Some worth while along shore projects

[Cpt. Jon]

If you want to make your crust on your bread a little more crusty (I have been baking our own bread latey because we just can't get good bread around here) put a empty cookie sheet on the lowest rack in the oven. When preheating the oven, it will preheat the cookie pan. As soon as you put the bread in the oven pour some hot water on the pan, the steam will give you a great crust. On hearty breads like whole wheat etc I tend to preheat to around 500F and do the steam and bake for 10 mins, then reduce to 400F for the rest of the time depending on the size of the loaf (bvetween 35-45 mins). On white bread (kaiser rolls, baguette, etc) I just bake at between 350F and 400F and use a egg white and milk wash at the beginning, but always using the steam.

Also, I make a starter, with 1 part water and yeast and 1 part flour and start it as early as possible (12 hours sometimes) gives the bread a great flavor due to the fermentation. After that starter period I add ~ 2 more parts of flour to make between 70-75% flour to 25% water/liquid. Some salt is always required as well.

I've also noticed that kneading the bread by hand produces better bread than using a stand mixer. For the starter, I mix with a spoon as it will be very liquidy. We haven't bought bread lately because I just bake it, it's so easy if you have the time to wait. The steam has made much better bread. Also, I started out with all purpose flour, but I notice a huge difference in buying a real bread flour.

 

[Franklin]

1-3 hallopanio peppers (1 for a good hot, 3 for stomach turning hot).

habanero peppers that is.

 

[Ross]

Capt Jon, been baking my own bread for forty years or more and you are on the right track. I count the total flour as one hundred percent often with 25 percent of that as whole wheat. Then taking the total weight of the flour figure the total liquid at between 63 and 66 percent. Long ferments enhance the flavor epecially with the whole wheat flour. I often start my preferment on Friday before supper and make the bread after breakfast on Saturday morning. Milk and/or eggs make a more tender bread. after the first rise refrigerating the dough allows you to roll the dough very thin for dinner rolls. Flour is blended differently for different parts of the country and for different supermarket chains. Unbleached flour handles differently than bleached all purpose flour from the same market chain. Gold metal better for bread flour is quite different from pillsbury bread flour. Hodsons Mill whole wheat flour, for me has a better flavor than Pillsbury whole wheat flour. A properly mixed and kneaded dough will stretch like bubble gum.

 

[Cpt. Jon]

I use King Aurthur and Hodsons Mill flours for the most part... I haven't been doing our own breads very longs, but they are just so good that we don't really want other bread, though our grocery store does have decent french bread.

It took me a minute to figure out how you were getting that 63-66%, and I looked at what I did and realized measuring in weight made a lot more sense than cups, at a rough estimate it seems my dough falls in that range, around 66%. When I make my starter tonight and bread tomorrow, I will measure my old way and weight it to see exactly where I am falling.

 

[Ross]

If you make the same receipe often you will come to know when it feels just right. After you have gained experience then start with different white flours and compare your results and the method you have to use to get the same feel. Sometimes allowing the dough to rise for a half hour and then kneading for a couple of minutes will develope the glutins better when you are using a weaker flour. Try to avoid using extra flour when you knead the dough as just a few ounces can make quite a change in the final loaf.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Bread

Ross & Others, do you have any "recipes" for bread made in pressure cookers, or just your favorite bread and use the pc as a warmer?

 

[Ross]

Re: Bread

Stu I have seen a few , haven't tried any I should think that a dutch oven bread receipe would serve for that. I can't see how I could properly brown a loaf without an oven. There are a lot of steamed bread and pudding receipes but these are more like the canned "boston brown bread" and not at all like a sandwich or toast and jelly bread.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Pressure cookers

I have an oven on board. I received a pressure cooker for a birthday gift years ago and one of these days I'll move it onto the boat and use some of the bean recipes I got on this board. Just recalled some use for the pc for bread, too. Seems the best use is a place for keeping it warm and letting it rise.

