StevenSensei's blog

I've really been enjoying the experiments these past few months with adding things into my bread. Olives, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Miso ... The list goes on!  As I have explored the bread I have also been exploring this website more and more. One of the recipes that stuck out was this one for Flax and Sunflower Sourdough that was modified from the Tartine 3 book by Danni3ll3. See their ORIGINAL POST HERE and you will see immediately why this was an attractive bake. 

FORMULA AND CALCULATIONS HERE

I was really impressed with the makeup of this bread. So many different flours bring a punch of flavor to the party. Rye, Whole Wheat, Spelt, and a mixed whole grain flour (I ground emmer, barley, and spelt). Then toasted sunflower seeds and toasted flax. 

I was so excited that I didn't document the flax soak but boy does it soak up the water and become a thick sticky mess. However, Danni3ll3 also talks about that in their post and their methods so I was able to overcome that hurdle without a problem. In fact, on the day of mixing the dough poured the water inclusion into the starter and into the flax mixture to loosen it up before adding it to all the flour. 

I did encounter one problem however. And this is 100% my fault! I scaled the recipe from 2 loafs of bread to 1....but I didn't look at the total dough weight. The nice round numbers 100g of starter....75 grams of sunflower seeds etc...was just so aesthetically pleasing. I recognized that the mass of dough was larger than normal but what was done...was done. It was mixed and it was a chonk. Such a chonk in fact that while I could get it into the dutch oven I could not actually put on the lid and leave room for the bread to expand at all!  As a last ditch effort I decided to just do a bake on a sheet on a rack in the oven instead. 

The oven spring was ok but less than desired and the dough got a little close to the back of the oven and was a lovely shade of black carbon (only about a cm which was cut away and the rest is fine). This loaf doesn't do justice to the beautiful loves that inspired it but it's still delicious bread). I'm confident had I scaled it properly to around 800g it would have turned out to be more pretty, but the flavor is what really matters right?

Sensei's Report Card

Tasting Notes: The crust is crisp (we will ignore the small section that got burned and pretend that didn't happen) and the crumb is soft. You can also see that the crumb is LOADED with seeds. Surprisingly this only adds a slight nutty taste. There is so much flavor coming from the combination of flour used that the nuts stand up and balance things but aren't a very dominant flavor. It isn't that the flavors are muddled, more that the bread is so complex in flavor that nothing takes a dominant role. Delicious and will be great as toast....and make a KILLER grilled cheese sandwich (Cheese Toasty).  

Time/Effort: Three day process starting with a levain build on the morning and evening of day one, mixing and bulk on day 2, and finally baking on day 3. This is my normal sourdough schedule so It's not out of the ordinary for me. Mixing the flax soaker with some of the water for the final dough just before bringing the dough together made incorporation easy. Also doing the same for a correctly measured final starter feeding was helpful. 

Would I make it again: Most likely. It was a really good bread and I think will shine for sandwiches for sure. Thanks again to Danni3ll3 for posting about their bake that inspired this one. You can see their blog and bakes by visiting their profile here.

A few bakes back I tried the recipe for this from Tartine Bread. The results were....well....unacceptable. The recipe as written in the book is flat out wrong, and while I was able to save the bread and have something to eat that week I knew it needed to be adjusted and revisited. See Original Post Here. 

After reading some replies from other kind bakers here and doing some thinking I came up with the following formula.

RECIPE FORMULA AND CALCULATIONS HERE

The major change was to treat the dry polenta as part of the total flour weight and then calculating hydration for the entire loaf. While it clocks in at approximately 80% hydration, to me it felt closer to 72-75%. The resulting loaf had a fairly dense crumb but it was surprisingly light and almost fluffy. Not a bad thing but not the open crumb I want to get with this loaf. Next time I'll up the water percentage a little bit. The crust was crispy (and I say was because I just finished eating the loaf for breakfast this week as I post this and I'm kinda sad its gone). 

Flavor Great, Crust Great, Crumb Needs Improvement. Over all a huge step up from the original version. Not perfect, but closer. 

Time to try to make a raisin bread...and might as well go to the Whole Grain version....and might as well do sprouted grain as well. To that end I took the recipe from the book and tweaked it a bit and this is the result. 

RECIPE AND CALCULATIONS HERE

A few notes. You might not be able to knead the biga. Just let it soak overnight and it will firm up quite a bit as the flour hydrates. For the final dough you will likely need to add more flour to get the dough to come together and build enough gluten. If you are using the sprouted grain you should be sure to add the vital wheat gluten to help build the needed structure. If you do not have this gluten feel free to sub in flour for the sprouted grains. 

