Back to Bread
Oct 24, 2006 | From the kitchen of Rose
I didn't mean it to be, consciously, but the word back is a double entendre!
I've been holed in hibernating for--can it be--6 long weeks--recovering from a bad disc problem in my back. Physical therapy and exercise have helped enormously and it now seems like a miracle that i'm entirely free of pain. But it is only tonight that I realized how full my recovery is because I was faced with a decision of whether or not to BUY bread! I haven't bought bread in several years, since I started working on the Bread Bible. But tomorrow night I want to make a "Cuban Sandwich" with some left-over pork shoulder roast and actually went as far as putting Italian Bread on my shopping list when I realized that I HAD to make the bread myself.
There are five essential reasons why I feel this way:
1) A very beautiful note on g-mail from a woman called Mary Ellen who wrote: After many failed attempts, I decided I'd best leave bread baking to professional bakers. After browsing through the Bread Bible at a local Borders, I thought I'd give it one more try. Thank you for giving me the guidance I need to make great bread! I'm so happy as I bake bread. I feel so peaceful. I want to express my thanks for really explaining all the details and directions on making great bread. My life will never be the same.
It reminded me of how I feel about bread.
2) It will be so much more delicious to make my own Basic Hearth Loaf and shape it into 6 long rolls.
3) Harvest King, the new flour from Gold Medal with my recipe for Basic Hearth Loaf on the back has just appeared in my supermarket down the street.
4) It only took 5 minutes to mix the dough and won't take much longer to knead, shape and bake it.
5) Baking bread is the most grounding activity I know and the only way I really feel like my old self again!
In a few days I will post all the tips that go along with the recipe on the bag which include how to vary it to make it a multi-grain bread, and how to make rolls with soft or crisp crust.
Meantime, watch your backs--it's no fun when they rebel and as a doctor I once worked for told me many years ago: "human beings weren't meant to stand erect." Now I'm wondering why they don't teach standing, walking, bending, and lifting correctly in grade-school gym instead of useless things like how to climb a rope or assume a cross-legged seating position without support (yes I can still do that, the question is should I--or should anyone!.
P.S. It was pretty bad but couldn't have been that bad because I never lost my sense of humor!
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Rose
11/29/2006 08:29 AM
it's thrilling to hear that harvest king is available in hong kong! you're going to love it.
here's how i do breads in the bread machine: i do a 3 minute mix just to moisten the flour. let it sit for the 20 min. autolyse. (i have to pause it after 10 min but when you could also turn off the machine and start it again after 20 min. as an extra 3 min. mixing won't hurt. then i let it knead for 7 minutes. it's a much more gentle kneading than either the mixer or than the food processor. this should help but remember that the right type of flour is critical.
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Cindy Chiu
11/28/2006 08:00 PM
Dear Rose,
I live in Hong Kong and the choice for flour are not much .I have been baking bread from your book -The Bread Bible for 2 years using flour available in our supermarkets.Some canadian,some austrailian ,Japan,Taiwan and even from China. I often get good result but sometimes do not which I think may be due to the flour. The more I use your book the closer I want to follow.Among the flour that you recomend in the book ,only gold medal is available in the local supermarket and is usually the bleached all -purpose , which I know now is only for quick bread. I recently find that the other type, the unbleached all purpose and the harvest King is also available but only from a particular store. I am going to try it.You mentioned that you like to use the bread machine for kneading. I always use my ABM for kneading for I do not have the kitchen -aid.Only a few bread from the BB list the bread machine method so I am not able to follow very closely to all the instructions. As I follow through Marie's blog, I 'm afraid this might also be a reason for the bread not coming out right. I want to know if I use the ABM to knead , should I follow the same kneading time that is recomended for the processor method?What advice would you give for me who knead with the ABM? I may also want to try the hand method in the furture.
Thank you .
Cindy
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Rose
11/11/2006 08:46 PM
italian 00 is too low a protein for bread though it sure makes great pizza! get your hands on some of the new harvest king and you'll see what magnificent bread it makes!
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Theresa
11/11/2006 08:40 PM
Hi Rose. Can you tell me if Italian 00 flour is good for making bread, or is it primarily used for pizza dough and pasta? If it's appropriate for bread, are there any adjustments one has to make (more water, etc) in the ingredients? Thank you!
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Rose
10/31/2006 12:33 PM
no shirl, i won't be participating in the chocolate show this year.have you seen the new scharrfen berger book yet? i have a recipe in it and am anxiously looking forward to getting my copy!
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Rose
10/31/2006 12:31 PM
thanks leslie--so pleaed you enjoyed the bread and the new flour.
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Shirl
10/31/2006 11:52 AM
glad to see you're 'back on track' !! Are you doing the Chocolate Show in NYC?
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Leslie
10/29/2006 09:56 AM
Rose, I just found your site and I have made the recipe on the back of the Harvest King four sack. It was easy and delicious. I just found the flour at a small grocery. It was great to kn see your recipe on the back, someone who knows her stuff. I bake bread almost every other day. I usually use King Arthur products, and they are great, but it is nice to know there are other great products out there. I recently took 6 loaves of whole wheat bagettes to a soup party at a friends house. People were amazed that it was home made, not from the local gourmet bread place. Nice compement, but sad to think that something as easy and rewarding as bread baking is a foreign concept to so many people. Lucky me, I know the theraputic joys of baking. Thanks for the nice web site. It is fun reading. Leslie
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Rose
10/27/2006 01:57 PM
funny thing is i still answered every question but i guess there's no way anyone would realize that unless they followed a particular chain or postings.
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RuthWells
10/26/2006 09:25 AM
Youch! I, too, was wondering why your blog had been so quiet. Glad you're feeling better -- from one back sufferer to another!
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Rose
10/26/2006 07:50 AM
thanks christine. i can't believe it was 6 weeks that i was out of commission but the silver lining is that i got the first (albeit enfrorced) real rest in years and am now filled with energy and ideas! i did have one major adventure last week--the 50th anniversary of The Manor in west orange, nj and am waiting for photos so i can tell the whole delicious story!
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Christine
10/26/2006 04:18 AM
Hey Rose!
I'd been wondering why the blog had been so quiet for a while. Thank goodness you're feeling better! I'm told that disc problems (in particular, slipped discs) are the most painful medical condition after giving birth. Glad you that you're "back" on track (will the puns never stop?). I'm looking forward to reading all about your adventures again!
Christine.
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kevin
10/25/2006 11:39 AM
Welcome back to your feet! The Cubano is one of my favorite sandwiches: http://seriouslygood.kdweeks.com/2006/08/cuban-sandwich.html
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Rose
10/25/2006 11:32 AM
thanks zach--the feeling's mutual!
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Zach Townsend
10/25/2006 11:27 AM
We sure are glad you're "back!" We couldn't survive without you!
Zach
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Rose
10/24/2006 11:14 PM
if the bread deflates on slashing it has risen too much so try letting the final shaped rise go only to the point that when you press it with your finger the depression slowly fills in.
i use a single edged razor, cutting edge coated with cooking spray and it never sticks. but if the dough were very wet such as a ciabatta the blade would stick no matter what you did. not all breads are meant to be slashed.
it also will help if you let the risen dough sit for about 5 minutes uncovered to dry a bit before slashing.
hope this helps.
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Danielle
10/24/2006 11:02 PM
Hello Rose,
Sometimes when I slash my bread, it deflates. This is very demoralizing especially after hours and hours (sometimes days) of work. Occasionally, the razor also gets stuck in the dough as I'm trying to slash. Do you know what causes this? Do you have any pointers or special slashing techniques you can share?
Thanks,
Danielle
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