 

[Ross]

Re: Pressure cookers

Stu I have good success with a long slow rise on my dough even at about 65-70 degrees in the winter time. I just have to be more patient. I have some steamed pudding that I did up in jars a couple of years ago. Receipe from the "The Joy of Cooking". I filled the jars half full and processed them at 10 PSI for 75 minutes for half pints. It fills the jar when finished and makes a rather heavy, moist, dark semi-sweet bread. Good with baked beans.

 

[Cpt. Jon]

One thing to note about yeast is that it needs oxygen to reproduce and when you start with a little packet of yeast or what not, the yeast is probably multiplying in the dough to get a higher count. I homebrew beer and taking propper care of the yeast and ensuring good amounts of oxygen for the yeast in the beginning is very important, I would think it's similar with bread making, or at least I treat it as such.

Ross, I can definately tell the differences when the dough is right and also if it's a bit sticky and I let rise about 20 minutes and then punch down and knead again there is a significant difference. Knowing the right feel is definately important and I can tell when it's right (most times). How it tastes as dough is also really important and would encourage anyone that's not experienced to always taste the dough, starter, or whatever at different stages. Lots of experimenting right now on days when I am around the house. In the winter times or on rainy days I like having something like soups, stocks, roasts, etc going and now the bread will just compliment that. It's been a crazy week and I am thinking that I might just want to hang around the house this weekend and do that sort of thing... we'll see.

I was thinking about dutch oven cooking methods for bread and I always think of Dampfnudeln - which is "steam noodle", but in fact it is very much a bread (if you ask me) that is cooked in steam and then the bottom is crispy and very tastey. My wifes grandmother in Germany would make these a lot because she knew I loved them and I would eat those with a vanilla sauce... mmm... I better make that sometime...

This last weekend was the first time we spent a whole day at anchor on the boat without moving or at least going for a sail or something (usually we spend one night and move on) and I thought, I sure would like to have an oven on board. I guess it's a thought for the future, it would be so cool to have those smells of bread baking or roasts or anthing like that in the boat when spending significant time on it.

 

[Ross]

I seem to have found a way to have fresh hot yeast bread without an oven just a good iron skillet. I had a pita sandwich for lunch sort of a cross between a wrap and a sliced bread sanwich.
Pitas are traditional flat breads and usually baked over a fire on a sheet. I am using a cast iron skillet and a pot lid and getting good results.

 

[Ross]

Nancy just came in and tore one in half and stuffed butter inside and declared it to be delicious. She is a good judge of bread and won't buy bread even if we have run out she asks for biscuits instead.

 

[Cpt. Jon]

Cool, I'll try the cast iron skillet, though the one we have is too big for the boat, but I've wanted a second smaller one sometime anyway. I've been wanting to do some pitas and naan, in fact the naan might be a really good candidate for doing on the grill on the boat... might have to give that more thought...

The loaf I made yesterday was just awesome. Both my wife and daughter seemed to agree and it was gone so fast. Also smoke a pork shoulder and some sauceless ribs... who needs sauce when they have the right rub and smoke slow and low for 6+ hours?

Yesterdays bread looked so nice I took a picture:

 

[Ross]

When next I make pitas I will try an aluminum skillet I get hot spots in the cast iron on a gas burner. If you google a pita receipe ignore the instruction for diameter and just go for a quarter inch thick. I couldn't get the diameter and thickness from the number of pieces the receipe called for. Less than a quarter inch thick and I started to make crackers.

Edit to add: That is a fine looking loaf.

 

[zeehag]

Stu I have seen a few , haven't tried any I should think that a dutch oven bread receipe would serve for that. I can't see how I could properly brown a loaf without an oven. There are a lot of steamed bread and pudding receipes but these are more like the canned "boston brown bread" and not at all like a sandwich or toast and jelly bread.

ross------how to brown a loaf without oven, from a s.a* point of view----
blow torch and a steady hand lol........

 

[Ross]

ross------how to brown a loaf without oven, from a s.a* point of view----
blow torch and a steady hand lol........

I used to toast my lunch sandwiches with an acetylene torch. you mustn't linger in one place very long.