The Camp Chef 14" Deluxe DO is relatively cheap and works well inverted, for miches. Remove the handle.
Just because a grain is local doesn't mean it's suited for bread, of course. I make panettone with Italian panettone flour, can't picture doing it otherwise.
US baking has been chasing fads.... Poilane's bread doesn't have open crumb, but it does have good fermentation and therefore flavor.
I use flours of all kinds and from far away, buy I don't think the idea that one might want use locally grown grains is merely a "fad." I've been baking with New England grown grains for years (we were once "America's breadbasket," before it moved to the Midwest), and they work great in breads. And ours aren't the only excellent bread wheats being grown all around the US.
I hope it is never the case, but the way things are going now, it's entirely possible we won't be able to get grains and flours from far away, and using local grains—if you can afford it—is a way to create resiliency in the grain economy.
Thank you for the reply! That's a good point about future availability, and I'm supportive of local farmers here (small town VT), primarily through my cheesemaking efforts. Cheers, Sue
The section about yeast is interesting. I never really thought about that. I went and looked at my jar of Fleischman active dry yeast ... there's a 2nd item after yeast. Sodium whatever. Umm, what's that?
And also, I've noticed that FRESH yeast has not been present at the three major grocery store chains within driving distance for the past 2 or 3 years. What's up with that?
Fresh yeast begins to perish as soon as it leaves the factory, and few people know how to use it (and zero recipes call for it), so it has become not worth selling retail. It's really not practical for home cooks, since one block is a LOT of yeast, and you really need to use it up fast or lose it. (It does freeze, something I am testing now.)
Ahh, that would make sense. I wanted to do an experiment and compare bread baked with fresh, active and instant to see which was better. In my research I saw advice to beg some from the local bakery, but I'm out in the suburbia and there aren't that many quality bakeries this side of the Potomac River.
I've been baking with fresh yeast whenever possible for the past few years, and now it's my preferred yeast when I can get my hands on it. It's been a game-changer for me with enriched dough. I was told that since fresh yeast hasn't undergone the stress of drying, it works better and faster in those doughs. I did side-by-side tests with my Stollen recipe, and the fresh yeast version had significantly more volume and better texture (although it's a dense loaf anyway).
where do you get yours, and how do you store it? It's hard to come by, so if you can source it, it's important that the whole cake remains usable. I'm testing freezing in chunks, and so far it seems to work. Can't say how long it will last (nor how to easily test/know when it's gone south), but it does seem like a good way to make a cake last a month or two.
I can find it pretty easily at small groceries in Chicago, and it’s always at a few that especially cater to customers with Central and Eastern European heritage.
I only buy it when I know that I need to use it in the coming week. Then I usually just keep baking bread until it’s used up within a week of opening it. I haven’t tried freezing it yet but will do that soon!
Fresh yeast does freeze, but it thaws to a liquid.
During lockdown, I would buy large blocks of fresh yeast, then portion it out in individual weights required by a recipe. eg 20g, 30g or 50g. before wrapping then freezing.
Once thawed, I would mix it with the required amount of water before adding it to the dry ingredients.
I have also tried crumbling the fresh yeast, into individual weights as mentioned about, then mixing it with a little flour, before wrapping and freezing. Once thawed, the yeast, soaks into the flour making it a little less messy.
Interesting, Lynn. It liquifying hasn't been my experience so far. I cut it into slabs and wrapped each one individually, and as I've needed them I've moved them to the fridge, where they thawed back to their original state. But they've only been in there a few months now.
Thanks for sharing the Globe article about the street fair and bread baking contest. Too bad they didn't mention the 2nd and 3rd place winners, or that Daisy Chow from the Breadboard in Arlington won the baguette contest.
I'm in the UK. I've used fresh and dried yeast in my bread making. Fresh yeast does freeze, but it thaws to a liquid.
During lockdown, I would buy large blocks of fresh yeast, then portion it out in individual weights required by a recipe. eg 20g, 30g or 50g. before wrapping then freezing.
Once thawed, I would mix it with the required amount of water before adding it to the dry ingredients.
I have also tried crumbling the fresh yeast, into individual weights as mentioned about, then mixing it with a little flour, before wrapping and freezing. Once thawed, the yeast, soaks into the flour making it a little less messy.
The Camp Chef 14" Deluxe DO is relatively cheap and works well inverted, for miches. Remove the handle.
