Bread is dead, long live bread 2.0
1.4.2020
Translation: machine translated
Baking bread at home is damn difficult. I had to experience that on my own loaf (höhöhö). My ordeal continues. Now comes bread 2.0.
The last batter was runny and made my cooker sticky. The result was better than the sludge suggested. But it was still lacking at all ends. The bread had hardly any flavour. Instead, the crumb (technical term for the inside of the bread) was moist but crumbly. If a baker had charged me for it, I would have returned it. Thank goodness for you, dear readers. You gave me various tips and corrections in the comments column.
User wiesion82, as a former baker, was particularly surprised by the ratio of water to flour in my first loaf of bread. "[...] over 90% hydration doesn't even exist with ciabatte, 100% only with starter doughs that are only mixed". My recipe had a ratio of 500 grams of flour to 480 grams of water, which corresponds to 96% hydration. As for the salt content, he said that I was at the lower end. I can work with this criticism.
From one end to the other
What happens if I make my next loaf at the lower end and only use 250 millilitres of water per 500 grams? First of all, bread like this needs a lot of manual labour. That means I have to knead it by hand for at least ten minutes. Probably even longer and with the help of a kneading machine. Ten minutes is enough for now. I leave the dough to rest for 20 hours and shape it one hour before baking. This time I cut a cross in it so that the crust doesn't tear. I don't change anything in the baking process. So off it goes into the preheated casserole at 220° Celsius. 30 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and continue baking until the bread has an attractive colour. The result is impressive.
The bread is also edible, but it's still miles away from the baker's. The crumb is firmer, but too dry for my taste. The photo clearly shows this. So back to the drawing board once again.
I make the next loaf with 60% hydration. 500 grams of flour, 300 millilitres of water and 10 grams of salt. Kneading again. At first, the dough seems only slightly moist, but this changes later. After 20 hours of rising, it sticks slightly to the bowl. As I don't have a dough scraper, I have to use a silicone spatula to loosen it from the bowl with quick movements. The baking method remains tried and tested: Bake in a casserole at 220° Celsius for half an hour, then remove the lid. Because I didn't like the cut cross last time, I decided to make diagonal cuts this time. You're supposed to be a little creative too.
At the end of Latin
Yes, it's bread. The texture is better, the butter can be spread. The crumb is too compact and not elastic enough for me. The bread tastes good, but a little too yeasty. I could now experiment further and go up to 65% hydration. But that doesn't solve my problem with the yeast flavour. Less yeast perhaps? Then the bread might not rise. You realise I'm at the end of my rope. I need help again. Bread 3.0 should be perfect.
On the advice of user Marct756, the "bread bible" will soon be arriving at my house.
I have also contacted the Swiss authority on baked goods. The Richemont Competence Centre is the Swiss Mecca for learning the bakery trade.
In the next article, you'll find out why white flour is not just white flour, why my bread tastes like yeast and how kneading becomes superfluous. You can follow my author profile to make sure you don't miss the boat.
Simon Balissat
Teamleader Editorial
Simon.Balissat@digitecgalaxus.chWhen I flew the family nest over 15 years ago, I suddenly had to cook for myself. But it wasn’t long until this necessity became a virtue. Today, rattling those pots and pans is a fundamental part of my life. I’m a true foodie and devour everything from junk food to star-awarded cuisine. Literally. I eat way too fast.