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.

Fresh Bread.

 Better stated - eating fresh bread with butter. 
 Tonites varieties were Serrano/Cheddar and Honey Wheat. After "scaling" or sizing the raw dough for my neighbors, I had about a half pound of each - so I put them in a basket together to rise, and then, when all others had been baked, this 'combo loaf' had its turn in the oven. 
It cooled during dinner but called to me when I was in the kitchen putting the bread in the oven for tomorrows LTN feed at the park.
 
Soft. Not very crusty. Delightful. The Honey/Wheat had a bit of crunch from the cracked wheat, but was mostly soft. The Pepper/Cheese looked a little scary - with the somewhat big slices of serrano looking back at me. But, once buttered, the crumb was soooo soft and a little tangy.

Fresh bread is a delight. I think it is a true gift from God. Flour, water yeast and a little salt and in this case, some honey and cracked wheat in one, and some serrano pepper and sharp cheddar in the other. Simple. Tasty. Glorious

Permit Renewal time

Well, my first renewal has come up and, this is the logical time for trying to get a few new products approved.  I tried two basic things:  Artisan Bread with Chickpea Flour and Ye Olde White Bread.  These were pretty simple (from a regulatory standpoint).

The other two were kind of tests - of what I can get approved.  Nothing risque, but something a little less 'plain jane'.  The idea of the fig bread (already approved for fig n fennel) was to have two varieties, but one label.  Why not be able to 'check a box' as to whether there were fennel seeds or honey - or even both?  Then, I could retire the fig n fennel label in favor of this dual purpose label.  Ahh, that gave Mr. Inspector a little heartburn.  The solution - eliminate the risque part - and just add another label.  OK

The idea with the focaccia label was to show the ingredients for the basic bread - and then have alternate ingredients (basil, rosemary, scallions, parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese) with a checkbox.  So, again, one label - many varieties.

The good news - the 'checkbox concept' was ok - but fresh herbs and mozzarella were not.  He said something about the CFO products needing to be 'shelf stable' and, if I used fresh rosemary or basil or scallions - something might go wrong.  I guess he didn't understand that when fresh basil, for instance, was placed on top of a bread (or inside) of bread that is cooked fro 20 minutes at 450º - even fresh basil would come out dried. I decided I would rather have the approval than win an argument,

It was ok to put any of those ingredients into the bread (or on the bread) dried - but not fresh.  Alright - then dried it will be.

Approval is expected any day.  Last year I found out that I was approved about 2 weeks after it happened - because of Christmas timing.

More to come.

Varieties - Additions to my Menu??

I have a small business selling fresh bread.  My goal is to make and deliver bread to people who live in the vicinity of my home/bakery within 2 or 3 hours of coming out of the oven.  I have chosen the dinner hours (between 6 and 7 pm) for my delivery.   Further, as I do not have a storefront, I take orders in advance and bake to order.  So far, I have less than ten regular customers.  While I would like more, I am concerned about capacity.  I do Not want to resort to doubling the time between coming out of the oven and delivery in order to increase my volume.

Regulation (by the county Health Department) means that I have to obtain approval for any and all bread varieties (via a detailed prescribed label approval process) before offering them for sale.  My renewal comes up in December.  They tell me that they will review 5 new varieties as part of the 'normal renewal fee'.  Additional varieties may be reviewed/approved at an hourly rate which is is equivalent to the revenue anticipated from 30 or more loves.  So, it is always an option if something wonderful comes along.

In my initial application, I became aware that the County wants me to be very specific (and limiting) to the extent that I had to specify whether I was using bleached or unbleached flour.

Because of the approval process for varieties I want to be able to sell, I need to figure out those varieties, the related recipe, the process for baking and then test the acceptance with objective bread people.  All of this before my application date.  And, this identification process takes time - months maybe.

So - The question for you is

What varieties should I add to my menu?  

My criteria?
Well, I want varieties that are
- widely popular
- made with equipment I already possess
- made with ingredients I either already have or which do not require refrigeration
- generally without oil, eggs, sugar or milk.  Powdered dry milk is a possibility.
- easy to pack and deliver
- have a 'wow factor' when tasted
- not including sourdough varieties

Of course, rules can be broken.  For example, I did not include 'plain old white bread' in my original submission and will include it this time.  Another example is focaccia - which uses a great deal of olive oil but testing has shown that it is widely (and wildly) popular - which will also be included this time.

