Comparing Flours – Gold Medal vs. King Arthur

Bread made with Gold Medal flour

In my last blog post I decided to compare the bread flours I could find locally here in Hawaii, where different brands are somewhat limited. I decided to do this because at the Costco on the island, I bought 100 lbs of a flour which was giving me grief. There don’t seem to be many places here to buy flour in bulk. So to do a comparison test, I bought 5lb bags of flour at the local markets. I found King Arthur, Gold Medal and Bob’s Red Mill bread flours.Continue reading

Comparing Flours…King Arthur's Bread Flour

Comparing three flours

After my last post about poor quality flour, I decided to see what other kinds of flour I could find locally. I found a 5lb bag of King Arthur Unbleached Bread flour at the local KTA market and also a Gold Medal Bread flour, which was five pounds as well. The King Arthur Flour cost me 6.99 for 5 lbs!  The Gold Medal was 3.49. I also found a 5lb bag of Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached Bread flour at the local Cost U Less, and it was 3.99. Don’t forget, prices are high in Hawaii. Continue reading

A wedding, Hawaii, and back to REAL bread!

On Monday, I arrived back from a road trip of ten days. We went to our lovely daughter’s wedding which was in Phoenix, Az.

Natalie and Stephen

It was 107F  in the shade the day we went to the Phoenix Zoo. The animals were trying to keep cool:

Hot Lion

Hot Rino

We visited relatives on the way down and on the way back. I did not have a bite of real bread for all of that time! I have to admit my taste buds are spoiled.Continue reading

So You Want Your Sourdough…well…SOUR.

Salt Fermented Sourdough

I am at it again. I wanted to go after the crust and the sour of the San Francisco Sourdough. I have come up with a new technique that I have been experimenting with for a while. 

However, I want to take a moment to thank Peter Reinhart for giving me assistance with the publishing aspect, just like he promised. A real pro and gentleman he is. Thankyou Peter!

I also want to thank Randy Longacre who has so tirelessly read my manuscript as a newbie baker and professional writer. He has provided invaluable insight into problems and questions a newbie baker might have and has given me great advice.Thankyou Randy!

I have two other proof readers who are non- bakers, they also taste test my bread, their names are Ann Davidson and Carol Stibbie. For their encouragement and efforts, I want to offer thanks. Thank you Ann and Carol! 

When testing is done on the recipes, I will list the testers and give them public thanks  as well.

Now onto  SOURdough. Why do we consider San Francisco Sourdough the Holy Grail of Sourdough Baking?

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The Ultimate San Francisco Sourdough…Griffin’s Bread

Griffin’s Sourdough Bread

Well, I can finally say, “I did it!” after several years of varied experimentation with sourdough, I have finally achieved what I was aiming for. I really can’t believe it.

I experimented with high hydration doughs, low hydration doughs, all kinds of different formulations of doughs, timing, temperatures, autolyse, no autolyse, flour blends, different starters, motherdoughs,etc. If you look back in this blog you will find so many different experiments including some that were not too successful. It is a kind of history of my love affair and addiction to sourdough baking.Continue reading

Motherdough White Loaves

I have been working with a Motherdough starter at 70% hydration. A Motherdough starter is any starter that you bring to 70% (or any lower hydration from 50 – 80 %) hydration and keep refrigerated for at least 2 – 3 days until use.

Pain Au Levain… Naturally Fermented French Bread

Pain Au Levain

I received a new starter from a woman in Macairiere Boulogne, France. She wanted to remain nameless, but I do want to thank her for her wonderful French sourdough starter. I made the Pumpkin Sourdough in the preceeding blog with it. It is a midrange sour flavored,robust, five hour proofing starter (medium range proof). I thought it would be great to bake up some French Bread with it so I modified a formula from Raymond Calvels book “The Taste of Bread”. Continue reading

Light Swedish Rye

Using my new Swedish Sourdough Starter, which I feed with Rye flour, I made a Light Swedish Rye Loaf. The flavor is incredibly full bodied and tangy. I used lots of Caraway seeds. I am enjoying the Swedish starter because it is very vigorous and reliable, it always seems full of bubbles just when I need to use it. Here is the recipe which will make 2 – three pound loaves:

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Super White Sourdough

Following a hint from Mariana-Aga’s Bread journal, (which you really should see, it’s one of the best bread baking journals I’ve visited) http://mariana-aga.livejournal.com/76839.html  (it’s not all in a foreign language) about making a slurry of boiling water and a small amount of flour so you can have a mixture with some of the starch already gelatinized, I was hoping to come up with a white sourdough that would keep a moist crumb longer.

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Killer Sourdough Sourcream Waffles

I was going to make up some sourdough waffles using the recipe available on my website http://www.northwestsourdough.com/recipes.html , but my son asked me to add more eggs to the batter. So I decided to not only add an extra egg, but to add some sourcream as well. When I baked (waffled, griddled?) up the waffles, my son was really happy (how can you NOT make a 16 year old boy happy with waffles?) but my daughter said, “These are KILLER waffles, mom!” So I will pass on the changes to the recipe to you and see what you think.

First bowl – whisk together:

• 2 cups vigorous sourdough starter at 166% hydration
• 1.5 cups warm water (80-90 degrees)

Second bowl – add each following ingredient and then beat with whisk after each addition:

• A stick of melted butter (4 oz) (real butter, no substitutes)
• 2 Tablespoons Malt Syrup (I did not level off the Tablespoon)
• 5 large eggs
• 1/2  cup of sour cream (no low fat or no fat stuff!)

Third bowl – Add following ingredients and mix thoroughly:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder

Now add the contents of  bowl one and bowl two together and using your whisk, mix thoroughly. Then add the contents of bowl three to the bowl of wet ingredients and whisk all together until blended. Let the mixture set for ten minutes while your waffle iron is heating to a high heat. The batter is a bit thin, but if it is too thick the waffles will be heavy, not light and crispy with a fluffy, soft interior. I spray my waffle iron when it is heated, with pan spray, and then I use one ladle of batter for my waffle iron and cook on high until it is as brown as I like. These waffles are so good that the taste of smooth, rich butter continues as you swallow each bite. The outside is crisp, but not crunchy, the interior like I mentioned, is soft, rich, smooth and really awesome. Try some and see if you don’t think so as well! This recipe makes enough for my large family, I think it made 12 – 15 eight inch waffles. So cut down on the amounts if you want less, don’t be afraid to put in three eggs if you are halving the recipe. Enjoy!