Tasting Notes: Rich and dense. You could even say toothsome. The bake took more time than expected so it has a pretty thick crust. It isn't unpleasant but if you are expecting a lighter softer bread whole wheat is not the answer for you. The cinnamon sugar swirl is not very visible in the cross section nor is it an overpowering flavor. It's more like a nice subtle pop of flavor for a bite here or there. The same with the raisins. I taste them on occasion but the wheat is so strong the kind of get a little lost in the richness of the wheat. And apparently there are walnuts...but I can't tell!

Time/Effort: 4 days - Day 1 begin sprouting. Day 3 Mix Biga and Soaker. Day 4 mix dough, prove, and bake. While it sounds like a long time it's mostly just planning ahead. With just an overnight soaker this bread really comes together in a single day. 

Would I make it again: Yes, but as a transitional bread that uses 50% whole wheat and 50% bread flour. I think the raisins and cinnamon sugar would have a better chance to shine with a less dense bread. It's good but maybe too many good things have made the flavors less clear and more muddled together. 

RECIPE AND CALCULATIONS HERE

It’s golden week in Japan which means we have a few national holidays in a row, which also means time to cook and bake. I knew that I wanted to make some crispy pork belly and turn it into a Perfect Bhan Mi Sandwich. 

One of the most important parts of this is a good baguette. I’ve tried different recipes but having a super small oven makes it hard to make a real baguette. Instead I can make some mini baguettes and when I want a real one I go to a professional bakery. 

This recipe uses all purpose flour in combination with bread flour. Instead of the AP flour I used Spelt instead as it is the closest thing that I stock in my baking pantry to AP flour. 

I’m terrible at shaping baguettes and end up degassing the dough a bit too much and have a tight crumb but that’s fine in this case. Once all the toppings are added the baguette from Tartine has a nice crisp crust and good chew. Exactly what I was hoping for.  

What surprised me even more was the fact that this dough is also used for English Muffins? What? How? Well, when it comes time to shape the baguettes for a final rise, you can refrigerate the rest of the dough overnight on a flat tray and use it for English Muffins the next day. A two for the price of one recipe….LET’S GO!

The next morning I didn’t bother to cut the dough into rounds but decided to cut it into rectangles and cook it that way in the pan. It’s super important to hit the dough and the tray with rice flour to prevent it from sticking as this dough becomes quite sticky overnight. I thought I flattened it too much, but even though it was really flat and the dough was extensible it still puffed up in the pan. Super happy with the results and flavor. 

Tasting Notes:

Baguette - Crisp crust and good chew on the interior. 

English Muffins - exactly what I was hoping for. Great flavor that works for breakfast or if toasted would also be good for a sandwich. 

Time/Effort: 2 - 3 days - Two days for baguette, 3 for the English Muffins because of the overnight retard in the fridge. 

Would I make it again: Yes. It’s the best baguette I’ve made and the English Muffins are exactly what I hoped for. The fact that I can make a full batch and have both for the same amount of work is a huge bonus. I almost wonder what would happen if instead of making baguettes I decided to toss the dough for the final proof in a pullman pan or even as a boule. 

RECIPE AND CALCULATIONS HERE

I’ve used semolina in my “weekly” bread for quite a while, but I’ve never done a mostly semolina bread before. Originally this bread only called for fennel…but I didn’t pay attention to HOW MUCH fennel it needed and I didn’t have enough. Necessity is the mother of improvisation in this case so I used anise seed to make up the total weight needed. There was another bread that had the combination of fennel and anise so I figured why not. 

This dough was remarkably easy to work with and was a rich golden yellow in color thanks to the semolina. I decided to do a bit of decorative scoring this time which was fun. I think I should do more of that in the future. 

Tasting Notes: Delicious. The sesame is very pronounced and the anise / fennel combination is there but not at all overpowering. The increased amount of semolina also results in a VERY crispy crust with a nice chew. 

Time/Effort: 3 days (Growing Levain, Mixing Dough, Baking) Normal for sourdough for my process.

Would I make it again: Yes, but with different flavors. Not because the flavor was bad but because I’m curious what other flavors would go well in this bread. The crispness is great and would likely be very good as just a plain sourdough.

Oh how I wanted these to be good. The ingredient list was simple. The process looked simple. I even found Graham Flour at a specialty baking shop. However, the fact that the book didn't include a picture of the finished product should have been my very first clue. 

INGREDIENTS AND CALCULATION HERE

Mixing the dough was odd. The directions said that it should feel like modeling clay and be "silky", not be sticky, and not be crumbly. However when mixing this by hand it was sticky or crumbly. The roughness of the Graham Flour was partly to blame for this. After trying to add more flour...and trying to add more milk I eventually got what was kind of a wet mass. The book said that it develops more flavor overnight so I figured I'd let it sit overnight and come back in the morning. 

