It has been a while since I last posted but I haven't stopped baking. I tried my hand at using instant dry yeast more than a few times and also concluded that my starter works best when the house interior temperature is in the 76-80F range. Otherwise, I spike the dough with 1/8 or 1/4 tsp of IDY so I don't end up baking my sourdough loaves at 11 PM to have a loaf for breakfast.
While I tried to work out the recipe and methodology of using 00 flour for flat breads, I got sidetracked into working with a method that I saw in Peter Reinhart's newer book on baking pizza. It was something that I had also seen in some video featuring another baker, Paul Hollywood, so I definitely can't claim to have reinvented the baking wheel so to speak. I also borrowed the idea of a blanket for the sponge from Rose Levy Berenbaum. But it's easy and convenient for days when I need to get some chores done in the morning or go to the gym and work off some those bread calories as a kind of penance. The resultant dough can be used for foccacia, pizza crusts, or even a boule that definitely has some relation to a horiatiko psomi loaf. It's a versatile dough for bakers who aren't chained to classic ingredients or methodology.
Here's what I do for a focaccia or pizza crust. First, I figure out what kind of flour combination I want to use and start a speed sponge/ blanket sponge combination.
210 g warmish water- about 85-90F
30 g white whole wheat flour
70 g AP flour
1/4 tsp IDY
After scaling out my water and placing it in a bowl large enough for mixing, I hydrate the IDY for about 5 or 6 minutes. Hydrating IDY isn't necessary but it doesn't hurt either. Meanwhile I scale my flour which is usually about 1/3 of the total flour weight, always including any flour that could benefit from a soak, such as WWW or a semolina. You can always stir the two flours together to get a more even distribution but in the long run, it won't make a big difference. Add the mixture to the water and stir it up.
200 g AP flour
1/8-1/4 tsp IDY, depending on interior room temperature
Mix the flour and the IDY together and then spoon all over the speed sponge, covering the entire surface with an even coat or blanket if you will.
6 g kosher salt
Scale the salt and then spread evenly over the flour blanket. Cover your bowl and just let it rest while the IDY goes to work on the sponge portion. Some of the IDY in the blanket will become hydrated and start working but it hasn't been a big thing in my experience. You can start this portion of the recipe the night before and place the covered bowl in the fridge after an hour or so on the counter. Take it out before your morning coffee, let it warm up and follow the the rest of the recipe.
The rule of thumb I use is to wait until there are some cracks in the appearance of the flour blanket before I mix. This could be three to five hours depending on the room temperature and if it seems to be too long, you can always go ahead and mix because the yeast won't be sleeping. Once all the flour is mixed in and you have the familiar shaggy mass, you can either cover the bowl for a short while, 20-30 minutes, while you eat lunch and clean up after yourself, or you can begin the process.
Using olive oil or your favorite oil, put about 1/2-1 tsp on a flat surface and smear it around. Transfer the dough to the middle of your smear, get some oil on your fingers, and flatten the dough into a rough rectangle. Use one of your hands to stretch the dough out and then fold back, one side at a time. When you're done, cover the dough with your mixing bowl and wait 3-4 minutes before you repeat the stretching and covering. I find that two or three stretches are usually adequate and then I shape the dough into a ball.The dough goes back into the mixing bowl and as soon as you've covered the bowl, leave it alone until it has doubled. Then one can go about making the flat bread, pizza crust, or even a loaf of bread as suits your desires. The 300g total flour weight will fill a jelly roll pan for a foccacia or Grandma style pizza, make a 12-14 inch pizza crust depending on your skills, or a boule.
Last year wasn't my best year for gardening. We had a wet, cool period from the beginning of April until the middle of May, a two week Spring, and then we went into Summer. While I had enough for Mrs PG and I, I didn't have much to give away. I did get some new garlic seed stock from Filaree Farms and worked on that section of my garden to make sure it had as healthy a start as possible. I'm about to start some dormant grass seeding on my lawn to help cover up the spots that moles have created by their runs.I want to believe that more healthy grass will mean fewer weeds so I'm giving it a try.
Some of our usual visitors to the bird feeders and our yard haven't appeared during this winter. Flocks of starlings have appeared in early December in previous years to clear out the seed pods on the pear tree but not this winter. They would stay around for a few days, eating the pods, dominating the bird feeders, and suet cage then go away, only occasionally returning on snow days. This year the red squirrels have been feasting without interference on the trees. Very few woodpeckers have been around and no flickers whatsoever. The rest of the usual suspects including finches, titmouse, sparrows, and cardinals are here every day for their free lunch.
