Is all Home Made Bread the same?

IN a word - NO.


Just like the bread aisle at a grocery store has many varieties of loaf bread, a home baker can pick from many types of bread to make.  In fact, there are probably more types for a home baker to make than a store has room to display.  

Breads fall into these categories
Lean breads (no oils, fats, dairy, sugar)
Enriched breads - with oils, fats, dairy or sugar, and often several of those things.
Naturally fermented breads - aka, sourdough (tho not necessarily sour)
Quick breads - leavened with anything other than yeast or egg


Lean Breads

In general, I make mostly lean breads of simply flour, water, salt and yeast.  Whether all white flour or part whole grain, these breads make great sandwiches and toast or just a nice snack.  The basic recipe is a great platform for all kinds of variations with dried herbs, vegetables or fruits or mixed with other flours like whole grain wheat, rye, even quinoa and other gluten free grains.

Flavor is not only a result of the added items, but also a product of time and fermentation.  High volume bakeries mix, rise and bake in short periods, but longer periods (30 hours or even several days).  Bakers have long known the flavor benefits of soakers and sponges - where a portion of the flour is hydrated, with or without a touch of yeast, and the natural actions start to work on the starch in the flour.  Extreme fermentation results in a sourdough style result.


Enriched Breads

Another large variety of breads historically used for celebrations or made where milk and eggs were in abundance.  Varieties include brioche and challah.  Changes in flavor, density and sweetness mark these breads.  Because of the added fats, these doughs are heavier.  The fats and sugars have different effects on the gluten formation and fermentation.  Cooler temperatures are needed to keep the fats (particularly butter) from melting and to allow a slow rise.  And, because the fats and sugars burn at lower temperatures, enriched doughs are baked at lower temperatures often with an outer egg wash for color.


Sourdough

Initially, sourdough was simply naturally fermented dough.  If you let some flour and water sit at room temperature for a day or two, it will start to ferment as the bacteria in the air starts to grow in your flour/water mixture.  The bacteria eats the sugars and other foods in the flour and exhausts gas (carbon dioxide) making bubbles.  Keep feeding the bubbling mixture with flour and water and you get a mature starter.  Use this starter to 'infect' other flour and water and you have dough.  

Sourdough baking, in my view, is a specialty.  When a baker has a regular schedule of quantities to mix and bake, a part of that routine is to feed the starter so that there is sufficient 'ripe' starter to infect the next batch of dough.  The proper ripeness and concentration of the starter to new flour is key to getting a dough that rises as expected.  

'Sour ness' comes from both the ripeness of the starter and the concentration of starter to new ingredients.  It can also be influenced by the actual bacteria used to create the starter which is perpetuated with each feeding.  Some people say that the local water used in feeding the starter and dough has a unique flavor impact to the dough.  There is a separate cult of sourdough people that give honor to specific sourdough cultures from times gone by, some of which are hundreds of years old.  

And, there are some people who say that after generations of feeding and feeding, the old bacteria is diluted and replaced with local bacteria. 

Who knows what is right?  I am guessing that people who spend all their time with sourdough culture (the bacteria and the way of life) can tell the difference.

All this is to say that sourdough is a specialty unto itself.  


Quick Breads

I really wonder if Zucchini Bread is really bread.  It seems to me that it is a long way from any of the other breads above - almost too gooey to be bread.  But, quick breads are generally leavened with something other than eggs or yeast- such as baking powder or soda.  Generally these breads are not so good for sandwiches or toast.  

Ok - they are breads.  I just don't make them - and rarely enjoy them.  


My Choice?

I choose to make lean breads.  I choose to use yeast.  Why?  Partially, because I enjoy eating the finished product even more than I enjoy watching other people with the finished product.  Sometimes it doesn't come out as pretty as I want it - but, as long as I don't leave any of the ingredients out, the taste is great.

And, with a few additional ingredients (from the flavor paragraph above), there are lots of varieties to be made.  Change some of the processes (time, soaking, rising periods, baking temperatures, humidity), the results can change dramatically.  So, while I want some consistency at times, whenever I want change, no problem.  

And, with all the variety, have I ever had a bread I made that I didn't like?  Well, yes, but that's because I left out the salt.   I didn't mean to, but I did.  I learned from my mistake, that I didn't want to make bread with no salt.  Otherwise, grainy bread or soft bread or no herbs or even with dried fruit - it was good.  Some I have never made again, but I can say that I have enjoyed most all of them.  

Home vs Commercial - Homemade wins almost every time - or it should.

Yesterday, I made two each of 3 loaves each of different varieties of bread, half to share with an iconic San Diego food establishment. My thought was that, in some way, they could share the glory that is fresh bread with their customers.

Alas, the 'big guy' I had talked to via email wasn't there when I was there (and not expected), but it became clear in talking to the manager that the place really relies on turnover - duhh, I guess I was a little (lot) naive in not expecting that.

