A first time for everything
Jun. 4th, 2011 09:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ksmithI baked my first loaf of bread today.
I went to a new grocery store this morning, which to my surprise carried King Arthur white whole wheat and bread flours in addition to the usual all-purpose, and at a really great price. I had been pondering bread baking for a while, and when I spotted the bread flour, I decided oh what the hell and bought some yeast, too. I had planned on working in the yard when I got home, but it was so danged hot that I had to stay in. Hence, the bread experiment.
I hunted through the King Arthur website for recipes, and finally found an oatmeal sandwich bread that didn't require one of their special baking ingredients (dry milk, yeast booster, etc). I read the comments, and saw that some folks had substituted as much as 2/3 of the bread flour with white whole wheat flour. Looking back, I probably shouldn't have experimented with my very first loaf, but I've gotten away from straight white bread over the last few years, and wanted to inject a little fiber. I used my stand mixer with the dough hook, and followed all the instructions. Set it outside to rise because the temp was in the mid-80s.
Ta-da:
It looks nothing like the light, airy stuff in the KA website picture. It's dense but light, if that makes sense. Not dry at all. Very small crumb. It's tasty. I had it buttered with my luncheon salmon salad and toasted w/ marmalade just now. But it's like one of those misshapen loaves of artisan bread that you ponder at a farmers market. Slices aren't big enough for sandwiches, which is a shame because it would go well with ham or poultry. I may try it anyway. I think it would make nice rolls.
I'd like to make it again, but I think I'd back off the white w/w to 1 cup instead of 2.
By the time I took the bread out of the oven, the temp had dropped. So I worked outside for a while. Trimmed hedges and shrubs. Watered. Pulled the pathetic little purple bell pepper seedling, which wasn't going anywhere, and moved the cubanelle pepper in its place. The warm temps over the last week have worked wonders on the tomatoes and lettuces. The broccoli raab is almost tall enough to thin.
In closing, allow me to introduce you to the Indestructible Chive, which has some of the prettiest flowers I've ever seen.
I went to a new grocery store this morning, which to my surprise carried King Arthur white whole wheat and bread flours in addition to the usual all-purpose, and at a really great price. I had been pondering bread baking for a while, and when I spotted the bread flour, I decided oh what the hell and bought some yeast, too. I had planned on working in the yard when I got home, but it was so danged hot that I had to stay in. Hence, the bread experiment.
I hunted through the King Arthur website for recipes, and finally found an oatmeal sandwich bread that didn't require one of their special baking ingredients (dry milk, yeast booster, etc). I read the comments, and saw that some folks had substituted as much as 2/3 of the bread flour with white whole wheat flour. Looking back, I probably shouldn't have experimented with my very first loaf, but I've gotten away from straight white bread over the last few years, and wanted to inject a little fiber. I used my stand mixer with the dough hook, and followed all the instructions. Set it outside to rise because the temp was in the mid-80s.
Ta-da:
It looks nothing like the light, airy stuff in the KA website picture. It's dense but light, if that makes sense. Not dry at all. Very small crumb. It's tasty. I had it buttered with my luncheon salmon salad and toasted w/ marmalade just now. But it's like one of those misshapen loaves of artisan bread that you ponder at a farmers market. Slices aren't big enough for sandwiches, which is a shame because it would go well with ham or poultry. I may try it anyway. I think it would make nice rolls.
I'd like to make it again, but I think I'd back off the white w/w to 1 cup instead of 2.
By the time I took the bread out of the oven, the temp had dropped. So I worked outside for a while. Trimmed hedges and shrubs. Watered. Pulled the pathetic little purple bell pepper seedling, which wasn't going anywhere, and moved the cubanelle pepper in its place. The warm temps over the last week have worked wonders on the tomatoes and lettuces. The broccoli raab is almost tall enough to thin.
In closing, allow me to introduce you to the Indestructible Chive, which has some of the prettiest flowers I've ever seen.