So - I would be grateful if you would help me.  What varieties should I consider for addition to my menu?

How to Order from My Fresh Bread Company

rev Feb 24, 2017

My email address - MyFreshBreadCompany@gmail.com

Quickie for those on Lakewood Street, San Diego 92122:

Either:  A)  Email me to find out what's on the baking schedule, or 
B)  Go to the e-commerce site and order a loaf.  Pick a day - pick a variety (3 varieties to choose from) and pay ($5-$6 per 1# loaf).  The store is at squareup.com/store/my-fresh-bread-company

(while there are more than 15 varieties available, the store only shows three for the sake of simplicity)

For Others -    

How to Order

I bake two days a week (Mondays and Thursdays with few exception) and virtually all bread is made to order.

To have bread made for you, you need to order by noon on the day before the baking day (and have your order accepted - to make sure we have the ingredients).

Pick from one of three varieties offered and the day to be delivered from the web commerce site (or email me at the address at the top of this page)

For new customers, the delivery mode needs to be confirmed (you will get an email confirming that you are within the ‘Lakewood district’ for free delivery- or indicating that you are ‘too far away’ and you will need to pick up your bread between 5:30pm and 7pm).  Your email will include my text number so you can let me know when you are nearby and I will meet you in the culdesac with the bread - so you don't have to get out of the car.

To Start

Three of the 15 approved varieties are shown on the e-commerce site —

squareup.com/store/my-fresh-bread-company (or shortened, http://tinyurl.com/jm8r6wp) 

Each of these varieties is $5-$6 per 1# loaf (plus delivery as applicable).  

If you want one of the other varieties - but you are not ready to commit to a subscription of more than one loaf - you can order the Bread My Way - and in email me what variety you wish.  (see above for delivery approach). 

Once you are ‘in the family’, You can make it easier on yourself with an order of 4 loaves at a time (The Bread of the Day) - that’s one loaf delivered on each of the next 4 baking days.   The first time you do this, I will send you an email setting forth the 15 varieties available - and you tell me which of them you would NOT like included in varieties baked for you.  Then, I will ‘surprise you’ (within your selection) each baking day.  So far, I have one household that has ordered a 4x of this - meaning that they are pre ordering 16 loaves of bread and they said that they appreciate the surprise when each variety is delivered.  The pricing is $4-$5 per 1# loaf when you buy multiples of 4 (before delivery cost, if any).   

A further refinement of this is the ‘Every Other Thursday’ approach where you order 4 loaves at a time, but you only get one every other week (on Thursdays) so you can watch your carbs and still enjoy Fresh Bread over an 8 week period.  

And, if one of these approaches isn’t for you, let’s talk.  Email me at MyFreshBreadCompany@gmail.com and, tell me what you are thinking - before you spend a dime.  If you would prefer to talk on the phone - give me your phone number and when it’s good to call you - and I will.  

Do you get the message that I really do try to get you what you want and when you want it? 
I aim for a win/win and when you get fresh bread in your hands (often it is still warm and sometimes it will be hot) in time for dinner.  

If you have a special occasion for your group where Fresh Bread will help to make the event even more special - let’s talk (ie, email me).  

If you are still not convinced, then you NEED to sample this bread.  

Email me at MyFreshBreadCompany@gmail.com and let’s figure out how to get you a sample loaf or hunk.  

What people say:

“I forgot that my subscription ran out - and I missed the wonderful bread.  Sign me up - again.”

“I love the surprise each Monday and Thursday.  It’s always a delight to get fresh bread at my door.”

“ I don’t care what variety you deliver - they are all such a treat.”

“There is no where else in the area that I can find bread that is so fresh; so delicious; and so convenient.  Thanks.”

Fig N Honey cooling

And, some answers to common questions:

Q:  Why do you do this?

