My 96th experiment: Guinness bacon bread

This is a quick experiment. The result is unfortunately just a bit too dry.

Recipe: Guinness bacon bread (2 small loaves)

Ingredients:
- 1+1/2 cup KAF whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup KAF all-purpose / bread flour
- 2 tp baking powder
- 3/4 tp salt
- 1 TB sugar
- 6 oz Guinness
- 1 oz water
- 1/8 cup flaxseeds
- 1 tp dried parsley
- 1/2 tp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tp dried thyme
- 8 slices of cooked bacon, drained and dried of fat, chopped finely

Procedure:
1. Mix flours, baking powder, salt, sugar, flaxseeds, parsley, rosemary and thyme. Also add bacon.
2. Add Guinness and mix. Add water to adjust hydration.
3. Grease 2 small loaf pans.
4. Divide batter equally and place in each.
5. Bake at 350F for about 35 minutes.

Results:
4:08pm, all ingredients:

4:16pm, dry ingredients mixed:

4:21pm, 6 oz beer, bacon to be added:

4:25pm, final batter thick like dough:

4:29pm, top of batter in pan:

4:30pm, height of batter in pan:

4:35pm, baking started 350F:

5:11pm, loaves baked 35 minutes:

5:12pm, height of baked loaves:

5:17pm, bottom of loaves:

5:17pm, corners of loaves:

5:18pm, sides of loaves:

5:18pm, tops of loaves:

Observations:
1. This bread should have much higher hydration since it is a quick bread. Use an additional 1/2 cup water in recipe.

My 95th experiment: Soft buns with wet dough

I am trying out delayed fermentation with soft buns.

Recipe: Soft buns with wet dough (8 buns)

Ingredients:
Preferment
- 2 cups KAF whole wheat flour
- 2 tp active dry yeast
- 1 cup skim milk
Final dough
- 1 TB cocoa
- 3 TB sugar
- 3/4 tp salt
- 1/4 cup KAF bread flour

Procedure:

Day 1:
Mix 2 cup of flour with all the dry yeast. Add milk and stir until a uniform dough is formed. Chill overnight.

Day 2:
1. Take dough out of fridge.
2. Add cocoa, sugar and salt. Mix and knead well.
3. Add flour by sprinkling on top of dough. Then knead gently to work the flour into the dough.
4. When the dough is soft and not too sticky to hand any more, roll out on table and cut into small pieces.
5. Freeze those reserved.
6. To prepare for same-day baking, Let dough rise for 1 hour or so. Then brush top with a little water and bake at 350F, about 15 minutes.

Results:
Day 1, 2:28pm, to mix 2 cups of whole wheat flour with 2 tp yeast, then add 1 cup milk:

Day 1, 2:43pm, thickness and hydration of initial dough:

Day 1, 4:36pm, overnight fermentation:

Day 1, 4:42pm, to add 1 TB cocoa, 3 TB sugar and 3/4 tp salt:

Day 1, 4:52pm dough kneaded, still moist; to add 1/4 to 1/2 cup bread flour:

Day 1, 4:56pm, final dough after adding 1/4 cup flour:

Day 1, 4:59pm, very soft, smooth and moist dough rolled out:

Day 1, 5:01pm, dough cut into pieces, very soft, but amazingly not sticky to knife:

Day 1, 5:05pm, 2 pieces of dough to bake on the same day:

Day 1, 5:34pm, dough risen 30 minutes:

Observations:
1. The dough is very very wet. Therefore, this limit the amount that the dough can rise.
2. After overnight fermentation, the whole wheat dough achieves a very nice texture and cohesiveness. It gives clean cuts.
3. The resultant buns are quite good.

My 94th experiment: Blueberry bread

I got a pound of frozen wild blueberries from Trader Joe's. Eventually I find a way to use it up after consulting Bernard Clayton's blueberry-pecan bread.

