Intro to Baking: Mile 0 (wk7-wk9)

Wk7 Multigrain Sourdough Bread

Procedures: Combine cracked wheat with hot water and cool to room temperature. Roast sunflower seeds and flax seeds. Knead all ingredients together with hands until gluten window achieved. Let it ferment to double its size in proofer. Punch down, let dough relax, do this step twice. Bake at 190 Celsius for 30 minutes. Outcome: Bottom was raised and cracked due to insufficient tension during rolling. A few points need to aware: 1) do not mix hot soaking cracked wheat with dry ingredient because it will kill yeast. 2) need to have tighter bottom to avoid cracking. 3) a long cut down the dough is essential for releasing pressure built.

Wk7 Pecan Sticky Buns

Procedures: Same as making enriched dough, mix butter later after dough achieved gluten window. Keep mixing small amount of butter into the dough and ultimately achieved gluten window again. Ferment in proofer until double the size. Punch down the dough and rest for a few minutes. Roll out the dough into a rectangle shape. Brush with premade filling mixture, and roll up to a rod shape. Cut into seven or eight portions. Fill an 8” cooking pan with premade topping at the bottom. Put each portion into the pan. Proof for 20 minutes and bake at 160 Celsius for 30 minutes. Outcome: Dough was undercooked, extra 15 and 10 minutes respectively were added. Still a little dough-ish inside but burnt on the surface. One possibility was each roll was too high and too thick that require longer time and lower temperature? Because the oven used was for baking sourdough bread that required 190 Celsius instead of 160.

Procedures: Cream sugar, buttermilk, sour cream, salt and vanilla together in a container. Combine flour and baking powder on table. Place butter on top, gently combine them. Pour liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix very roughly. Mix in the cranberry to just combined. Place mixture into an 8-inch ring to shape it, and cut into 8 portions, and bake for 20 minutes at 190 Celsius. Outcome: Scone method only need to mix all ingredients, do not need to flip and fold like a dough

Wk8 Focaccia

Procedure: We started focaccia first due to longer fermentation time of dough. Dissolve yeast and sugar into water, pour flour onto the table and make a crater, and pour yeasted water in the crater. Mixing with fingers and start kneading dough by hands until gluten window achieved. Oiled the bowl and let dough ferment until doubled the size proofer. (about 1 hour later) stretch the bottom of the dough to the top, flip upside down and ferment again about 20 minutes. Lay dough on tray and flatten with fingers, but without popping bubbles. Lay tomatoes on the surface and sprinkle rosemary and salt. Bake at steam oven at 200 Celsius for 20 minutes. Outcome: This focaccia is way better than week two one’s with bigger air holes inside due to fermentation in proofer. Soft to eat.

Wk8 Savory Greek Scone

Procedures: Mix flour, baking powder and salt together with cold butter and feta until just combined. Stir in the olives and chives. Combine egg, and buttermilk into dry ingredients. Shape dough into circle and divide into eight portions. Brush with egg wash and bake at 220 Celsius for 25 minutes. Outcome: Since yogurt was expired, I used 40 grams more buttermilk to replace it. Color looks great and tastes crispy outside and soft inside.

Wk8 Raspberry Muffin

Procedures: Sift all dry ingredients. Mix egg, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and lemon zest together. Fold liquid and dry ingredients together to have a lumpy batter. Dredge frozen raspberry with small amount of flour and gently fold into batter. Pour into muffin tins. Spread streusel toppings on top of batter layer. Bake at 200 Celsius for 20 minutes. Outcome: Due to wrong yield was used: 1077 grams instead of 770 grams. Muffins were larger than expected and overflowed outside the muffin cup. Lower temperature was used for the extra 10 minutes. Turned out great anyway.

Wk9 Brioche

Procedures: Due to longer period of cooling and hardening time, we started with Brioche first. Combine flour, eggs, salt, sugar, and yeast first, knead to achieve gluten window. Then slowly adding butter to the dough to have gluten window again. Place dough fridge until chilled. Portion and shape the dough into a three-strand braided loaf. Egg wash and bake at 190 Celsius for 30 minutes. Outcome: Bottom was a little hard, inside looked 1 or 2 minutes from completely baked, but edible. Dough was not that chilled when rolling, and each strand does not have even thickness. That might be the cause of a little undercooked.

Wk9 Chocolate Bread

Procedures: Same as all straight dough method, mix all ingredients and knead the dough until gluten window fully developed. Then add chocolate inclusions to just combined. Ferment in proofer for 1 hour, degas and shape into a rectangular sheet. Fold inwards to form a loaf. Proof again for 20 minutes, slice the top open, and bake at 180 Celsius for 25 minutes. Outcome: Due to last one to put inside the proofer and used colder water for dough. The dough did not rise as high as the others. The cut on top was not deep enough to have a nice opening, but the bread is really nice to eat.

Wk9 Morning Glory Muffin

Procedures: Quite an easy recipe. All you need is combine everything together, but whisk the eggs, oil and vanilla first. Divide mixture into five muffin cup and bake at 180 Celsius for 25 minutes. Outcome: Very nice dome shape with soft on the inside. A little different taste due to carrot, but overall those are well-done muffins.

Summary

After ten weeks of learning, I have evolved from a zero-knowledge baking dummy to a baking apprentice. By coming from a different background, boundaries will always be there if you do not push yourself a bit. I can finally go home with a smile instead of a puzzling uncertainty. The most memorable moment has to be the last week of the class, my pastries were right on spot. Really thanks to my instructor for her passionate coaching.