In the morning I had a dense clay like dough once all the flour had properly hydrated. I was feeling confident. I rolled it out...baked it...it smelled good. I waited for it to cool on the tray. 

Could it be? Do I have graham crackers?

Why yes! These appear to be whole grain Graham Crackers! But the celebration was not to last. Once cooled I snapped them apart. They smell good. However they are inedible. Ok, I exaggerate...they can be eaten...but they would need to be soaked in coffee or milk or something. They are so dense and hard I am afraid of cracking or chipping a tooth. I gnawed on a corner gently with my molars after fighting to break a piece off. The term hardtack is the only one that comes to mind. 

Sensei's Report Card

Tasting Notes: The honey and molasses are there. The whole grain is prominent. The flavor profile seems right. Although I can't detect the cinnamon I added at all. Had this been a light and crispy instead of dense and crunchy cracker it could have been a winner. 

Time/Effort: 2 days (kinda). The mixing on day one at night after dinner takes maybe 5 minutes and that's it for day one. The second day is just rolling out the dough and baking. Total time is probably an hour to an hour and a half total. 

Would I make it again: No. Nor will I be returning to this version. There are many other recipes out there including this one I found posted by Mini Oven here on the forums that seem to be a lighter and more reasonable version of the Graham Cracker I remember from my youth. 

https://www.joyofbaking.com/cookierecipes/HomemadeGrahamCrackersRecipe.html

So it looks like these are destined for the bin. I'm not sure I can think of a way to save them. Maybe blend them up (at risk to my blender or food processor blades) and use it somehow? Oh well, it’s all part of the adventure!

Growing up I remember eating whole wheat pita (commercially produced) to have veggie sandwich pockets. I figured it was time to give this a try and see if I could get a nice pocket bread myself. Following the instructions in Whole Grain Breads was not difficult and with the use of a stand mixer to do the actual gluten development I found this to be surprisingly easy. 

RECIPE AND CALCULATIONS HERE

Day 1 - Mix the soaker and biga and leave overnight. 

Day 2 - Mix soaker, biga, and other ingredients together in a stand mixer. Use a dough hook to make a smooth dough that passes a windowpane test. Proof, Shape, Proof, Roll, Rest.....Bake. Easy!

Sensei's Report Card

Tasting Notes: Wow, this is what I was hoping for flavor wise. This is a delicious whole wheat. Earthy, tasty, moist, flavorful, nutty. Looking forward to eating them this week with hummus. 

Time/Effort: 2 days (kinda). The mixing on day one at night after dinner takes maybe 5 minutes and that's it for day one. The second day takes some time because of the double rise and rest and roll out. But like most things with bread you can do a step or two and then do other things while the dough rests. They are baked one at a time on a pizza stone. I followed the time guidelines given in the book (about 3 min each) and while they were cooked I think they could have been baked a bit longer. The ones that were baked the shortest time are moist inside (not gummy) and didn't open up as fully as they could. Feels like something that will be refined with practice.  

Would I make it again: Yes! For a first time bake I am pleased with the results. The flavor is great and I imagine with practice the technique and end result will get even better. In fact, I like the flavor enough that I would like to make a full sandwich loaf using this recipe as opposed to the whole wheat loaf I made recently. 

In all honesty this bread wasn't planned until the day before I started my bake. I was planning on something else and then I stumbled across this thread from our very own Benny! 

Red Miso Furikake (Sesame seeds and Nori) sourdough

Since I've been experimenting with adding things into my bakes I immediately knew that this was going to be bumped to the front of the list. I made a few small changes like adding fresh shiso leaf instead of furikake and using a special kind of very dark red miso.

BREAD CALCULATIONS AND RECIPE HERE

First let's talk miso. These are the 3 I have in my house currently. In the upper right is a special white miso. It is sweet and creamy. In fact if I make soup using just that it almost tastes like a milk or cream based soup. Th largest container is a mixed miso which is delicious and has the rich umami flavor you think of when you think of what miso tastes like. The dark black miso in the upper left is called Hachou Miso. It is a pure red miso that is fermented for more than 3 years. It is from the Nagoya area of Japan and the oldest producer of this type of miso has been making it since 1337!  It is thick, and sticky, and pungent...and was my choice for this bread. When mixed with water you can see the dark color it produces. This is a flavor bomb for sure. I also decided to add fresh Shiso Leaf into the mix. Shiso is a great flavor that pairs well with miso and should add a slight freshness to the loaf. 

The dough itself was on the higher end of hydration and was quite sticky to work with. Gluten development wasn't a problem at all and the smell of miso and shiso were strong. Also the color of this dough. This is 10% rye and 90% bread flour. This is not a whole wheat bread!

