Busy Week (Again)

I seem to be getting busier each week, I'm not sure if that is a good thing although I shouldn't complain, but I brought a second oven because I couldn't keep up with one and now I can't keep up with two.

Of course it's not just the oven, it's all the things that go with it, tins and trays, SPACE and cooling racks.

Anyway, Monday saw me make 6 Spelt Tin loaves for Oats,

As you can see I actually made 7, if I don't make an extra one every now and again, we never have any bread in the house! I also started 30 Panini for Millie and got my sourdoughs fed for Tuesdays baking.

On Tuesday I made the 30 Panini plus some Beetroot and Cheese Bread for Millie. Also I made some of the Sourdough Chocolate and Orange Cookies that have gone down quite well there, in fact my third batch in less than a month.

Tuesday afternoon was the time to mix and fold my Sourdoughs for Oats Wednesday delivery, this week 8 Spelt, 3 Spelt and Oatmeal, 2 Rye and some Sourdough White Rolls, this time flavoured with Pine Nuts and with Seeds. (Pumpkin and Sunflower mixed)

All these were baked on Wednesday morning, along with some Spelt Crumpets, to make up the order.

Wednesday afternoon I prepared Sourdoughs for Thursday, Spelt, White and Wholemeal.

Thursday afternoon was spent getting the doughs mixed, folded and ready for their
overnight rise.

I also grated butter ready to make Sourdough Scones on Friday morning, together with more Yeasted Spelt Tin Loaves. Grated butter incorporates much better, straight from the freezer. I buy blocks and grate into portions for each batch of scones, freezing in bags.

Friday morning, I baked the Wholemeal,

then the White,

and then the Spelt Sourdough, scattered among the others.

Lastly some Sourdough Scones, Fruit and Plain.

Not a bad weeks work, all I have to do now is deliver these, then I can get ready for Mondays order.

Quiet Thursday

A straight copy of the post on my bread blog today, just in case you don't read both. (And WHY NOT!!!!) I put it there as well as I thought it would interest everyone, not just the Bread-heads.


This morning I had no bread to bake at 5am. I did have a couple of jobs to prepare for though, the starters for the Sourdough that I will make this afternoon needed feeding, to bring them to the peak of activity when I mix the dough.

When I refreshed them last night, I had some left to discard. Now as I hate waste, I used a mixture of the Wholemeal and Spelt ones together with some beer to make a batter.

Actually I used 150g starter, 100g Flour, 150g beer and a good pinch of salt.

I heated Olive Oil in a pan on my Induction Hob (these are wonderful, you set the temperature and it never varies, great for frying) and got started.

I had brought a large Onion yesterday and it made good sized rings.

They are in the freezer now (less some quality control) and will be reheated on Sunday with our Steak.

Also, largely because I can't keep still, I did what I have been meaning to do for ages. I had brought some Green Tea powder after reading somewhere that it flavours bread and biscuits.

I decided to make a white loaf, yeasted this time but with some of the white sourdough starter discard to add to the taste.

I proved the dough in my oven, in steam, for an hour and it rose beautifully.

Just a standard mix, 500g Flour, 10g each of Yeast and Salt, 330g water and 20g Oil. Not forgetting 5g of the powder. Plus 80g of starter. Kneaded for 8 minutes on speed 1 in my Kenwood.

I shaped it and put it in a tin to rise again for 45 minutes whilst the oven warmed up.

then a quick cut on top and it went into a 220°C oven for 40 minutes, again with steam.

And here it is.

You can't really see the green tinge in these, it looks a bit interesting, a bit like something from a 1970's dinner party. If I had a Geiger counter I would wave it over the loaf.

I think you get the idea.

And after it had cooled and I cut a slice, all was revealed.

And the taste? Well there was a hint of tea in the background, maybe next time a touch more powder.

A treat for Hugh (Hopefully)

Now I'm not normally given to flights of fancy, well not in baking anyway- check out my novels for that!

But I'm excited today because I'm making something that will go to the famous River Cottage next weekend. And who knows, it may even tickle H-F-W's fancy.

I'm referring to my Sourdough Crackers or Savoury Morsels to be precise. Suus at Honest Foods uses them for sampling her delicious Pesto, Chutneys and Sauces. And they are seriously good stuff, check out her website, http://www.honest-foods.co.uk/ and here are the morsels on her stall at Totnes Good Food Market.

I have to make a kilogram of the things for her today, in two sizes.

Of course, as they are a sourdough cracker I'm going to need some sourdough starter. I'm using a mixture of Spelt and White with a dash of Rye, a total of 600 g of the stuff. At 100% hydration that's 300g each of flour and water. Next I need to add flour, more water, some Olive Oil and a pinch of Salt.

The recipe is:-

600g Sourdough Starter
500g Wholemeal Flour
160g Good quality Olive Oil
200g Water
7g Salt.

Give it all a mix and then rest the dough for 30 minutes to fully hydrate the flour.

It needs to be rolled thin, I generally use a sheet of floured parchment to do this.

Next I've drawn lines on a second sheet, so that I get the right sizes. Its just a bit of a guide as I want the crackers to be Artisan in appearance but roughly even. She wants big ones in the packets and smaller ones for samples.

Anyhow roll to about 2mm thick and cut using a pizza Wheel along the lines. 

Meanwhile heat the oven to 175°C and set up the shelves.

I bake the crackers on silicon mesh, turning after 10 minutes to remove the parchment. This bit is always fun as they can (and have) gone all over the floor. You just have to be quick and confident.

They are done when they are crisp, around 20 - 30 minutes.

After cooling I need to bag up, the small in bulk and the large in labelled bags.

And here they are, 

I hope they go down well.

Another week at the Office

Friday again and my intentions to try all the new ideas have not happened. I'm far too busy filling orders to try them.

 But one of my stockists has a new sign outside. I'm very proud!!

So this week I made 23 loaves, 12 Scones, 20 Vegan Teacakes, 12 Sourdough Rolls, 20 Panini and 20 Cookies. Not bad.

Spelt Focaccia with Sundried Tomatoes.

I like a piece of focaccia with any Italian food, it mops up sauce and tastes good on its own. And mine is made with Spelt Flour and lots of Olive Oil.

It has a secret ingredient for extra crunch.

The Recipe.

1000g Spelt Flour (I used half White and Half Wholemeal Spelt)
700g Warm water
100g Olive Oil
20g Instant Yeast
20g Salt
40g Coarse Semolina.
200g Sundried Tomatoes, Sulphite Free of course, chopped up small.

Method.

Make like any other bread, after the first rise cut into 500g portions and stretch into shape in heavily oiled pans.

Leave to rise again for 40 minutes then bake at 220°C for 15-20 minutes, for an internal temperature of 96°C.

Now for the Bolognese.

Another Experiment

I'm becoming a victim of my success, I have no room in my fridge to overnight prove all the loaves I'm making.

So I'm experimenting with proving on the counter, using Teresa Greenways excellent 'Alaska Sourdough' which is a good seller for me.

So today I made the dough a little later than usual but otherwise used the same method. I only boosted my starter once, to try and keep it a bit less active, to see if that would slow the rise down. The temperature in the kitchen will be about 15°C overnight.

I shaped it and put it into bannetons at 6pm, 12 hours before baking.

Next morning at 5am,

they had risen well but not too much and the oven was on.

I baked them as usual and the spring seemed to be about the same, they were done in the same time as those baked an hour after coming from the fridge.

So it looks like I have solved my problem, you can do without a fridge retard for these loaves.