Mellow Bakers : Challah

Lately I'm always late for everything so when I read this recipe I thought it could be a good idea to prepare it for breakfast even if it was already 6 pm.

It was so good I had to hurry up taking a poor picture of it before it was gone !!

I divided the recipe in thirds (using a single whole egg) and made just one single (I was sleepy..) braid.

Challah

(Jeffrey Hamelman's Bread)

1 lb, 5.4 oz bread flour (67%)
10.6 oz high-gluten flour (33%)
1.8 oz sugar (5.5%)
2.4 oz egg yolks (7.5%)4
4.5 oz whole eggs (14%) 2
2.4 oz vegetable oil (7.5%)
10.2 oz water (32%)
0.6 oz salt (1.9%)
0.26 oz instant yeast (0.8%)

Mix all the ingredients in your stand mixer with a dough hook on low for 3 minutes. Then on medium for 3 minutes. Then knead by hand until you have a soft, smooth, stiff dough.

Let rest one hour, covered.

De-gas and put in a covered bowl in the fridge for the night.

The next day - divide the dough into 3, form into balls and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes.
Each ball will be a loaf, divide and shape into as many strands as you like for braiding. I did two different types of 6-strand braids.

Enjoy this recipe and visit Roz at la bella vita for many interesting and various ideas !

Mellow Bakers : Roasted Potatoes Bread

This is my try with this recipe made subsituting sourdough for the preferment, my dough overriped so it is not the best looking bread but I loved it anyway !

Roasted Potato Bread
adapted from Jeffrey Hamelman's Bread

Pre-ferment - the night before
9.6 oz bread flour
6.2 oz water (left out overnight)
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/8 tsp instant yeast

Final dough
1 lb, 1.6 oz bread flour
4.8 oz whole wheat flour
13.3 oz water (left out overnight)
1 Tbsp fine sea salt
1¼ tsp instant dry yeast
Potatoes, roasted, cooled, and diced small (Yukon gold are best)
Pre-ferment (all)

Combine the preferment ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 14-16 hours.

The next day, mix all of the ingredients, except for the pre-ferment, in a stand mixer on low. After 3 minutes, start adding the pre-ferment in small chunks. Correct the hydration by adding small amounts of water or flour if necessary. I needed extra flour. The dough should be slightly stiff.
Mix on second speed for 3-4 minutes.

Let rise 1.5 hours. Fold dough after 45 minutes.

Divide into two and make rounds out of each half. Let sit 10-20 minutes.

Create loaf shapes or fendu (pressing deeply into the rolling pin to bisect it) and let rise in floured bannetons (good side down) or on the counter, covered, for 1.5 hours.

Bake in a preheated oven at 450°F for about 40 minutes. Until the bread has darkened and cooked through. Let cool on racks.

Per i Sourdough Baking Wednesday di Zucchero & Cannella ho un ottimo pane con patate al forno, nella ricetta originale c'era un abiga che io ho sostituito con la pasta madre.

Mellow Bakers : Cheese Bread

This is one of the breads the Mellow Bakers chose to bake in September from J. Hamelman Bread book.

As I read that some found the crust bitter from the cheese pieces sticking out I tried to push them in but some pieces came out anyway not causing too much damage. Actually we quite enjoied this bread.

I used Parmigiano Reggiano as cheese.

With this bread I'm partecipating to Zucchero & Canella's Sourdough Baking Wednesdays

Questo pane al formaggio viene da un bellissimo libro di J. Hamelman che si chiama Bread. Ho un po' di difficoltà con i pesi in caso vi sembri troppo provate con la metà.

Ricetta

820 gr farina

492 gr acqua

50 gr olio extravergine

1,5 gr sale

1 gr lievito secco

288 gr lievito madre

200 gr Parmigiano (metà grattugiato e metà a pezzettini)

Unire tutti gli ingredienti escluso il Parmigiano nella planetaria e lavorare per 3 minuti a velocità minima. L'impasto dovrebbe essere abbastanza sodo. Lavorare a velocità media per altri tre minuti. Aggiungere il formaggio e lavorare al minimo fino a che è incorporato.

Far lievitare per 2 ore e mezza.

Dare le pieghe a metà lievitazione

Dividere l'impasto a metà e formare in filoni lunghi o tondi.

Far livitare 1 ora circa o mettere in frigorifero fino a 8 ore.

Cuocere in un forno caldissimo per 40 minuti abbassando la temperatura dopo i primi 15 minuti.

Mellow Bakers : Hot Cross Buns

I know I'm crazy but I've joined a new baking group ! It's brand new, it's called Mellow Bakers and the March recipe was Hot Cross Buns . The recipes are from Jeffrey Hamelman's Bread .

I hope I'll be forgiven for being late but my computer luckily started to work again this morning !I still do not own the book but Susan of Wild Yeast has played with this recipe a bit and has it posted here.

We loved them a lot so as there are still a few days before Easter try them !!!