A:  After having tasted how wonderful homemade Fresh Bread is (and how relatively easy it is to make), I thought that others would enjoy it also.  As good as 'same day' bread is, Really Fresh Bread (under two hours out of the oven) is even better.  It doesn't have to be a 'once every couple of years' thing - we can have it every week.  It is a simple pleasure and I am trying to make it work on a Micro Bakery scale meaning limited production, limited delivery area and limited varieties - but outstanding bread.  

Q:  Is this ‘approved’?  Do you have a license?

A:  My Fresh Bread Company is a registered (and regulated) CFO (Cottage Food Operation) with the County of San Diego.  Each variety’s label has been scrutinized and approved by the County Dept of Health (to make sure I am not offering ‘dangerous foods’).  They do NOT inspect my kitchen - but do demand to approve varieties before they can be offered for sale and require that specific information be included on the label of each loaf offered for sale.

Fwiw - Bread is not considered a dangerous food.  Even the variety that includes cheddar cheese has been approved.  But, approval means that I cannot offer new varieties without going through the approval process - and costs about the sales price of about 30 loaves whether at the annual renewal (required) or at any time during the year.

I am always considering new varieties for approval at the next renewal.

Oats N Wheat (bagged and labeled)

Q:  What is the delivery area?

A:  The free delivery area is along Lakewood Street (near the east end of UC).  The 'fee delivery area' is the area along Governor Drive in University City (92122) and 1/2 mile or so north or south (with good parking access).  Delivery is $1 per order (if more than one loaf is ordered, I will bring $1 bills to 'rebate' the excess delivery charge collected).  Delivery must be agreed to by me in advance of accepting my obligation to deliver.

Outside this area, you must pickup the bread from my home (text me that you are there and I will bring the wrapped loaf out to you). You will be given a window of time for pickup.  

Q:  What if I need bread on a different day?

A:  It doesn’t hurt to ask and I will see what I can do - but make sure there is plenty of lead time, just in case you need to make other plans.

Q:  What are the varieties?

A:  Go here for a description of each:   myfreshbreadcompany.blogspot.com/p/bread-varieties

Q:  Will I be allergic to the ingredients?

A:  The County tells me what I can list as potential allergy causing ingredients.  Flour/gluten is listed on all varieties and one variety has cheese (dairy) before being baked.  A couple varieties include honey in the dough - but the County won't let me list that as a potential allergy source.  Otherwise, the ingredients include wheat and rye flour and grains, oats (steel cut and rolled), powdered cocoa, molasses, dried herbs and vegetables (rosemary, thyme, dill, fennel seed, onion, dried fig, and in one variety, fresh serrano peppers).  I use unbleached enriched bread flour along with home milled rye, winter hard white wheat and winter hard red wheat berries.  Focaccia and the white bread include olive oil but I don't use butter or other fats.  

Q:  What if I subscribe for several loaves - and then find out we will be out of town?

A:  Let me know in advance - and I will simply add the loaves for the days you are gone to the end so you get all your bread.

Q:  Why are you making 1# loaves?   Isn't that kind of small?

A:  Actually, that’s what my customers asked for.  They said if bigger, they would eat more - so a 1# loaf was best.  Actually, 1# is my minimum goal.  Each loaf has a label on it with the weight (in ounces and grams) and they generally run about 8-20 ounces - but have been up to 24 ounces.  Also, there are no preservatives added so it is best to eat it within 2 or 3 days.  The Thursday varieties also offer a 1.5# loaf (more to slice between the crusts) if that appeals to you.  If you are looking for something else, let me know.  

Lotsa Seeds cooling

Q:  Can I order more than one loaf at a time?

A:  Of course.  The e commerce page let’s you order several.  But, keep in mind that there are limits to production.

Q:  You make ‘round loaves’.  I want sandwich bread.  Can you make it in the normal ‘sandwich shape’?

A:  My normal routine is centered around the artisanal shapes.  I use it for sandwiches all the time.  But, if you like the bread and wish to have it more in the shape of wonder bread, let me know and I will see what I can do.

Q:  Speaking of sandwich bread, I don’t see any plain old white bread.  Will you have white bread? And, in the meantime, what variety do you propose in place of good old white bread?

