The Wood-Fired Blog
Presto in Red
May 23, 2012Here is another photo of a Presto prototype. In Red! I think it looks great. We are down to the small details, and we’re very close to setting the release date. Read More
Shaping a Boule by Peter Reinhart
May 23, 2012Peter Reinhart demonstrates a technique from his book “Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day.” Available in bookstores November 2009. Read More
Whole Wheat Walnut Boule
May 23, 201260% whole wheat 20% white whole wheat 20% general purpose flour 73% hydration (going a little higher) 20 grams salt 10 grams yeast 40 grams extra virgin olive oil 30 grams honey 110 grams chopped walnuts (I will use more next time) Mix everything in a stand mixer and knead for 10 minutes on low (the two setting on a KitchenAid mixer). Then a bulk fermentation for about an hour,... Read More
Undergrad Takes on Food Truck at Cal
May 23, 2012From the San Jose Mercury News. Koh may be the first undergrad to run his own food truck at Cal, but street food fever is taking over not only cities, but also college campuses from coast to coast. Schools in Southern California, Texas, Oregon and Washington have launched their own versions of Off the Grid street food fests, bringing fleets of food trucks on campus. A trio of students at... Read More
Ice Water, Yeast and Crumb
May 21, 2012This is a follow-up on my earlier posting on High Hydration Dough, where I ask (and answer) the question—”do I need to proof my yeast”?, with a clear and definitive “no”. As a little background, I mixed my flour, salt and yeast, and then added 80% ice water directly to the flour and mixed it. After a two-hour bulk fermentation, I shaped my baguettes, put then on a homemade couch... Read More
Handling Wet Dough and the Couche
May 21, 2012In my previous posting, I made to notes on mixing and kneading high hydration dough (80% in this case), so I wanted to make a couple of notes on working with web dough—and point out a mistake that I made (something I know but need occasional reminding). First, don’t over-flour your work surface, or the dough, when handling wet dough. You can add a little bit of extra virgin olive... Read More
Mixing High Hydration Dough
May 21, 2012I made 80% hydration baguette’s, and was reminded just how much longer (and a little faster) you need mix the dough to build the strands of gluten and develop the bread’s structure. That statement marks roughly the end of my technical knowledge on the science of web dough—thought I want to do some more research in order to understand why this is true. From this sequence of photos, you can... Read More
Baguette à l'ancienne
May 20, 2012From William Alexander, author of 52 Loaves. I hate to burst anyone’s fantasies, but the typical baguette in a Parisian bakery, that very symbol of French cuisine, simply isn’t very good, made quickly by machine, from pumped-up flour. If you ask for a baguette à l’ancienne, however, you might pay a little more, but get an artisan baguette, made slowly, with a wild-yeast starter. This is my own interpretation of... Read More
Baguette Flipping Board
May 20, 2012Watching Ciril Hitz’ wonderful video on baguette shaping and baking, I quickly saw the answer to one of my long-standing questions. For years, I have done my best stretching, folding and shaping my baguettes, only to get a little confused and frustrated about ruining their shape as I moved the loaves from my linen couch to the peel. But there in the video is my answer. The baguette slipping board. You... Read More
