Notes about Recipes in this book

• Buttermilk cinnamon-raisin bread

  • jumali on October 18, 2021

    This was an easy recipe to follow. The dough was wetter than I expected, and though I let it proof for twice the recommended time it didn't collapse as predicted. I just tapped the bowl on the counter, and it fell. Then I refrigerated it overnight. It was very easy to shape, and again I let it proof a second time for twice the prescribed time and it still wasn't as high as I would have liked. It was easy to slice and makes great toast, with just the right amount of raisins. I'll make this again.

  • anya_sf on March 03, 2022

    Made 1/2 recipe, using 100 g whole wheat flour + 1 tsp whole grain bread improver. The dough chilled just a few hours before shaping. I spent a little more time shaping it for a better looking loaf, although it was impossible to prevent a few raisins from popping out the top. The dough rested 2.5 hrs, rather than just 90 min, and rose slightly (my kitchen is cool). There was a lot of oven spring, so a crack formed down one side. I believe this is expected with this type of bread. The bread was relatively hearty and dense, I'm sure partly due to the whole wheat. Flavor was good, especially toasted.

• The master recipe: artisan free-form loaf (Boule)

  • anya_sf on March 10, 2022

    I made 1/3 recipe, still a relatively small loaf. Chilled the dough 2 days, let it rest 90 min after shaping. The bread was flavorful with a medium crumb and crackly crust. Delicious, although longer-aged dough would be even better.

• Baguette

  • anya_sf on January 01, 2022

    I used the recommended strong white dough (made with diastatic malt powder), which had been in the fridge 2 days. Half the recipe yielded 4 demi-baguettes. The dough was surprisingly easy to work with. The baguettes were flavorful, with medium holes and a relatively crisp (but not blistered) crust. Great result for very little work. I'll definitely make these again.

• Bâtard (Báh-tar)

  • anya_sf on February 21, 2022

    Using strong white dough with diastatic malt powder, this loaf had a lovely, dark, crisp crust and slightly chewy interior with medium crumb. Baked 10 days after making the dough, it was very flavorful. One pound of dough makes a fairly small loaf; I preferred a slightly larger one.

• European peasant bread

  • anya_sf on November 15, 2022

    I made 1/2 dough recipe, baked as one larger loaf. The dough was refrigerated for about a week, developing a noticeable sour smell. The shaped loaf rested nearly 90 min before baking; baking time was 48 min and probably should have baked 50 min. The bread was nicely crusty with a slightly spongy/chewy texture, medium crumb, and great flavor.

• Olive bread

  • anya_sf on March 06, 2022

    I used 1/4 of the master recipe, refrigerated for a few days, and kalamata olives, dried on a paper towel after slicing (in quarters since they were fairly large). I'm not sure I shaped the loaf correctly, but it turned out fine. The shaped dough rested 2.5 hrs at cool room temp before baking and was simply spritzed with water. The bread was delicious, with a thin, slightly crunchy crust, and open, springy texture.

• American-style whole wheat sandwich bread

  • anya_sf on April 17, 2022

    As with most other recipes in this book, I let the shaped loaf sit at cool room temperature for an extra hour until it had started to rise. Despite slashing the top down the center (perhaps not deep enough?), a crack still developed on one side. This bread was hearty, sturdy, and fairly dense, with a very nice whole grain flavor.

• Bagels

  • anya_sf on February 19, 2022

    My dough was about 10 days old and yielded a flavorful, chewy bagel with a fairly open crumb. The bagels were pretty ugly after boiling, but puffed up nicely in the oven. I baked them on parchment for easier transfer to the baking stone. The aroma was more bread-like than bagel-like, but that didn't matter, and I appreciated the versatility of this dough.

• Brioche

  • anya_sf on February 25, 2022

    I made 1/3 recipe for 1 loaf. Although kneading isn't required for any recipe in this book, the authors recommend it here, so I kneaded the dough for a few minutes in the stand mixer. I baked the brioche 2 days after making the dough. It was really slow to rise (my kitchen was especially cold), even though I put the loaf in the microwave with a cup of hot water (my homemade proofing cabinet). Instructions say to let the dough rest 90 minutes, but don't say whether or how much the dough should rise; I assumed it should rise at least somewhat, which mine hadn't. After 2.5 hours, my dough had at least risen somewhat, so I baked it. There was a lot of oven spring, resulting in a wonky-shaped loaf with a crack on one side. Texture and flavor of the bread were very good. I would definitely use this recipe again since it's so much easier than classic brioche.

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