A:  White bread is on my list for approval when I renew my registrations.   For now, try the White Whole Wheat.  It is about 20% white whole wheat - a grain that has all the benefits of whole wheat without the off flavor.  And, in this proportion, it is a soft and fluffy (vs heavy) bread.  Normally, you wouldn’t even be able to tell the difference other than the color of the crumb.

Honey Wheat half gone

Q:  The bread I tasted was pretty crusty.  Are all varieties crusty?

A:  Actually, I have some neighbors who seek crusty bread - like they had back home.  Some varieties are more suited to the thick crust and some, particularly those with honey in the dough can't take the temperature without burning, aka excess caramelization.  But, it’s not a sure thing whether the crust will be crispy or not - so I just enjoy it when it is crispy.  

Q:  Is this really baked in your home kitchen?

A:  Yes.  Most of it is baked in the upper oven of a two oven set using the convection setting.  I bake the bread on a pre heated stone mostly at 500º and supply a water mist several times during the first 15 minutes.  I am not really sure of my capacity - but there have been days when I have made 15#.  My concern is to be able to make the bread AND to get it to my customers while really fresh.  At this time, greater capacity while sacrificing freshness is not a success.

Q:  Why is this so inexpensive?

A:  By reducing waste, collecting in advance, and keeping the distribution area small, I can keep your cost low.  Maybe next year the price will go up, but for now, I want people to taste the joy of really fresh bread.

Q:  Why do I need to order the day before you bake the bread?

A:  Some varieties of bread are mixed 24 hours or more prior to being shaped.  This long period of fermentation allows the flour to ferment and develop flavor from the wheat flour as the yeast consumes and exhales.   Temperature impacts this process and it is more difficult to achieve desired results in the hot time of year.  Some artisanal bakeries mix a portion of the water and flour the day before (or sometimes, hours before) they mix the end dough in an attempt to get flavors to build in the dough.  Sometimes (as in the case of steel cut oats or whole wheat flour) the grain is soaked for 24 hours before it is mixed into a dough which ferments for 18-24 hours making the lead time even longer.  I can do this when I have subscriptions and know that I have orders in advance of the ‘noon the prior day’ deadline.   

Q:  Do you eat your own bread?

A:  Absolutely.  I think I am my biggest fan.  But sometimes, all the bread I bake goes out to others and I am left with no fresh bread after working with dough for several hours.  But, I know there can be more.

Q:  Do you teach?

A:  Yes.  I would love to have a part in helping people to learn to make good bread.  Right now, the plan would be to have the class in your own kitchen with at least 4 adults (from different households) in attendance and the class would last two hours.  Cost (at this time) is $25 per person.  There is a list of items that each 'student' needs to bring, but I will bring all perishables (flour, yeast, salt, spices) as well as dough at different levels and finished bread to taste.

Q:  Have you ever made a bad loaf?

A:  I think that bread is made up of crust, crumb and flavor - and looks.  I certainly have made ugly loaves.  Many came in the form of loaves that spread out - but didn’t rise up. Hopefully I learn from my mistakes.  Bad tasting loaves are fewer - but one time I left out the salt - and it was not a good tasting bread.  Experimenting with 100% whole wheat often makes a dense and short loaf with a strong taste.   I keep trying to make a whole grain bread with a soft and light crumb, decent loft and a good flavor (white wheat berries seem to be the answer to the latter and a special technique will open the crumb and give it height), but still haven't had great success.  But, I keep trying.  Let me know if you want to be a tester.  But, understand that I will not give you any of the really bad breads.  

But, my idea of a ‘bad loaf’ is when the bread comes out other than what I expected.   For example, if the dough over rises and it gets ‘too fluffy’, it’s not necessarily a bad loaf, but it’s not what I intended.  There are a lot of variables in bread and while too fluffy is not necessarily bad, I generally try to make bread that is ‘more meaty’:  risen but not overly so.  

Q: What if I don't like it?

A:  Tell me and you get your money back.  Understand that artisanal bread is rarely going to be the same twice in a row - due to conditions of the ingredients and the environment.  But, I want you to love this as much as I do - and if you don't, I will be sad - but give your money back. 

Q:  Samples?

A:  Yes, samples are available - email me.

56 at 3.17.17