My Favorite loaves

I started a baby sponge on Wednesday night and I let it sit on top of the frig until Saturday morning. A little longer than usual, but it was OK and very sour. I wanted to make some bread for Jerrin so I ended up doubling my favorite 3 cup loaf recipe

• 3 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil or softened margarine
• 4 teaspoons of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of salt

I simply doubled everything and added 1 cup plus 2 oz. water and let the mixed knead the dough. It ended up perfect with just enough water for a soft elastic dough. I love using the electric mixer. so much easier.

The dough rose all day Saturday, and Saturday evening I split it in half, approximately, and formed 2 loaves on a baking sheet. I have had trouble in the recent past with making the dough too dry, but not this time.

I let the loaves rise in the oven with the light on. It is a perfect temperature for rising dough especially when the house is cool like now. Once it had risen I sliced it and let it sit while the oven warmed up

After baking the loaves look great. I noticed that the loaves split during baking where I had tucked the dough under during forming. I guess I need to seal the bottom better or do some more forming.

All in all a perfect batch, and again, no yeast, just the sourdough starter that is now years old, maybe 3 I think.

Started 2 things this morning. I did a 3 cup loaf, with less than a cup of starter. I added 5 OZ of water to make the dough come together.

• 2 Cups of sponge (proofed starter)
• 3 Cups of unbleached flour
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil or softened margarine
• 4 teaspoons of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of salt

I am also doing cinnamon rolls using a recipe from the Joy of Cooking for Scandinavian pastry

• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup starter whipped together
• 4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup butter

Both of these doughs have no yeast and are working on the starter alone. I will let them rise while I am at work and get back to them in the late afternoon.

I never got back to the bread until Saturday morning, it ended up rising all day Saturday in the cold house it doubled nicely. I formed and let the bread loaf rise and it rose perfectly. It was not too wet or too dry. Great elastic skin, and it baked perfectly. Kind of chewy and soft. I think it is one of my better loaves.

The cinnamon rolls were a bit much. By the time I had the dough flattened and the filling in I thought it was too big and would not fit in the pan.

 A couple were, but I figured out the size after a while. I could really use a scale. The next time I do this I will try to get the rolled dough thinner and roll a tighter roll. I think I have a handle on the filling now. I put enough butter, sugar, rasins and nuts. After they baked a lot of the rasins and nuts were left in the bottom of the pan, I spooned them on top of the rolls before I iced them.

But they rose really well and after they baked the icing went on and they are awesome. I made a quick orange icing and of course tried one to see how great they were.

Bagels again

Once again another batch of bagels. The big change here is the toppings. I am trying fresh diced onions and garlic as well as some more sesame seed ones. I used Brad Warings bagel recipe;

1 and a 1/3 cup warm water
2 t salt
1 T sugar (malt sugar is best, but I use granulated)
4 and 1/4 cups flour
2 and 1/2 t active dry yeast. I used 1 package of Highly active yeast.

I bake at 450 for 15 minutes. The dough was fairly dry but with the high gluten flour I am using it was very elastic. Perfect for bagels. They boiled up perfectly. I like when they bake cause steam comes out of the oven