home made breads

For the past two years I have been trying to bake breads at home with mixed results.
A small change in any ingredient like the flour, water, yeast and temperature of prefermentation makes the bread go bricklike or flat .....
But the times we make it almost good provide the incentive to keep going and trying once more.
On the positive side, we get to make breads free of preservatives and additives and that is reward enough.
Additionally we have the bread just out of the oven and that taste is far superior to what we get from the breads that we buy at the bakery or supermarket.
Chennai Bread is about the experiments and tips for fellow home bakers so we can meet on this common pursuit.
Last month we had a visitor from California who was kind enough to share his secrets with the bread enthusiasts in Chennai - Craig Ponford's bread making tips were well received by the mixed audience at Hot breads , Dr.Radhakrishnan Road, chennai , thanks to the generosity of Mr Mahadevan.
The main point was about ''Bread Maths'' or the ratio which is the most important deciding factor that helps one in getting it right.
Here are the basics as noted during the short session.

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BREAD MATHS [ craig ponsford's ]

The universal formula that never lets you down

craig ponford’s demo at hot breads , cathedral road Chennai on 3.5.09

from notes :

universal formula for good bread making:

flour 100

water 65

salt 2

yeast 1

[1]

first make preferment with 1/3^rd the quantity [ eg for home baking about 500grams flour will do – take 1/3^rd of that for preferment]

add water and yeast let it stay cool for 12 to 14 hrs in a closed bowl after mixing well, no kneading.

For preferment –( the maths):

Flour = 165g

Water = 105g

Yeast = 5g

[2]

Now mix the balance flour 335g with water 220g and salt 10g to get the main formula proportions.

Add the preferment , mix with spatula till the flour absorbs all water, shape it flat, fold the 4 sides into the centre and lift and place top down in a bowl already lined with a little oil or butter. Let it settle for 30 mins and again flatten gently fold all 4 sides into the centre, lift and place topdown for another 30 minutes of developing before you repeat it once more.

The total time for this may be 2 hrs .

[3]

Baking

Preheat the oven to maximum temp for 10mins

Spray or place hot water for steaming

Place the dough at the centre of the preheated stone and close the oven after spraying the top with some fine mist.

Set the temp to 400f or 170c and let it bake for 20 mins if the bread is in small sizes .

Or bake for 30 to 45 mins if the loaf is large. Check at 25 mins and every 5mins from then on, and be sure not to make the top too dark. It should be golden brown.

Take out and cool for 10 mins before storing or eating fresh

Enjoy

Ar/ 5.5.09

From notes taken at the hotbreads demo – interactive session 0n 3.5.09 .

For more details you may wish to logon to Craig Ponsford's website : artisanbakers.com

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here is the picture of what I made after following the breadmaths
the taste was quite delicious and most of it was eaten just out of the oven ,still hot, with just a little leftover for the next day.

















aroma
chennai

Welcome

It's a pretty well-established fact that Chennai's bread scene leaves a lot to be desired. Having done the rounds of the Hot Breads, French bakeries, specialty bread outlets, and even the high-end hotels, it's absolutely apparent that there's a problem somewhere. Perhaps it's ingredients, perhaps it's process, maybe it's just a basic lack of knowledge in what good bread should taste like.

I've griped about this lack for a while to friends and family, and finally have come to the conclusion that annoying people with my constant complaining of crap bread choices is not altogether productive. Mind you, it makes me feel a lot better, and in the ideal "it's all about me" world this would be just peachy. But that's not really what we have, right?

Ok, so what's this blog about? It's about how to get past the issues with Chennai-based bread choices. It's about experiments in the absolute best solution: bake your own bread. It's about conspiring to make, bake and hopefully break breads together.

Bread runs the world. Whether you call it dosai, or naan, or paisano, or baguette, it's at the core of the human condition. Chennai has some pretty damn fine outlets for the Indian breads. So let's get on with the non-Indian breads as well, no?