Just because a grain is local doesn't mean it's suited for bread, of course. I make panettone with Italian panettone flour, can't picture doing it otherwise.
US baking has been chasing fads.... Poilane's bread doesn't have open crumb, but it does have good fermentation and therefore flavor.
I use flours of all kinds and from far away, buy I don't think the idea that one might want use locally grown grains is merely a "fad." I've been baking with New England grown grains for years (we were once "America's breadbasket," before it moved to the Midwest), and they work great in breads. And ours aren't the only excellent bread wheats being grown all around the US.
I hope it is never the case, but the way things are going now, it's entirely possible we won't be able to get grains and flours from far away, and using local grains—if you can afford it—is a way to create resiliency in the grain economy.
Thank you for the reply! That's a good point about future availability, and I'm supportive of local farmers here (small town VT), primarily through my cheesemaking efforts. Cheers, Sue
Many of the grains I use come from VT!
I came here to yell at you for the Judging Amy joke
i’m just glad to know someone noticed it
I wasted way too much time yesterday looking for a word that rhymes with 'miche'
The section about yeast is interesting. I never really thought about that. I went and looked at my jar of Fleischman active dry yeast ... there's a 2nd item after yeast. Sodium whatever. Umm, what's that?
And also, I've noticed that FRESH yeast has not been present at the three major grocery store chains within driving distance for the past 2 or 3 years. What's up with that?
Fresh yeast begins to perish as soon as it leaves the factory, and few people know how to use it (and zero recipes call for it), so it has become not worth selling retail. It's really not practical for home cooks, since one block is a LOT of yeast, and you really need to use it up fast or lose it. (It does freeze, something I am testing now.)
Ahh, that would make sense. I wanted to do an experiment and compare bread baked with fresh, active and instant to see which was better. In my research I saw advice to beg some from the local bakery, but I'm out in the suburbia and there aren't that many quality bakeries this side of the Potomac River.
I'm honored you shared the Bread Sommelier piece in Food & Wine. Thank you, Andrew!
Happy to spread the word, Martin!
I've been baking with fresh yeast whenever possible for the past few years, and now it's my preferred yeast when I can get my hands on it. It's been a game-changer for me with enriched dough. I was told that since fresh yeast hasn't undergone the stress of drying, it works better and faster in those doughs. I did side-by-side tests with my Stollen recipe, and the fresh yeast version had significantly more volume and better texture (although it's a dense loaf anyway).
where do you get yours, and how do you store it? It's hard to come by, so if you can source it, it's important that the whole cake remains usable. I'm testing freezing in chunks, and so far it seems to work. Can't say how long it will last (nor how to easily test/know when it's gone south), but it does seem like a good way to make a cake last a month or two.
I can find it pretty easily at small groceries in Chicago, and it’s always at a few that especially cater to customers with Central and Eastern European heritage.
I only buy it when I know that I need to use it in the coming week. Then I usually just keep baking bread until it’s used up within a week of opening it. I haven’t tried freezing it yet but will do that soon!
Fresh yeast does freeze, but it thaws to a liquid.
During lockdown, I would buy large blocks of fresh yeast, then portion it out in individual weights required by a recipe. eg 20g, 30g or 50g. before wrapping then freezing.
Once thawed, I would mix it with the required amount of water before adding it to the dry ingredients.
I have also tried crumbling the fresh yeast, into individual weights as mentioned about, then mixing it with a little flour, before wrapping and freezing. Once thawed, the yeast, soaks into the flour making it a little less messy.
Interesting, Lynn. It liquifying hasn't been my experience so far. I cut it into slabs and wrapped each one individually, and as I've needed them I've moved them to the fridge, where they thawed back to their original state. But they've only been in there a few months now.
Thanks for sharing the Globe article about the street fair and bread baking contest. Too bad they didn't mention the 2nd and 3rd place winners, or that Daisy Chow from the Breadboard in Arlington won the baguette contest.
I'm in the UK. I've used fresh and dried yeast in my bread making. Fresh yeast does freeze, but it thaws to a liquid.
During lockdown, I would buy large blocks of fresh yeast, then portion it out in individual weights required by a recipe. eg 20g, 30g or 50g. before wrapping then freezing.
Once thawed, I would mix it with the required amount of water before adding it to the dry ingredients.
I have also tried crumbling the fresh yeast, into individual weights as mentioned about, then mixing it with a little flour, before wrapping and freezing. Once thawed, the yeast, soaks into the flour making it a little less messy.