I saw an Instagram post recently by Kristen Dennis @fullproofbaking. In her post she ran an experiment contrasting the use of her KitchenAid mixer vs hand folding. Her hypothesis was that the mixer resulted in a much tighter crumb structure and a more limited oven spring. The crumb structure she posted for her bread kneadedContinue reading “Limiting Mixer Use”
Category Archives: Experiment
Sourdough Baguettes (Part 6)
Ok…. This post is why I started this string of posts in the first place. On my journey of learning to bake sourdough I’ve come to realize it is a mixture of science, art (sometimes black art), whimsy, luck and my ever-present Sous Chef (do bakers even have these?) Murphy. I’ve gone through all theContinue reading “Sourdough Baguettes (Part 6)”
Sourdough Baguettes (Part 5)
At this point in the the Leaven and Poolish are ready (they each pass the “float test”) and the autolyse has been going for 90+ minutes. I mixed them all together in my KitchenAid mixer with the spiral dough hook. After letting it all rest for about 20 minutes I added the salt, kneaded itContinue reading “Sourdough Baguettes (Part 5)”
Sourdough Baguettes (Part 4)
Autolyse is technique I’ve come to use when baking my sourdough bread. This is the process of mixing water and flour together before adding the rising agent. It is a process that allows the flour to absorb the moisture and start to break down the starch and sugars. I normally mix the water and flourContinue reading “Sourdough Baguettes (Part 4)”
Sourdough Baguettes (Part 3)
This post (and the next couple) will go over the method in more detail. They will be a mix of what I did, observed and concluded during that portion of the process. Mixing the Leaven and Poolish I immediately veered to follow my established path for the leaven. I fed my cold starter from theContinue reading “Sourdough Baguettes (Part 3)”
Sourdough Baguettes (Part 2)
Baguettes are something iconic and I’ve had a mental hurdle in front of me regarding attempting them. I find that a bit odd since I jumped right into making sourdough croissants! I was inspired watching Chad Robertson the other week. So I bought his book, read up on his baguette journey, recipe and method. NowContinue reading “Sourdough Baguettes (Part 2)”
Sourdough Baguettes (Part 1)
I’ve decided that I will attempt sourdough baguettes. I have attempted years ago but felt that they were beyond my skill level as a baker and I would be better off going in a different direction at the time. I think it is now time to master this loaf. I’d been watching a cooking seriesContinue reading “Sourdough Baguettes (Part 1)”
Aliquot Jar Experiment
I’ve seen some posts recently about the use of Aliquot jars in sourdough baking. They are useful to judge your starter or when your bulk ferment is at the optimal time. “Well, why not experiment with that method?” I thought… Aliquot jars are narrow jars which allow you to see volume expansion readily since expansionContinue reading “Aliquot Jar Experiment”
Sourdough Babka
I’m continuing to try different breads and pastries leveraging my base croissant dough recipe. It made awesome cinnamon rolls…why not try a Babka (or at least my version of it)? I followed the same process I usually do for making my dough. Once it had risen yesterday I degassed it and put it in myContinue reading “Sourdough Babka”
Sourdough Croissants – Lamination Experiment
I’ve been struggling with my results for my honeycomb structure. The results I’m getting aren’t quite what I picture in my mind. That said, I know that many factors are at play and any one (or combination of them) can affect the end result. I have previously experimented with my technique for lock-in/lamination, length ofContinue reading “Sourdough Croissants – Lamination Experiment”
Baked By Bear Sourdough 