Turnover means that people don't spend any more time at the tables (or, in this case, in the premium, close to the door parking spots) than is necessary. While they are in a great tourist area, if people can't find parking nearby, they will choose another food establishment of which there are many in the area.

They do offer bread as an accommodation - but while finished onsite (and with a crispy outer crust), it comes to them partially baked. That bread is beautiful - but tastes like sourdough paste in your mouth (yes, I tried it).

But, with min wage going up in California, high rents in tourist areas, and increasing costs of quality food ingredients, what would one expect? If YOU owned this place (or any place in a touristy location), YOU MUST know what makes your place work - and, if the trick is a quick turnover of tables (and parking spaces, if they are a limiter) during prime feeding times - that's what YOU do. OR you fail.

And, when turnover is really important, why would you want customers who saunter in and intend to savor some bread, some specialty products of the chef, a glass of wine and watch the afternoon go by with wonderful views all the while occupying that valuable parking spot?

A couple of decades ago, I was a member of an organization that had only one of each 'local trade' as members. A speaker once said that our greatest threat to each of us was Sears - as they did everything. They didn't do it better - but still they did it with a large marketing budget. The best local plumber (with all of his costs) is competing with the 'Sears local provider' and the power of their marketing - and lack of depth in the community.

Today, the local business person is challenged at every turn as national chains come to town to woo away their customers - and restaurants are especially sensitive to fads and changing winds. Sometimes, the same quality item is good enough to repeat. Sometimes the buyer wants something new. Italian is good - but maybe not tonite. The local place with the best steak for its price in town has been your go to place in the past - but now you want fish. Or vice versa.

And, while I love really fresh bread (Really), what is the market for commercial fresh fresh bread in a quantity to make it sell and pay the bills? And, if you could tap the demand, once you start production in quantity, will it be as good as it was when you were making small quantities? That would be just one more challenge for a "challenge rich environment" faced by any food purveyor.

The response of many food purveyors? Make it 'good enough'. Why spend more than you need - why take risks that you don't need to take, when there are risks a plenty already? Good is good enough when it comes to many things - particularly when you are known to be great in another area of food (like beef, bbq or seafood)

It is the logical result.

My point?

My point is that I (and you) can make as good as or often better meals or portions of meals at home - because we DO NOT have the pressures of a restaurant as to time, overhead, regulation, wages, employees who don't show up, tables that aren't ready when they are supposed to be, limited parking, etc, etc, etc.

Difficulty in volume operations

And, when I make bread, I don't have to make 50 (or 500) loaves looking almost the same, tasting pretty much the same, in a short period of time and which will last through the day if not bought. (I was told by someone who worked in a bakery that yesterday's loaves were sold as day old - but with instructions to the buyer on how to ' re crisp' the loaf in their home oven. That's how one baker dealt with 'left overs'.)

I was tough on Yelp regarding a local BBQ chain. I thought the ribs were terrible - not living up to their reputation. My basis? I compared the ribs of a 'meet the demands of a long waiting line' restaurant with ribs made by me and by my friends. On a scale of 1-10, the restaurant version is a 2 vs a 9 or so for the home made versions. But home made has no 'do or die' production schedule, or the other demands faced by a commercial establishment. And, I came to realize that those great reviews (assuming they are all true) are from people who don't make great ribs at home (or that like the Monday Chevrolet, I went at the wrong time).

Why would this be a surprise or a revelation?

No commercial entity can make a 'ship in a bottle' as well as an experienced craftsman or a quilt as beautiful and well done as an expert home quilter or detailed wooden toys as well as an expert woodworker, etc.

So, why would we expect that every commercial baker - or those who incidentally offer fresh bread in particular - be able to make bread as well as you do at home???

Confession: While I would love to spend a couple days a week turning flour into fresh fresh bread to be enjoyed by families and foodies, I have fears.  

The fears include:

- Diminishing quality in order to meet production schedules

- Taking what is now a pleasure and making it a chore

- Losing my shorts financially

- Having to price the product so high (in order to cover all costs and risks) that 'ordinary families' cannot enjoy the bread

- Not being able to find a 'successor' to take over when the time came - or when I wanted (or needed) to take some time off.

So, in the meantime, I will do it small time. The first goal is taste and freshness. Next comes looks and crust. Always in an affordable package.

14 Steps to make bread - it is easier than you think Including watching a video 3 times and lots of waiting (yes, waiting is a step)

Simple 14 steps to make bread in your home oven.

1 - Watch Steve making bread.  Here is a link to his video

https://youtu.be/Q4DQLB7_U1Q

that's 6.5 minutes

2 - get out your frying pan (skillet), measuring cups and spoons, wooden (or other) mixing spoon and make a shopping list if you don't have flour, salt or yeast.  That yeast you have from making your own pizza crust 4 years ago is bad.  Get new yeast.