Comments, humor, and questions are welcome.
While I tried to work out the recipe and methodology of using 00 flour for flat breads, I got sidetracked into working with a method that I saw in Peter Reinhart's newer book on baking pizza. It was something that I had also seen in some video featuring another baker, Paul Hollywood, so I definitely can't claim to have reinvented the baking wheel so to speak. I also borrowed the idea of a blanket for the sponge from Rose Levy Berenbaum. But it's easy and convenient for days when I need to get some chores done in the morning or go to the gym and work off some those bread calories as a kind of penance. The resultant dough can be used for foccacia, pizza crusts, or even a boule that definitely has some relation to a horiatiko psomi loaf. It's a versatile dough for bakers who aren't chained to classic ingredients or methodology.
Here's what I do for a focaccia or pizza crust. First, I figure out what kind of flour combination I want to use and start a speed sponge/ blanket sponge combination.
210 g warmish water- about 85-90F
30 g white whole wheat flour
70 g AP flour
1/4 tsp IDY
After scaling out my water and placing it in a bowl large enough for mixing, I hydrate the IDY for about 5 or 6 minutes. Hydrating IDY isn't necessary but it doesn't hurt either. Meanwhile I scale my flour which is usually about 1/3 of the total flour weight, always including any flour that could benefit from a soak, such as WWW or a semolina. You can always stir the two flours together to get a more even distribution but in the long run, it won't make a big difference. Add the mixture to the water and stir it up.
200 g AP flour
1/8-1/4 tsp IDY, depending on interior room temperature
Mix the flour and the IDY together and then spoon all over the speed sponge, covering the entire surface with an even coat or blanket if you will.
6 g kosher salt
Scale the salt and then spread evenly over the flour blanket. Cover your bowl and just let it rest while the IDY goes to work on the sponge portion. Some of the IDY in the blanket will become hydrated and start working but it hasn't been a big thing in my experience. You can start this portion of the recipe the night before and place the covered bowl in the fridge after an hour or so on the counter. Take it out before your morning coffee, let it warm up and follow the the rest of the recipe.
The rule of thumb I use is to wait until there are some cracks in the appearance of the flour blanket before I mix. This could be three to five hours depending on the room temperature and if it seems to be too long, you can always go ahead and mix because the yeast won't be sleeping. Once all the flour is mixed in and you have the familiar shaggy mass, you can either cover the bowl for a short while, 20-30 minutes, while you eat lunch and clean up after yourself, or you can begin the process.
Using olive oil or your favorite oil, put about 1/2-1 tsp on a flat surface and smear it around. Transfer the dough to the middle of your smear, get some oil on your fingers, and flatten the dough into a rough rectangle. Use one of your hands to stretch the dough out and then fold back, one side at a time. When you're done, cover the dough with your mixing bowl and wait 3-4 minutes before you repeat the stretching and covering. I find that two or three stretches are usually adequate and then I shape the dough into a ball.The dough goes back into the mixing bowl and as soon as you've covered the bowl, leave it alone until it has doubled. Then one can go about making the flat bread, pizza crust, or even a loaf of bread as suits your desires. The 300g total flour weight will fill a jelly roll pan for a foccacia or Grandma style pizza, make a 12-14 inch pizza crust depending on your skills, or a boule.
Last year wasn't my best year for gardening. We had a wet, cool period from the beginning of April until the middle of May, a two week Spring, and then we went into Summer. While I had enough for Mrs PG and I, I didn't have much to give away. I did get some new garlic seed stock from Filaree Farms and worked on that section of my garden to make sure it had as healthy a start as possible. I'm about to start some dormant grass seeding on my lawn to help cover up the spots that moles have created by their runs.I want to believe that more healthy grass will mean fewer weeds so I'm giving it a try.
Some of our usual visitors to the bird feeders and our yard haven't appeared during this winter. Flocks of starlings have appeared in early December in previous years to clear out the seed pods on the pear tree but not this winter. They would stay around for a few days, eating the pods, dominating the bird feeders, and suet cage then go away, only occasionally returning on snow days. This year the red squirrels have been feasting without interference on the trees. Very few woodpeckers have been around and no flickers whatsoever. The rest of the usual suspects including finches, titmouse, sparrows, and cardinals are here every day for their free lunch.
Comments, humor, and questions are welcome.