Sensei's Report Card

Tasting Notes: And the result is gorgeous! The crumb is soft and creamy. The bread does carry the flavor of the miso. I've eaten it plain and as toast with some butter and it's tasty...but I walk away confused about how I would used it. It could be really really good as croutons for a salad. Sadly, the shiso was overpowered by the miso and I can not detect it at all. I think that Benny's inclusion of furikaki with sesame and nori would be better. The sesame would stand up to the strength of the miso. Even a sesame crust would be tasty. 

 Time/Effort: Three day process starting with a levain build on the morning and evening of day one, mixing and bulk on day 2, and finally baking on day 3. This is my normal sourdough schedule so It's not out of the ordinary for me. Dough is high hydration and can be sticky and difficult to work with if you haven't worked with breads over 80%

Would I make it again: Maybe. The bread is not bad and is very unique. However I have so many others that I would return to before this. So while it won't become a staple, it was a delicious experiment that if I do return to at some point will include sesame for sure.  

Reading through the Tartine book my curiosity was peaked by some of the various flavor combinations. The idea of sourdough with roasted walnuts, green olives, some herbs...and lemon made me curious in the best of ways. Thankfully it is just a standard sourdough but with inclusions. A LOT of inclusions. 62% of inclusions. So many inclusions that I was a bit concerned when it was being mixed, proofed, and shaped that it might be more inclusion than bread!

FULL RECIPE AND BREAD CALCULATIONS HERE

Ready for the second stretch and fold and the inclusions. As expected the dough smells great and I am really looking forward to this one. 

Overnight in the fridge and this bread was haunting me. I may have had a dream about baking this bread. I may have woke up early and laid in bed thinking about how the bake would go. The bake went well and then there was the torture of having to wait to cut into it. Thankfully it had about 6-8 hours to cool before I caved and carved into it to go with dinner. 

Spoiler: it was worth the wait!

Sensei's Report Card

Tasting Notes: The sourdough itself has a nice chew and crisp crust just like I like it. The lemon smell is there and the taste is subtle. It brings a nice freshness or brightness to the bread. It's not a strong lemon flavor but a nice accent that I was pleasantly surprised by. I've now had 3 slices of this bread, as is and toasted with some butter. It's super solid and great with cheese. I think the olives could have been stronger (the ones I had were not as salty/briny as I would expect). I would like to do this again with some black olives, a different brand of green olives, or even some kalamata olives. The toasted walnuts are wonderful. I really want to use more walnuts in bread in general after this experience. Maybe a walnut / cranberry bread soon. 

Time/Effort: Three day process starting with a levain build on the morning and evening of day one, mixing and bulk on day 2, and finally baking on day 3. This is my normal sourdough schedule so It's not out of the ordinary for me. The mixing of inclusions was a bit of a challenge but if you handle the dough gently it isn't that much of a challenge. 

Would I make it again: Yes! I want to do some different olives but this combination is great. Olives great. Walnuts great. Lemon Great. What's not to love?

My better half has been craving a hamburger for a few weeks now. As the resident bread baker who can guarantee that the bread will not have dairy (allergic), it falls to me to make sure we have the proper buns. She told me that we could just use normal bread but no, that just won't due. Instead I returned to a recipe I've done a few times now as it always provides consistent results, can be made in a mixer, and is easy enough to sub in vegan butter and oat or soy-milk to avoid any dairy. 

FULL RECIPE CALCULATIONS HERE

These rolls are super soft and fluffy thanks to the use of a tangzhong (precooked and gelatinous flour). They can easily be mixed in the morning and be ready for dinner. They are best served hot and fresh as they will become a little bit dry and more dense over time. This time I topped them with just a brush of butter and a sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning. I've also done the garlic butter topping and that is super amazing but it also makes me want to put the entire recipe in my mouth as quickly as possible. 

If you want to see the steps narrated by Josh you can see the video here:

My results even with the substitutions of ingredients are basically identical. Mine are a bit more orange in color because of the local eggs I get which have a rich dark orange yolk instead of the more pale yellow that is common in America/Canada. 

Sensei's Report Card

Tasting Notes: Soft and sweet. A perfect bread for dinner rolls or for a buger/hotdog if you want a soft bun. The variety of toppings can change the overall flavor profile of the bread and if you are making rolls the garlic butter flaky salt is highly recommended. 

Time/Effort: Takes about 4 to 6 hours from start to finish as it is a yeasted bread that is risen twice and baked the same day. Low effort as it can be made completely in a stand mixer other than shaping.    

Would I make it again: Well, given that I have made this recipe 3 or 4 times in the last year for burgers and rolls, yep this one will be made again without a doubt.