Photos of what you cook and bake

Only because posting images is such a joy on here compared with EF!

Tofu, broccoli and rice noodles (with garlic and ginger)

Cheap, healthy, vegan and really quick.

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This is now a noodle thread! I don’t know, maybe not actually.

Chicken ramen noodles served with zucchini banchan and blanched lettuce. Banchan is great during the winter because I can store it outside instead of it taking up space in the fridge.

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Ooh, those both look delish. You guys are making me realize that I really need to up my game when it comes to cooking. :rofl:

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No food yet, but we finally got our new chairs and glass table top for the old chrome base. JYSK (originally Danish company) has round real sheepskin cushions for 10€. My goodness, it’s sooooo easy to post pix on this site!!
IMG_1200

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Testing the upload functionality too :slight_smile: brioche with baked brie. Simples :slight_smile:

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That looks absolutely stunning!

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@gaburko…beautiful (and delicious, I’m sure!)

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That looks delicious! Do you mind sharing the recipe and technique?

I’ve been making sourdough with mild success, but I can never get brioche right. It never comes out light and pull apart fluffy. I think I might be melting the butter during kneading.



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Your sourdough looks absolutely fine. If you don’t mind some feedback, notice how the “dome” has slightly collapsed. Usually this means that it went in the oven slightly over proofed and it collapsed after the initial oven spring. I personally don’t proof by time, as its very different at different temperatures.I rely solely on the “poke test” to check if it’s ready.i back at 250c for 20 min covered in a Dutch oven and 17 uncovered.

Re brioche, or any other enriched bread, butter goes in at room temperature and as the last ingredient.you need to have very well developed gluten before that. I have an infrared thermometer and if the temperature of the dough gets over 25-26c, I stop kneading,in the fridge for 5 min and then resume again.

It’s a process:)


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That is a goal worthy crumb! I’m following Brian Langstrom’s sourdough recipe of 75% hydration, 36% levain. How long is your first and second proof? Could you please critique my workflow?

  1. Mix ingredients and autolyse for 30 minutes.
  2. First stretch and fold after autolyse. Repeat two more times every 30 minutes.
  3. After the third stretch and fold, I place the dough either out in the cold or in the refrigerator.
    4.First proof: After the third stretch and fold, I place the dough either out in the cold or in the refrigerator. This can last between 12-14 hours depending on my schedule.
  4. Shape the dough into a ball and proof in banneton. Sometimes I stick it in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 30* if the room temp is too cold. I think the photo was a bread that was proofed in the oven.
  5. Plop it into a hot dutch oven and score the top. Put an ice cube in and close the lid.
  6. Bake

I’ve been meaning to get an infrared thermometer… :grinning:

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Sorry, I just reread your post and you said that you don’t go by time but by testing with a poke. But, if you had to guess, how long do you think you proof for? :sweat_smile:

I’m not a professional baker or cook, so instead of “criticism” I’d rather share my process and insights.

I’d not autolyze with salt and starter. I know Chad Robertson does it, but i humbly believe he’s wrond and he later changed his process anyway. Raymond Calvel, who supposedly came up with it first, suggests flour and water only. The idea is to develop gluten, nothing more nothing less. The starter breaks down gluten (the lactic acid is gluten negative) and salt stiffens gluten strands. So nothing else but water and flour.
Stretch and folds are great and this is what i do 90% of time unless I’m with some time on my hand and dealing with a higher hydration dough when I’d also do a lamination. But your process is my process 90%
Re fridge. I think you put in the fridge way too early. My bulk fermentation now during Basel winter is overnight or during my time in the office. Essentially, I’d stretch and fold 3 times in the evening and then I’d leave covered on the counter at room temperature (circa 22c). In the morning, before i leave for the office, I’d shape, put in the baneton and put in the fridge.

You need to give your yeasts a chance to multiply. Bulk fermentation at fridge temperature inhibits yeast growth and makes it harder to get an open crumb.

I usually bake in a preheated oven and my bread goes from cold to oven immediately.

Recently, my obsession is baguettes. So simple and yet…so elusive

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I only do rye sourdough.
I actually bought a proofing box for that and a pizza stone (that I’ve never used for pizza…)

It’s OK, but no comparison to Hofpfisterei-Brot.

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this thread is thriving - well done bossybaby - glad you brought it over fm EF. i will try to post something soon :smiley:

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I do have to say, I envy the breads above mine. They look absolutely pro.

I found I just don’t get the proofing right without a proofing box. So kudos to anyone who manages without.

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Depends on the bread. I’d never ferment my brioche, panettone or croissants without temp control. However, for my rustic breads, i always go at room temp and bulk fermentation takes anything between 4 and 10 hours. A proofing box is a must when your variables become too many so you can eliminate temperature and humidity out of the equation.

Re rye, its a fantastic, fantastic grain! I love to bake with rye and for my reuben sandwiches are always on a 30% rye sourdough bread. The 100% “roggenbrot” is not the thing we like, as its flavour is too dominating and tends to crowd out any topping. However, i fully understand people who love it as its a very special and unique taste.

I add bread-seasoning to the 100% rye bread.

The sunflower-seed bread is without seasoning, but it’s not 100% rye.

I came to love the Hofpfisterei-Bread during my time in Munich.

I bought the book from this guy:

after reading his blog - only to find that the recipes on his blog are more refined…

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Yeah, caraway and fennel are common in rye. I wasnt aware about coriander (hopefully the seeds, not the green part), so ill have to give it a go.

However, do try replacing the water in your breads with beer! A rye bread with 50% water and 50% imperial stout is a fantastic flavour explosion!

Ha, I would need to buy the beer first. I have zero at home.

As for the seasoning: there’s also aniseed.
I used to make this myself with a mortar, but the mill where I buy my flour (in Germany) has it packaged up in just the right consistency (not too fine, not to coarse) that I just buy that now.
Grinding down all the seeds was a chore on its own.

gaburko, what is up with you? I thought you were a hardcore neocon, not some squishy baking house cat?

:sunglasses:

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