Artisan Bread Bakers

[Dall_Piobaire]

As far as bottled water goes, spring water should work well. additionally, put about a half cup of water in the oven, in an oven proof container when you bake it helps.

Does anyone use bricks, or those brick sheets for baking on? I once had a pizza stone, made a huge difference!

BeeDee, that sourdough starter, it will last you forever if you feed it regularly won't it? Did you order it online?

[BEEDEE]

Does anyone use bricks, or those brick sheets for baking on? I once had a pizza stone, made a huge difference!

BeeDee, that sourdough starter, it will last you forever if you feed it regularly won't it? Did you order it online?

I use a large square pizza stone - it does make a difference. The sourdough starter was made from scratch using Nancy Silverton's directions. Among other things, it has grapes in it to start the fermentation! I've had it for over a year now.

Brian

[Bugbear]

You have to make a living, breathing yeast monster that literally reaches up out of it's bowl and grabs the cup of flower out of your hand... then belches.

I have a couple of slabs of ceramic that I made way back when... I guess they would be cone nine stonewearOne of them is out in the bonsai garden though.

Works better than the metal pans for crispy bottems.

[Bugbear]

The county has rezoned this area, so no chickens, goats etc, but there is still a farmer's market a couple of blocks up the street, and I do still here the roosters crowing up the way from time to time.

[Bugbear]

Out here, some people put ground mesquite pods in with the flour; it's a lot sweeter. We have carob trees (ST. John's Bread) out here too, I guess you could grind those pods up and throw them in for a coco-ish flavor...

[piperdbh]

Out here, some people put ground mesquite pods in with the flour; it's a lot sweeter. We have carob trees (ST. John's Bread) out here too, I guess you could grind those pods up and throw them in for a coco-ish flavor...

I've made pumpernickel bread with cocoa powder in it, but I've never used carob powder. It doesn't make it taste chocolaty; it justs darkens the bread to look like pumpernickel.

[funlvnman]

I found a link to a Mother Earth News article on how to have bread dough available all the time. You mix a huge batch of dough, then let it sit in the fridge for up to two weeks!!! All you have to do is take out the desired amount of dough, shape it, let it rise for twenty minutes and then bake.

I haven't tried it myself but I like the idea.

I have made Italian style bread that you let rise in the fridge evernight. It's probably the best bread I've ever made. One time I learned that olive oil will dissolve tin foil overnight during one of my sessions. Ugh

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-...tes-A-Day.aspx

[Bugbear]

Living, breathing yoghurt. I like to use that instead of sour cream because it's more sour.

Milk is fine for sour dough, and it does make it more sour. I don't recall ever putting it in the starters that used the yeast from the environment.

It's not too difficult to distill small batches of water with a stock pot and a bowl or pan.