Bread Baking Workshop

The Fletcher Collective is holding a bread-baking skillshare!

We will be providing baking supplies, so please RSVP: fletchercollective@googlegroups.com.

Our selection of pans is limited. Please bring your own or loan us your extras. Feel free to bring a donation to help offset the costs. Attendees will partner up participate in baking and sharing their products.

If you'd like to get a good perspective on what baking is really about, I recommend that you read or skim the Chemistry of Baking. It's an eight page document that runs through the 'scientific' side of creating foodstuffs in the oven. The writing style is sometimes rather technical, but the perspective is very useful. Especially if you like to improvise in the kitchen, or want to tweak a recipe.

If you are gluten intolerant, or want to bake gluten free for friends, the tips from glutenfree.com will be a good companion to the Chemistry of Baking. The article is really just a bulleted list. You could use it to help convert a recipe to gluten free or to troubleshoot if your product isn't what you'd desired.

Below, you'll find recipes that we are thinking to use for the workshop. If any of them interest you more than the others, let me know. Also, feel free to submit suggestions.

(Candidate) Recipes:

Honey Wheat

2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
4 cups whole wheat
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon of salt
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add honey, and stir well. Mix in whole wheat flour, salt, and vegetable oil. Work all-purpose flour in gradually. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for at least 10 to 15 minutes. When dough is smooth and elastic, place it in a well oiled bowl. Turn it several times in the bowl to coat the surface of the dough, and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

Punch down the dough. Shape into two loaves, and place into two well greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise until dough is 1 to 1 1/2 inches above pans.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes.

Italian Bread

2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
8 cups all-purpsose flour, stir before measuring
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons egg replacer
1 tablespoon salt

Pour warm water into a warm mixing bowl; sprinkle with the yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in about 2 cups of the flour. Beat well; add salt and gradually beat in all but about 2 cups of the flour. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and cover with a clean dish towel; let rest 10 minutes. Knead by hand for 20 minutes or until dough is very elastic, kneading in as much of the remaining flour as necessary for smooth dough. Place dough in a lightly buttered bowl, turning to grease all of the dough surface.

Cover bowl with foil then cover with a dish cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down and let rise to double again, about 1 hour longer. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half and form each portion into a ball. Cover with dish cloth and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each half of the dough into a 15x8-inch rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Roll up tightly, starting with short side, sealing as you roll. Taper ends by rolling out with hands until loaf is 10 to 11 inches long. Place loaves seam side down on baking dishes which have been sprinkled with yellow cornmeal. Brush oaf with olive oil. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth without touching dough -- place glasses or cups around loaves and place towels on them. Place pans in in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour, until doubled in bulk. Place a shallow pan on bottom rack of oven; fill with boiling water. Bake loaves in center of oven preheated to 375° for 20 minutes. Brush with oil again and continue baking for 20 minutes longer, or until well-browned and done.