Diary of a Bread Baker's Apprentice: Entry 1

Need to come up with a catchy title for this years goal.  So far I have two possibilities:

2011 - The Year of the bread
2011 - A Bread Odyssey

What do you think?  Any suggestions?

Now you must be wondering what my goal is exactly.  Well as you can see it has something to do with bread.  I love bread, I can eat it any day - all day!  Since culinary school I have been hooked on not just eating it but making it as well.  Usually I put my bread baking hat on a couple times of year, but this year it is different.  I want to make a concentrated effort in learning more about the science behind bread, what makes it tick.

Through some research I decided to buy The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart.  Now I know many have participated in the BBA challenge and others have done similar challenges on their own blog.  But I wanted something a bit more personal for me, a diary of sorts.  Something I can look back on to see where I can from.  I want to bring you along on my own journey through this consummate guide of bread baking.  Sharing my ups and downs, mishaps and triumphs I hope to show you the wonder and frustration of baking your own bread.

I started off with something easy for my first attempt-a baby step if-you-will.  The cinnamon walnut raisin bread.  A quick, relatively speaking when considering the multi-day process of the majority of breads in the book, sweet, and simpler bread.  For the most part the process was easy-peasey!  I learned in school to let the mixer do the kneading.  But I wanted to use this re-education as a way of learning how to do it in it's most basic form and that includes kneading by hand.  That is what I did and it wasn't easy.  Why?  Well it has to do with the window-pane test.  Reinhart describes kneading as a mechanism to develop gluten, the dough needs to have a smooth flexibility.  If a small ball of dough can be stretched to form a very thin membrane so light can shine through when held up in front of a light (a window) the gluten has developed enough.  The dough is good to go!  Well I failed the test!!  After kneading WAY beyond the suggested time, the dough struggled to be stretched into that membrane.  Grrrrrrrrrrr...

I just proceeded to the next step anyway - the rebel in me decided to heck with that stupid test (just a little FYI my perfectionist streak is way stronger then my rebellious one so next time I am passing the test with flying colors - even if I have to knead that dough for hours!)

So where was I?  Oh yes all I needed to do was add the raisins and walnuts and let the dough ferment.  Well I think the formula calls for a bit too much raisins and walnuts because as I kneaded them into my dough they would fly off, falling onto the floor, shooting across the counter, and generally causing me to cuss like a sailor!  No matter how much I kneaded they wouldn't cooperate, so I left a good portion out of the dough.

Needless to say, the rest of the process went without a hitch and I have been enjoying this bread every morning for breakfast.  It is great, cinnamon-y, soft, and with the walnuts (I used black walnuts) it has a fantastic crunch.  This week for homework I have been looking up youtube videos on kneading to see if another method is better for me.  I will try the slap and fold method next!  Ha...that should be fun!

Until next time....