Winter Time Wonder Bread

The past Summer and Autumn weren't seasons for notable loaves. I was still baking a least once a week but nothing that I thought was new enough  or deserving attention. Then in November I had an accident that resulted in my not being able to stand at the counter and work on bread. Even though Mrs PG tried to find healthy bread, store bought bread motivated me to get back to healthy and through physical therapy. The PT continues but I'm already back to flinging flour.

The winter weather is playing games with my hydration estimates. It seems that all my loaves need at least an extra 5 g of water and often a few more. This dough turned out to be just short of sticky but I did manage to wrangle it into the banneton where a 16 hour rest in the fridge helped me out. The loaf had a nice interior crumb that was soft and open. Some more practice to get back into rhythm wouldn't hurt me but as always, if it tastes good, it is good.

Starter
125 g at 100%, using KAF AP

Main Dough
264 g Dakota Maid Bread Flour
66 g Wheat Montana White Whole Wheat Flour
215 g water at 85F
All of starter
8 g kosher salt

Part of the wonder in this loaf was my choice to use tap water instead of the filtered water from the refrigerator's ice maker system. It didn't appear to add any off flavored tastes so I guess I'll continue to use it. I also wondered about the pictures that were taken with my smart phone. The little details of an aggressive bake don't show through but I need more practice with that as well. Usually, I back off the bake temperature when I take off the foil roasting pan and turn the loaf around but this time  it was baked at 450F throughout the 45 minutes and I got a fine, shattering crust in return.

I also tried my hand at making some scones this past week. These were chocolate chip buttermilk scones. I subbed some white whole wheat into the recipe but I wouldn't say these were very healthy but they're good at breakfast time. Any time is a good time for chocolate, right? The shaping left a lot to be desired but they were a fun project for a day when the outside temperature was around 15F. There will be more quick breads before the winter is over.


The wintertime assortment of birds at the feeder is missing any sort of sparrows right now. The juncos probably miss the sparrows most of all since they're such sloppy eaters and the juncos, who are ground feeders, usually clean up after them. The blue jays are this season's funniest looking birds since they seem to puff out their feathers an extra 1/2 to 3/4 inch to keep warm in below freezing temperatures. Cooper's hawks are in this neighborhood but I've also seen some red tailed hawks closer to the river.

Comments, humor, and questions are welcome.