Assuming nothing else on your shopping list and that you live fairly close to a grocery store and need everything - this will take you an hour.

3 - Watch the video again and write down the recipe.

that's 6.5 more minutes

4 - Measure and mix the dry items in a bowl that is really big compared to the amount of flour you are adding (this will grow - like it did for Steve)

5 minutes (if you are a clutz like a lot of guys are first time (i.e., me))

5 - Measure and add the water

1 minute

6 - Mix with the handle of a wooden spoon

one half minute

7 - cover and let sit for two hours and watch the video again

less than 10 minutes.

8 - wake up

9 - watch the video again, heat up the oven and get the frying pan ready

less than 10 minutes.

10 - dump the dough into the pan.  Put the pan in the oven and set the timer.

And, go sit down - and think about what you are going to spread on your warm bread.  Butter?   Jam??  Fresh Avocado??  Mayo and sliced turkey??  You get the idea.

Get the cooling rack out and place it on some easy to reach and stable counter space.

Get the hot pad ready also.

11 - check the bread?   if ready to remove - remove it and dump it onto the rack.  

12 - wait at least 30 minutes before you cut.  Yes, you have to wait.  It really needs to finish baking and have some of the additional moisture evaporate during the cooling time.  If you are first born - and a rule follower - wait one whole hour.  If you are second born - wait 30 minutes.  

You can do this.

13 - before you cut - you need to make a major decision:  Are you going to share this with anyone????  If so - now is the time to decide how much you can eat.  Plan your work and work your plan (seems like a good rule to live by).  

note - this bread is really easy to make.  You could start another batch while this one is cooling.  

14 - Ok - enough deep thought.  Time to cut the bread.  I stop here -because you won't listen to anything else I say.  Enjoy.

1@3.20.17

Links I like

Here are some links I like - 

(shortened link to this page    https://goo.gl/yvz5aF)

To help understand the basics of making bread

https://youtu.be/g_c53AYZMGM
A 2 minute overview - not instructional (they have a book they want you to buy), but illustrational.  Their 'schtick' is that if you spend a few minutes on Monday and mix the dough, you can spend a few minutes each day to bake a loaf - and have fresh bread every day of the week.   Makes sense as long as you have room in your refrigerator for the bucket of dough.    
But - this shows you how easy it is to get great bread at home. 


https://youtu.be/Q4DQLB7_U1Q
Here, Steve shows how to make bread using a mixing bowl, cup measure, tsp measure, mixing spatula, frying pan and oven.

This is his turbo method.  If you can do this, then you are ready for more advanced approaches.  And, anyone can do this.
Big lesson-  today, baking bread is different than in grandma's day.  It is easier.

I don't bake this way - and, once you get some experience, you won't either.  But, YOU can put fresh bread on the table with little effort using Steve's approach.  When you look at his YouTube channel, you will see many videos on other simple alternatives.

if you go no further - you can make bread today using this recipe and approach.  

https://food52.com/blog/9904-the-many-reasons-using-a-scale-will-change-your-life
A simple intro on the benefits of using a digital scale and recipes in grams.
I use an Oxo scale - it's nice to have a display that pulls away from the base so my wide mixing bowl doesn't cover the display.  I got it on Amazon for about $43


http://www.thefreshloaf.com/handbook/baker039s-math
Baker's math - an introduction.  Absolutely necessary for the commercial baker, but very valuable for the home baker.
Used in combination with a digital scale and recipes (actually they become formulas) in grams, you can make a little or a lot - and not be stuck with the portion from the original recipe.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/08mini.html

In 2006, an article in the New York Times (and later a book) showed how the home baker can make bread rivaling (or better than) any bread from any professional bakery right in their own kitchen.  This is the source of Steve's inspiration (in the first video above).  This link shows it is possible -  but Steve makes it easier. 

I have an 'issue' with saying that handling a 500º, 12#, iron dutch oven is something everyone should do - BUT, this is the source of the 'revolution' that told us WE CAN.  

Others - for recipes or formulas (when you are using baker's percentages)

to come

Others for technique

to come

5 @ 3.20.17

Bread making - New or Old Methods???

2006 - the article that started the revolution of making bakery quality bread at home

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/08mini.html

and, in 2014, the video that illustrates the approach - and the result

https://www.nytimes.com/video/dining/1194817104184/no-knead-bread.html

3 cups flour (all purpose is ok)
1/4 tsp of yeast
1-1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups water

Converting this to grams, we get
360 g flour
.7 g yeast
7 g salt
360 g water

In the 2006 article, the author addresses a couple of the keys and a couple of the 'difficulties' of this approach.

