5 minutes work for a loaf of bread
- bower
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5 minutes work for a loaf of bread
The other night when I asked about 'overnight sponge' I hadn't a stick of bread in the house, and facing that unwanted prospect of a 'no breakfast' day while I wait for bread that basically takes all day and has many stages... I think my bread making has simply devolved into a form of neglect which eventually produces bread in spite of me. Anyway you know desperate times call for desperate measures, I googled 'overnight sponge' and found a recipe that is unlike anything I've ever made before, because our bread these days always started with a liquid starter (+ time) and then a sponge (+ time) and then additions and a proofing (+ time) and finally punchdown and rise (+ time) before bake (+time).
So what did I have to lose? Midnight mix:
3 cups flour + 1/2 tsp yeast + 1 1/2 tsp salt, stirred together, then add and stir in 1 1/2 cups warm water, and cover it and go to sleep.
I used 2 unbleached white and one spelt flour, and I adapted a little by slathering with olive oil before abandoning (nobody washes these pots and pans but me! flour and water is a form of cement.)
Time to mixup about 3 minutes.
Good morning! Peek in the pan it doesn't look risen at all oh-oh. But I was wrong. As soon as I handled it, I knew it was full of bubbles.
Grab it, turn it over into the papered dutch oven, let rest for 20 minutes. Wash hands and the bowl. (about 2 minutes)
Preheat the ol toaster oven while drinking coffee, then pop it in.
There is one more fiddly step, that is to remove the lid for the last 10 minutes of baking.
This is my first try of bread in the "dutch oven" $15 enamel pot with cover that fits into yon Hamilton Beach. I can be critical. The sides were not browned at all although cooked through. A better bread could be made by sliding it onto an open bake tray for the last ten instead. And I thought the bottom crust was not up to standard - too hard, tasted too much like baked flour-water cement. It actually improved after sitting for a day, which is a good thing (definitely don't like things that get worse after a day...). Also the flavor and fragrance has improved with time as well IMO.
Overall I have to say, it's a 'no excuse for no bread' kind of bread. I like it enough, it will certainly fill the need when gardening days are just too busy to be around the kitchen. This method is certainly worthy of some more experiments - effortless experiments! Why not?
So what did I have to lose? Midnight mix:
3 cups flour + 1/2 tsp yeast + 1 1/2 tsp salt, stirred together, then add and stir in 1 1/2 cups warm water, and cover it and go to sleep.
I used 2 unbleached white and one spelt flour, and I adapted a little by slathering with olive oil before abandoning (nobody washes these pots and pans but me! flour and water is a form of cement.)
Time to mixup about 3 minutes.
Good morning! Peek in the pan it doesn't look risen at all oh-oh. But I was wrong. As soon as I handled it, I knew it was full of bubbles.
Grab it, turn it over into the papered dutch oven, let rest for 20 minutes. Wash hands and the bowl. (about 2 minutes)
Preheat the ol toaster oven while drinking coffee, then pop it in.
There is one more fiddly step, that is to remove the lid for the last 10 minutes of baking.
This is my first try of bread in the "dutch oven" $15 enamel pot with cover that fits into yon Hamilton Beach. I can be critical. The sides were not browned at all although cooked through. A better bread could be made by sliding it onto an open bake tray for the last ten instead. And I thought the bottom crust was not up to standard - too hard, tasted too much like baked flour-water cement. It actually improved after sitting for a day, which is a good thing (definitely don't like things that get worse after a day...). Also the flavor and fragrance has improved with time as well IMO.
Overall I have to say, it's a 'no excuse for no bread' kind of bread. I like it enough, it will certainly fill the need when gardening days are just too busy to be around the kitchen. This method is certainly worthy of some more experiments - effortless experiments! Why not?
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AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm
- MissS
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Re: 5 minutes work for a loaf of bread
What a great find. Keep us posted on your experiments please.
~ Patti ~
AKA ~ Hooper
AKA ~ Hooper
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Re: 5 minutes work for a loaf of bread
I have a similar recipe, the only difference is the one I was given calls for a full teaspoon of yeast and 2 teaspoons of salt. So far I have only made it once; I don't own a Dutch Oven so I borrowed my DIL's for the experiment. I did use bread flour, not All Purpose. It made more of a batter than a dough but I still managed to get parchment paper and the dough into a hot pot (preheated when oven was turned on.) Ooh that was some good bread! But if I make it again I will spritz the parchment paper with no-stick spray before turning out the dough on it.