Recipe: Blueberry bread (2 small loaves)

Ingredients:
- 2 cups KAF all-purpose flour
- 1+1/2 tp baking powder
- 1/2 tp baking soda
- 1/2 tp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup orange juice (bottled)
- 1+1/2 TB sugar
- 3 TB melted butter
- 1 egg
- 2 cups frozen wild blueberries

Procedure:
1. Soak frozen wild blueberries in warm water for a minute. Drain and shake dry.
2. Sieve together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a large bowl.
3. Add thawed blueberries and 1/2 cup orange juice. Add egg and melted butter. Mix.
4. If mixture is not moist enough after mixing, add about 1/4 cup more of orange juice.
5. Grease two small loaf pans.
6. Spoon batter into pan. Flatten top with oiled fingers.
7. Preheat oven to 350F. Bake for 30-40 minutes.


Results:
5:32pm, dry ingredients sieved together, berries thawed, 1/2 cup orange juice:

5:34pm, adding 1 egg:

5:36pm, adding 3 TB melted butter:

5:37pm, adding 1/4 cup more of orange juice:

5:46pm, top of batter in pan:

5:46pm, height of batter in pan:

5:51pm, to bake at 350F:

6:12pm, loaves baked 20 minutes:

6:22pm, loaves baked 30 minutes, internal temperature 160F:

6:22pm, thermometers coming off almost clean:

6:23pm, loaves resumed baking covered:

6:34pm, loaves baked 40 minutes, internal temperature 180F:

6:34pm, crown of loaves in pan:

6:34pm, thermometer coming out clean:

6:35pm, height of loaves in pan:

6:36pm, top of a loaf:

6:52pm, heels of loaves:

6:53pm, bottom of a loaf:

8:52pm, interior of a loaf:

8:52pm, a bite:

Observations:
1. This experiment is just nice in taste. Not too sweet, only very mildly sweet.
2. The crust is rather soft and easy to tear when being sliced.

My 93rd experiment: dark and soft buns

The KAF whole grain cookbook has a recipe called the dark and soft restaurant dinner rolls, which have looked really tempting to me for a while. Today we have guests over. What better occasion than this to make it! Good things are meant to be shared.

Recipe: Dark and soft buns (Make one 9" pan of small buns, and 2 more large buns)

Ingredients:
- 1+3/4 cup KAF whole wheat flour
- 1 cup KAF bread flour
- 2 tp active dry yeast
- 3/4 tp salt
- 1+1/2 TB white sugar
- 1+1/2 TB Dutch-process cocoa
- 3 TB honey
- 2 TB unsalted butter, chopped
- 1 cup very warm water
- 1 tp oil for greasing pan

Procedure:
1. Proof yeast in 1/2 cup very warm water for about 15 minutes.
2. Sieve together whole wheat flour, bread flour, salt, sugar, cocoa.
3. Add proofed yeast with water to the dry ingredients. Mix.
4. Dissolve sugar and melt butter in the remaining 1/2 cup of very warm water. Add to the flour mixture.
5. Knead for 10 minutes. Allow to rest on warm stove top for 30 minutes.
6. Punch dough down. Shape into log. Then cut into small pieces. Roll each into ball of about 1.5" to 2" diameter. Freeze any reserved portion for future use.
7. Grease a 9" pan with 1 tp oil. Place balls on pan. Cover and let sit on warm stove top until volume doubles.
8. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
9. Brunch top of buns with a little butter. Loosen from pan. Serve right away.

Results:
4:40pm, mixing all dry ingredients:

5:16pm, final dough after adding yeast, warm water, honey and butter:

5:38pm, dough allowed to prove for 20 minutes:

5:41pm, dough sliced up:

5:49pm, dough shaped into small balls for same day baking:

5:49pm, dough reserved for future use:

6:12pm, dough covered with plate and place on warm counter top, warmed 23 minutes:

6:21pm, dough warmed 30 minutes and just before baking:

6:43pm, pan baked 22 minutes at 350F:

6:47pm, top brushed with butter:

6:47pm, bottom of a bun:

6:50pm, to serve:

Observations:
1. Spectacular!! These buns are very tasty.
2. To prevent the dough balls from drying or overheating, do not leave them on stove top for too long because the metal pan transmits heat quickly.
3. Cover the buns with dry and clean cloth to keep warm on dinner table.
4. The flavor of cocoa is noticeable in these buns. The amount of cocoa may be reduced to 1 TB if only for its color, and not its flavor.