Category: Books

Bread 2nd Edition by Jeffrey Hamelman

2/23/2016

I've been missing in action for awhile! I've just been so occupied with scratch cooking, baking and managing several Facebook groups I've neglected this blog! I thought it was long overdue to give this blog some attention! I have several entries in mind that I will try and post in the near future! Today I would like to do a book review!

I have a pretty extensive cook book collection. That's even after I went through and purged books that I haven't looked at in years! Some don't even relate to my cooking preferences now. It's always a good idea to review what you have on your bookshelves and if you have books that are not useful, pass it on to a cook who will make good use of it. I donated quite a few to our local library used book sale. I am sure there were customers there that were glad to buy them at bargain prices and the library will benefit from the sales too!

Making room on the shelf gave me more space for my personal recipe collection. I blogged in the past about creating a legacy cookbook. Collect favorite recipes in binders (or you can make them as a digital collection if you prefer). I have so many great recipes found online and received from friends. Organizing them into binders has helped me so much. I actually have several in different categories. http://malekmusings.weebly.com/blog/creating-a-legacy-cookbook

The cleared space on the shelves also allowed me to expand my book collection more related to my current passion, baking bread. I have a few that I bought new, but most I've found second hand in thrift stores and online. Even bread machine recipe books have great recipes!

Today's book review is for a favorite of mine. Bread (A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes) 2nd ed. written by Jeffrey Hamelman. I bought this book new after having a chance to review it when I checked it out from my local library. It's not a beginner's book. If that's what you are looking for, check out a book by Josey Baker. http://malekmusings.weebly.com/blog/josey-baker-bread-a-book-review . If you are looking to expand your baking knowledge and already have a good grasp of the basics of yeast baking...give this one a look. It could be for you!

Jeffrey Hamelman is a well known and respected baker. In fact, according to the book jacket, he is the bakery director at King Arthur Flour Company and teaches professional level classes there. He has written a very useful and thorough book that is well worth the investment.

This book has several "Parts". Part One covers ingredients and techniques. Part Two has recipes for a great variety of breads, from straight yeast baking, preferments, sourdough, and other types of breads. He also has great diagrams for braiding techniques and shaping methods. I made a handful of recipes from this book, and so far, they have turned out great! There is also very useful information on a variety of topics included in the book's appendix.

If you can get this book from the library first, do it. You can look it over and see if you are ready to move on to this moderate to advanced level of baking. If you like it, buy it. It's well worth having. It is available in your choice of digital or print format.

Visit Amazon for a sneak peek look inside.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B29XZVY/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1#reader_B00B29XZVY

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1118132718/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

Here's some of my breads made with recipes from the book. Some are made as written and some with a bit of creative license. I like to use organic ingredients too.

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Nutty Prune Wheat Bread-Who Needs Raisins?

3/12/2015

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I've been baking again. I made a new bread recipe that turned out quite well, so I thought I would share it here.

I am pretty much a creature of habit. I like to have toast with my morning coffee. I especially love a good raisin bread and variations of raisin breads. This time, I decided to try a new recipe called Nutty Prune Wheat Bread. It is actually a bread machine recipe, but it does not have to be mixed or baked in a bread machine. I found this recipe in a great book I just bought called Betty Crocker's Best Bread Machine Cookbook. The recipe is also available online, and I will provide the link at the end of this Musing.

I made the 1.5lb loaf version and made only a few revisions. I used organic flour, butter and milk powder. I used chopped pecans instead of walnuts (because that's what I had on hand). I also added 1 tsp of dried orange peel. (I might increase that in the future, or try using fresh orange zest if I have it available). I mixed the dough in my bread machine using the dough cycle, which also does the dough's first rise. When the cycle completed, I removed the dough, shaped it and let it rise in an oval linen lined bread basket. I dusted the linen with oat bran. (you can also let this loaf rise in a loaf pan or on a baking sheet). When roughly doubled in size, I flipped the dough onto parchment paper. I scored the top with a sharp knife. I placed the dough in my cold clay baker (soaked previously in water). I put the lid on and placed it in a cold oven set to bake at 450 degrees.

You don't have to use a covered baking vessel. This can be baked conventionally, uncovered, in a preheated oven. Your bake time will be different if you do this. I like using covered baking vessels to steam the bread initially and then uncover to crisp the crust. Conventional baking would need about 35-45 minutes at 375 degrees. If baking traditionally, I would keep an eye on it as ovens can have hot spots etc. A 1.5 pound loaf may not need as much time to bake as a 2 lb. loaf. Of course, you can also follow the bread machine directions given in the recipe.