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- bower
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Re: 5 minutes work for a loaf of bread
Speaking of no-stick, I made experiment #2 a couple of nights ago, using 2 unbleached white and 1 cup rye flour, I added a dollop, maybe a tablespoon of light olive oil to the batter. in addition to oiling the bowl. There was almost nothing left sticking to the bowl, so the cleanup was a snap.
I just came in from the garden for 'plowman's lunch' as my Dad would say - bread and cheese. Such a treat to have nice bread!
The bottom crust of course is not as hard as it is without any oil.
I still tore off a piece of bottom crust while trying to slice it warm. It cuts perfectly after cooling.
Maybe the worst thing about this recipe, you really need to wait for it to cool, to be at its best in every way. Meanwhile it smells so good, I tip my hat to anyone who can handle the waiting.
I just came in from the garden for 'plowman's lunch' as my Dad would say - bread and cheese. Such a treat to have nice bread!
The bottom crust of course is not as hard as it is without any oil.
I still tore off a piece of bottom crust while trying to slice it warm. It cuts perfectly after cooling.
Maybe the worst thing about this recipe, you really need to wait for it to cool, to be at its best in every way. Meanwhile it smells so good, I tip my hat to anyone who can handle the waiting.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm
- Shule
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Re: 5 minutes work for a loaf of bread
I like fast bread recipes, and I'm glad you're working on what you are. I usually use a modified French bread recipe that requires very little time in rising, and I use the same recipe for pizza crust. It's been a little while, though.
I usually just make baking soda biscuits instead of bread, these days. It's fast and easy. Bread tastes great, and I used to enjoy making bread rolls a lot (with rolls, you don't have to worry about whether they slice easily for sandwiches), but if I eat too much homemade bread, the yeast can bother me. You can probably just take a bread recipe and use baking soda instead of yeast (not the same amount), and add some brown sugar to reduce the baking soda taste (it also adds acidity to help it rise). Maybe add some extra water so you don't have to use your hands on it. I should try a random bread recipe like that. I've been trying to recreate a lost oil-based baking powder biscuit recipe (with marginal-ish success), but I don't see why many bread recipes shouldn't work with some modifications (as a biscuit recipe)—these aren't meant to be flaky biscuits, but more bread-like in consistency (and/or like cake and/or crumbly).
I usually just make baking soda biscuits instead of bread, these days. It's fast and easy. Bread tastes great, and I used to enjoy making bread rolls a lot (with rolls, you don't have to worry about whether they slice easily for sandwiches), but if I eat too much homemade bread, the yeast can bother me. You can probably just take a bread recipe and use baking soda instead of yeast (not the same amount), and add some brown sugar to reduce the baking soda taste (it also adds acidity to help it rise). Maybe add some extra water so you don't have to use your hands on it. I should try a random bread recipe like that. I've been trying to recreate a lost oil-based baking powder biscuit recipe (with marginal-ish success), but I don't see why many bread recipes shouldn't work with some modifications (as a biscuit recipe)—these aren't meant to be flaky biscuits, but more bread-like in consistency (and/or like cake and/or crumbly).
Location: SW Idaho, USA
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Climate: BSk
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Elevation: 2,260 feet
- bower
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Re: 5 minutes work for a loaf of bread
Plowman's bread #3 - this time with 1/2 cup each of spelt and rye. Call me undecided.
This time I made the sponge a little wetter than the other two, and this loaf has a more open 'crumb' with random holes throughout. Since the dryer sponges produced a (surprisingly) fairly even crumb, I will keep an eye on sponge wetness as a possible way of tweaking the texture.
Part of the virtue of this recipe is the simple measures (cupfulls, which can be sloppy or more exact as desired). Recipes that call for exact weights for example are daunting to me and seem unnecessary (as I've never used exact measures/recipes for bread). I could easily have added a little more flour when I saw the sponge was wetter, there is no great exactness needed for the yeast and salt.
Only comment on 'wetter' besides the crumb is that it was more awkward to handle and turn out of the bowl this morning.
I let the loaf cool completely before cutting this time, and was disappointed that the bottom crust was as hard to cut through neatly as the others. Apparently it takes a longer time for ? IDK 'normalizing' of bottom crust, so that you can make a nice slice.
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AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm
- bower
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Re: 5 minutes work for a loaf of bread
This lazy recipe has become my standard bread. For almost a year now, I've only made 'regular' dough for pizza or beignets/toutons.