For the Home Baker making a single loaf at a time - dealing with 'plopping' a couple pounds of dough into a 500º dutch oven is a little risky.  The video shows the 'inventor' of the process doing this - and I am not sure that it is something that most home bakers want to try.   Then, dealing with the hot covered dutch oven with a couple pounds of dough in it is a challenge for most home bakers as well - it is awkward, heavy and hot.

But, the resulting loaf is beautiful and of high quality - simply from flour, salt, water and yeast.

For the Micro Bakery (making 3+ loaves at a time) - as the article sets forth, this takes up more space in the oven, and requires a supply of dutch ovens - as well as dealing with multiple large, hot  and heavy pots.

Compromise??
A process that creates a fantastic (10 points on a scale of 10) result isn't any good if people won't use it for fear of getting burned.  How can we get most of the benefits but increase the ease of application?   That is, can we simplify the process and still get a loaf that is an 8 on a 10 point scale?

I think so - and have a couple of approaches.
First, using this approach with any oven safe covered pan can get most of the benefits of this approach.  I have found that the pan MUST be sized to fit the dough.  Or, the proper amount of dough MUST be used for the pan being used.  My covered casserole Cephalon pan (oven safe) is 3 qts.  a recipe with 300g of flour works well.  A larger dough mass would over rise in this sized pan.  A larger pan with this much dough would probably flatten out and end up with a loaf that was round, but not tall.

So, using a lighter weight pan with matched dough ball would work well.  Still, preheating the pan and 'plopping' in the dough make burns a potential threat.

Second, is to use a basket (or banetton) to allow the formed dough to rise at room temperature and then to load that dough into a pre heated oven (either on a baking stone or on a two layer inverted baking tray or pan (to layers in order to insulate a bit from the heat).  A pan of water (either using an iron skillet or a pie tin) placed on the bottom of the oven to provide steam (I use a bottle mister as well for the first  two 5 minute intervals.

dough rising in a banetton

Dough finished rising - ready for the oven

view from side

The second approach uses a basket, mister and pie pan that is not needed in the case of the first approach.  One must also form and slash the dough ball (slashing shows the bread where it can expand).   This approach probably yields an 8 on our 10 point scale, but eliminates the heavy, 500º dutch oven being moved from counter to oven and then back again.  It also allows 4 1# loaves on an oven rack rather than two inside dutch ovens.  And, we have no dutch ovens to clean and store.

Here is an example of the result from the second approach

top view

Background info 3.8.17

There is probably some other small print to be included - but this is just info - not a contract.

What varieties do I have?
Here is a summary:

My Favorites??
First is #1 - a great combination of crust, flavor and tender crumb.
Second is the Fig N Honey - it is just very pleasant.  Maybe not the best for general sandwiches - but great toasted or not with butter.
Third is the Double Flax.  Almost meaty.  Surprisingly good with balsamic vinegar or olive oil.  Good for heavy sandwiches.
Fourth is #4 - the Oats N Wheat makes you feel good.  Great sandwich bread.
Fifth is Focaccia - the bread comes out almost creamy in texture.  It is quite different from the others.
Sixth - and I will end here - is the Pepper Cheese.  This is a great bread for a salami sandwich.  Also great buttered whether toasted or not.

The surprises?  The Dill Onion is good.  Not oniony, but you have to enjoy the dill spice.
And, the Rosemary Garlic is garlicky.  I have been told by some that it is not a bread to eat if you are going out after dinner - and by others who say that it is not garlicky enough.  The garlic asserts its flavor without being hot.

Gotta try some.

Bread - Why White Flour? Enriched?

First off - Why is white flour so prevalent?

Early in the 20th century, they developed a milling method that separated the wheat into the bran, the germ and the endosperm.  It is the endosperm that, when ground, becomes the white flour.  By removing the 'skin' (or bran), much of the fiber is taken away and the relative sharp bran that would otherwise cut the gluten strands and keep the bread from risings gone.  The germ, the heart of the wheat with oil in it, tends to have a limited life before spoiling.  So, by removing the germ, the life of the flour is extended.

So, by 'purifying' the wheat flour, the life is extended to a year or more - in the warehouse, the store or in your kitchen.

But, all the good stuff was removed - right?
Well, that's why they 'enrich' the bread by adding vitamins and minerals.  One argument is that the result is more nutritional than the whole grain.  True?  I don't know.  But, i would like to think that it is at least partially as good.

And, then??
And, then, in many of my bread varieties, I like to add some whole grain.  Often home milled wheat, but sometimes it's whole rye (aka, dark rye) or steel cut oats.  To other varieties add flax and flax meal and even sesame and chia seeds.

But, what about those breads without any added grain or seeds?   Well, they are just flavorful and soft.

So, why is white flour so prevalent?  Because it can be used in so many different items, has a good long shelf life and, due to production methods, is fairly inexpensive.  It makes a great bread by itself and a great platform for modified breads.