While I made this recipe from my new book, Betty Crocker's Best Bread Machine Cookbook, I''m including an online link to the same recipe.

http://www.dvo.com/recipe_pages/breadmachine/Nutty_Prune_Wheat_Bread.php

If you are interested in buying a nice bread machine cookbook, the Betty Crocker's Best Bread Machine Cookbook is quite nice with an interesting variety of recipes. You can make any of these recipes traditionally, either by hand or with a mixer. Here is a link to the book, which is available in new and used condition. I checked this out from the library first, before deciding to purchase it to my personal collection.

http://www.amazon.com/Crockers-Machine-Cookbook-Crocker-Cooking/dp/0028630238

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Josey Baker Bread - A Book Review

11/19/2014

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If you have been following Malek Musings, you already know that I have been enjoying adventures in making artisan breads for nearly 6 months. I am an experienced baker, but I am new to this particular type of bread. Nothing beats the aroma of fresh bread baking in the oven and the delightful sound of the crisp crust crackling as you cut into a loaf.

Artisan breads are very special. They are labors of love with nurturing of sourdough starters (if making sourdough), long fermentation times (often 12-18 hours), gentle kneading/folding techniques, special shaping and designs made by scoring (cutting into the top of the dough prior to baking). Baking techniques are also different, with utilization of steam (can be done in a variety of ways) to initially steam your bread and then finish off with dry heat to crisp the crust. And no, they are not burned, darker crusts with caramelization are prized.

Baking artisan breads can be done easily with supplies already in your home, but once you become a fan, you will surely be tempted to buy some supplies and equipment to improve and expand your baking experiences. You can spend as little or as much as you want, depending on if you buy new vs. used and depending on what/how much equipment you want to collect. You can always get creative and use equipment and supplies already in your kitchen in creative ways.

Today's Musing is a book review. Learning a new skill/technique takes some preparation with research and education. There's lots of information on available on internet websites, from specialized groups on Facebook and of course many books on the subject. I have access to a fabulous library with cooperative lending from other libraries throughout the state. I've looked at about 30 books on bread baking and artisan bread baking. Some were more helpful to me than others, but I am glad I looked at them all. There's a handful that I found especially interesting, and might even purchase as time goes by. There is one book that I decided to buy right now. Josey Baker Bread by Josey Baker. (yep that's his name!)

This book is a great entry level bread book. Baker started baking at home, became a breadhead, and now owns his own bakery. He is a very grass roots kind of guy, that simply stumbled into a craft that he loves. This guy was born to bake and seems to have a zest for life that is reflected in his baking. His book is written more as a tutorial. He holds your hand and actually speaks to you via print as you bake and move through the chapters in his book. He's more about teaching you the craft via a hands on approach, offering lots of encouragement along the way. There are lots of pictures to demonstrate ideas and techniques. It is well organized to help you with gathering ingredients and supplies and it has step by step instructions. I have already made two loaves from this book. I made them as written with available organic ingredients. Both turned out beautifully (photos appear below).

This is an excellent, unpretentious book that provides a great introduction to artisan bread baking. It's good for newbies and those with baking background. If it's at your library, check it out and see if it's for you. If your library doesn't have it, suggest they add it to their collection. Of course, it is available for purchase at your local bookstore and online.(both in print and electronic format). It is reasonably priced too.

Here are some links to help you learn more.

http://www.amazon.com/Josey-Baker-Bread-Baking-Awesome/dp/1452113688/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0

https://joseybakerbread.wordpress.com/book/

http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-josey-baker-bread-bread-baking-20140707-story.html

http://vimeo.com/77071595

Here are pictures of my first two loaves made from recipes in his book.

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"Killing" Series - A Review

10/27/2014

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I am an avid reader. Happily, it's hobby I've been able to indulge in more often, since I've retired. I like to read all kinds of books, both fiction and non-fiction. I recently finished reading Killing Patton by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. It is the latest book in the the "Killing" series that includes Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy and Killing Jesus. I've read all of them, and enjoyed every one. They are pleasurable books to read, not dry or bogged down in overwhelming detail. Yet, each book offered me new insight into their particular subjects, and also sparked a new interest to look into other books to read for additional information about events and individuals that were presented in the Killing series. To be honest, I don't think I would have thought about, or been interested in reading those additional books otherwise!

O'Reilly is a well known political commentator on a major cable news network. He is also an established author. His Killing series books are researched, historical narratives that do not lean politically in one direction or another. I found them to be very interesting books that broadened my knowledge and interest in new subject areas.

I hope you find them interesting too. You can find these books at your local library or if you prefer you can purchase them in print or electronic format.

https://www.goodreads.com/series/137481-the-killing-of-historical-figures

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Cooking is my creative outlet and my writing is "food for thought"

Bread 2nd Edition by Jeffrey Hamelman

Nutty Prune Wheat Bread-Who Needs Raisins?

Josey Baker Bread - A Book Review

"Killing" Series - A Review

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