Couple of things that I learned:
1) For a really fragrant loaf, you need some spelt or rye flour. Whole wheat was surprisingly bland.
2) It's worth it to preheat - this eliminated my problems with the bottom crust. Still baking in a toaster oven, so I'm happy about that!
I've decided that spelt is my personal favorite. Since the price of it is kind of high, I decided to try growing spelt. Got seeds but have to wait for fall planting, as they will take too long for my short season otherwise.
I also bought seeds of two other wheats: Akmolinka (a durum landrace) and Blue Tinge Ethiopian emmer. Those I have planted already, at the first thaw, the same time the garlic was pushing up sprouts. I covered them with row cover to protect from animals.
Any other bakers here growing grains?
Couple of things that I learned:
1) For a really fragrant loaf, you need some spelt or rye flour. Whole wheat was surprisingly bland.
2) It's worth it to preheat - this eliminated my problems with the bottom crust. Still baking in a toaster oven, so I'm happy about that!
I've decided that spelt is my personal favorite. Since the price of it is kind of high, I decided to try growing spelt. Got seeds but have to wait for fall planting, as they will take too long for my short season otherwise.
I also bought seeds of two other wheats: Akmolinka (a durum landrace) and Blue Tinge Ethiopian emmer. Those I have planted already, at the first thaw, the same time the garlic was pushing up sprouts. I covered them with row cover to protect from animals.
Any other bakers here growing grains?
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm
- karstopography
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Re: 5 minutes work for a loaf of bread
No, except I planted a few kernels of jimmy red corn as a trial. Supposed to make wonderful cornbread and grits, moonshine too.
I did get a hand crank grain grinder from Columbia, victoria is the brand. Ground some malted white wheat, might be the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted even raw. Sweet and bready. Ever make anything like a bread or cake with rahr malted white wheat? Using that in a brewing project, but it seems like it would be great in a baked item.
I did get a hand crank grain grinder from Columbia, victoria is the brand. Ground some malted white wheat, might be the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted even raw. Sweet and bready. Ever make anything like a bread or cake with rahr malted white wheat? Using that in a brewing project, but it seems like it would be great in a baked item.
"No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden."
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
- pepperhead212
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Re: 5 minutes work for a loaf of bread
Not enough room to grow grains here - I'm jealous! But I do grind a lot of my own flours - when this pandemic crap got going, and I couldn't shop at my usual place for rye flour, as well as many other things, I got some large bags of rye and hard white wheat shipped here, and started milling my flour again! I got a grain mill ages ago, but it was not used much, since I got my Vitamix, and had been using that to grind small amounts of grains and legumes as I needed them.
I did make some malted hard white wheat and malted rye flours (sprouted just until the sprouts were the size of the seed, then dried them in the dehydrator) that were delicious One flour that is really good to add to bread, especially when started well in advance, is barley flour. Think about using beer as a liquid in the bread - adds a wonderful flavor! I often add it to rye breads, that I start a sponge with a couple of days early.
Unless you are kneading the dough by hand, there really isn't that much work involved in making bread...except maybe cleanup!
I did make some malted hard white wheat and malted rye flours (sprouted just until the sprouts were the size of the seed, then dried them in the dehydrator) that were delicious One flour that is really good to add to bread, especially when started well in advance, is barley flour. Think about using beer as a liquid in the bread - adds a wonderful flavor! I often add it to rye breads, that I start a sponge with a couple of days early.
Unless you are kneading the dough by hand, there really isn't that much work involved in making bread...except maybe cleanup!
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b
- bower
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Re: 5 minutes work for a loaf of bread
The malted flours sound wonderful.
I have barley seeds to plant as well - rats stole my last crop entirely, but the barley itself seemed to do well here. Again, barley is something I've never tried in bread, but I bet I would like it.
I'm not growing enough grain to do more than multiply my seed this year, assuming that they do well enough to grow again. The packet is only taking up 6-7 square feet of garden space so it's an easy trial. I'm still exploring rotations for garlic, so I consider last year's garlic beds fair game for anything likely.
I have barley seeds to plant as well - rats stole my last crop entirely, but the barley itself seemed to do well here. Again, barley is something I've never tried in bread, but I bet I would like it.
I'm not growing enough grain to do more than multiply my seed this year, assuming that they do well enough to grow again. The packet is only taking up 6-7 square feet of garden space so it's an easy trial. I'm still exploring rotations for garlic, so I consider last year's garlic beds fair game for anything likely.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm