (Mar 14, 2018)

indaswamp said:


> I'd eat it! point for honesty on your failures, lord knows I've had my share too!
> 
> I worked for years perfecting the perfect pie crust...and wow is it good now!!



Oh I finally up on pie crusts...I could get an "edible" crust, but never a "good" crust


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## motocrash (Mar 14, 2018)

That looks great! Baking has been a thorn in my side.Like you mentioned,I have no consistency or repeatability.
That's wild it was crackling.Hopefully it doesn't do this when you cut it.


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## SherryT (Mar 14, 2018)

daveomak said:


> Looks good....  Sounds like the crust will be perfect....


Thanks!

What amazed me was that this slack, almost runny dough eventually pulled together into a ball that held it's shape after 4/5 (lost track in my excitement that it was actually working!) stretch/folds spread out about 30 minutes apart.

Gonna work with this shape for a bit to improve "handling" technique, then I'll move on to baguettes and such.

Excited!


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## SherryT (Mar 14, 2018)

motocrash said:


> That looks great! Baking has been a thorn in my side.Like you mentioned,I have no consistency or repeatability.
> That's wild it was crackling.Hopefully it doesn't do this when you cut it.



 Oh my GAWD!


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## indaswamp (Mar 14, 2018)

SherryT said:


> Oh I finally up on pie crusts...I could get an "edible" crust, but never a "good" crust


I got french bread down but that's in my wheel house living here in Louisiana...


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## SmokinAl (Mar 15, 2018)

It looks perfect!
Nice job!
Al


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## SherryT (Mar 15, 2018)

Well, I cut into it...

The good - it has holes, the crust is nice and chewy, it tastes REALLY good...the bad - the texture of the crumb is too "spongy" and too moist (I did cook it to an IT of 208, so it's not under-done).

I "think" I know what happened, though...

The recipe/instructions I used said to mix the flour/water/salt/yeast in the KA on low for 2 minutes or until it came together, let it sit for 15 minutes to autolyse, then add the poolish and mix on med for 8 minutes, then rest for 20 minutes, do the first stretch/fold, and continue on from there.

As I said in my original post, that first step is where I panicked and added more water...in doing so, I ended up mixing for a lot longer than 2 minutes (prob more like 5 - 6).

I've read other instructions that say to add the water to the poolish, stir until blended, then add the flour/yeast/salt, stir till you get a shaggy dough, autolyse for 15-20 minutes, THEN start the stretch/folds.

Bottom line, I think the dough was WAY over-worked. I didn't think about it at the time, but 5-6 minutes on low in the KA followed by 8 minutes on med is equivalent to a lot (a WHOLE lot) of hand kneading. In addition, if you recall in my orig post, I said I thought I let the final rise go too far.

Gonna feed this one to the chickens, start a new poolish tonight and try it again tomorrow using the OTHER instructions and skip the KA this time.

Onward!


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## daveomak (Mar 15, 2018)

Morning... I had to read up on the differences of....  Biga, Poolish and Sponge...


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## chopsaw (Mar 15, 2018)

No advise ,, just a story to share . About 5 years ago I did a tenant space for a company ,, A.B.Maury . They own Fleischmanns yeast . I went back after they took the space ,  to set a tortilla maker . I was in the food lab , and the gal had 6 or 7 kitchen aid mixers runnin on the counter . She told me that she tests things on a " home " basis . Different formulas for bread , cakes ,,, whatever . She was a wealth of knowledge . They do the test and use it to write recipes 
or perfect the yeast it self  . Just something we don't think about  . Like she said " we try to get close to a home kitchen , but we are in a lab "


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