Last week because of the thaw they were probably out in the pasture, and I think that is when the milk gets a little grassy tasting. But, I have discovered that I can make butter with the cream, even when it isn't sweet, and use it in cooking, and I don't notice the taste. So today I made some butter. It was a good day for butter because I made bread too. Not just any bread. Perfect bread.
I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but... toot-ely- toot... I've found out the catalyst to making a crusty loaf of whole grain sourdough bread that doesn't break your teeth when you try to eat it. I've tried a lot of things. I've followed La Brea bakery's explicit 40 page instructions, I've used baking stones (I even bought one of those big, thick stones that you are supposed to leave in your oven all the time), spritzing, brushing with water, refrigerating, , etc, but I have only succeeded in making rocks. Then someone mentioned to me the other day that they bake their bread in a dutch oven. I had a ceramic lined dutch oven that my mother gave me for Christmas one year, so I tried it in there. But I baked it with the lid on the whole time. It came out good, but not crusty.
Last Saturday, Rich was heading to the Antique store where we had sold a table, and I asked him to look for dutch ovens. He came home with a real antique pot that has such an old look to it that I am storing it on my mantle when not in use. That may not be very often. It makes perfect crusts. I have found that if I make up my dough the night before and let it rise in the pot all night, then form it into a loaf in the morning, rise again and bake half the time with the lid on and half off, then it comes out wonderful.
Can you just hear the crackle when I push on it? Cora laughs at me every time I ask her that.
Today's bread was part rye. It costs me p-e-n-n-i-e-s to make. It is flour and salt. Nothing more. Except "crusty." He is our resident sourdough start. An important part of our family.
We love him. Wouldn't you like a slice?
Like you, Debby and I have discovered Dutch oven bread. Debby found a couple of books at the library on no knead bread making. They both are in favor of the Dutch oven method. Like you said, the long rise is the key to the great crust. I don’t mind kneading bread (especially since I mostly use my kitchen aid), but the prep time for no knead bread is 5 minutes total. I can have bread prepped and on the counter in about the time it takes to make toast. We haven’t bought bread now for a couple of months.
ReplyDeleteI would love to find a source for raw milk, especially Jersey milk. When we had the farm in Oregon we milked mostly Jersey’s. Jersey’s are temperamental creatures, but they have no equal when it comes to butterfat. Two of my favorite things to make are ricotta cheese and crème fresh. I would love to start making mozzarella. I just need a good source for milk!
My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method by Jim Lahey
Kneadlessly Simple Nancy Baggett (can you believe her last name!)