A scheduling tool for bread baking • Hacker News Board

Re: A scheduling tool for bread baking

#21

Post by axaxs » Sun, Apr 05, 2020, 6:29 AM UTC

Thanks for this. I'm extremely blessed to have a wife that enjoys making bread, and makes the best sourdough I've ever tasted. It's mostly in her head but from the notes I've pieced together it seems close to the weekday sourdough. Bread is so easy to make and so delicious if you have patience, I really hope this leads to more people making bread. Store bought tastes like paper in comparison.

Protip to any future breadmakers: buy a cast iron Dutch oven. It's the real game changer.

Re: A scheduling tool for bread baking

#22

Post by 01100011 » Sun, Apr 05, 2020, 7:02 AM UTC

yegle wrote: post #18

I discovered yesterday that loaf pan is mostly sold out in Target, Walmart. Guess people really have more time to do bakery due to the WFH.

Flour and sugar have been sold out everywhere I've gone since the quarantine started in the bay area.

Re: A scheduling tool for bread baking

#23

Post by 01100011 » Sun, Apr 05, 2020, 7:06 AM UTC

axaxs wrote: post #21

Thanks for this. I'm extremely blessed to have a wife that enjoys making bread, and makes the best sourdough I've ever tasted. It's mostly in her head but from the notes I've pieced together it seems close to the weekday sourdough. Bread is so easy to make and so delicious if you have patience, I really hope this leads to more people making bread. Store bought tastes like paper in comparison. Protip to any future bre…

I've been wondering about that. The last time I baked bread was 10+ years ago. At the time, I got professional results with just a pizza stone and a spray bottle of water. The water replaced the steam oven and did a great job of gelatinizing the crust. Unfortunately I don't think I can get a dutch oven during the lockdown.

Re: A scheduling tool for bread baking

#24

Post by tomduncalf » Sun, Apr 05, 2020, 7:06 AM UTC

Great idea! Made my first sourdough bread yesterday after a couple of weeks of trying to get a starter going, the process is a fun and interesting project, especially while staying at home, and you don’t need much to get started (flour, water, ideally a cast iron pot, scales). Tastes amazing and reduces social contact of having to go to the shops/bakery too :)

Re: A scheduling tool for bread baking

#25

Post by juanbyrge » Sun, Apr 05, 2020, 7:15 AM UTC

I have been baking sourdough for 2+ years and I don't think people should take the timing too seriously. Yes it's good to loosely follow a schedule but if you don't the bread will still turn out fine. I don't think I've ever followed the exact same schedule twice. A few times I flat out forgot about the dough and shaped it hours after I was supposed to, and it still came out amazing. Sourdough is very forgiving. The most important thing in my opinion is mix it thoroughly in the beginning and to do the stretch and folds properly so the dough has strength and can hold it's shape for the later bulk rising.

Re: A scheduling tool for bread baking

#26

Post by axaxs » Sun, Apr 05, 2020, 7:16 AM UTC

01100011 wrote: post #23

axaxs wrote: post #21

Thanks for this. I'm extremely blessed to have a wife that enjoys making bread, and makes the best sourdough I've ever tasted. It's mostly in her head but from the notes I've pieced together it seems close to the weekday sourdough. Bread is so easy to make and so delicious if you have patience, I really hope this leads to more people making bread. Store bought tastes like paper in comparison. Protip to any future bre…

I've been wondering about that. The last time I baked bread was 10+ years ago. At the time, I got professional results with just a pizza stone and a spray bottle of water. The water replaced the steam oven and did a great job of gelatinizing the crust. Unfortunately I don't think I can get a dutch oven during the lockdown.

So, my wife has been making bread a while and it was always 'chewy'. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, but there was no crust to the bread. After researching, the consensus was that the lid helped keep the steam in and brown the bread. You only leave it on for half the bake, typically. But the difference between bread on a stone and bread in a proper enclosure is truly night and day.

Thinking through not having access to a proper dutch oven, water would probably work but I'd think you'd still need a cover of sorts, even if makeshift foil.

Re: A scheduling tool for bread baking

#27

Post by danielovichdk » Sun, Apr 05, 2020, 7:19 AM UTC

So funny how tech people must have such a detailed recipe for baking with sourdough. It's the same with coffee.

Listen.

Dough is a living organism. You cannot set a timer to it. It must be nursed, especially based on what flour you use, freshness of the flour, the climate, the moisture etc.

If you want to be really good at baking, then bake at least 100 loafs and see what you learn.

Then try to change the flour brand and bake again. Then you will se a different result.

You cannot time food. Get it.

Re: A scheduling tool for bread baking

#28

Post by lostlogin » Sun, Apr 05, 2020, 7:22 AM UTC

guidedlight wrote: post #20

I’m from Australia, and this site uses a weird imperial mix and metric measurements. Weights are in grams, but temperature is in fahrenheit (I think, doesn’t actually say). Please use one measurement system make it consistent, as well as switchable. Thanks.

This is weird. Though at least it uses grams for all the ingredients and doesn’t use cups or some other horrible measure.

Re: A scheduling tool for bread baking

#29

Post by lostlogin » Sun, Apr 05, 2020, 7:23 AM UTC

tomduncalf wrote: post #24

Great idea! Made my first sourdough bread yesterday after a couple of weeks of trying to get a starter going, the process is a fun and interesting project, especially while staying at home, and you don’t need much to get started (flour, water, ideally a cast iron pot, scales). Tastes amazing and reduces social contact of having to go to the shops/bakery too :)

For something easy and delicious, try the below - half the recipe though, as it makes masses. https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/thiswayup/audio/20...

Re: A scheduling tool for bread baking

#30

Post by tomduncalf » Sun, Apr 05, 2020, 7:41 AM UTC

lostlogin wrote: post #29

tomduncalf wrote: post #24

Great idea! Made my first sourdough bread yesterday after a couple of weeks of trying to get a starter going, the process is a fun and interesting project, especially while staying at home, and you don’t need much to get started (flour, water, ideally a cast iron pot, scales). Tastes amazing and reduces social contact of having to go to the shops/bakery too :)

For something easy and delicious, try the below - half the recipe though, as it makes masses. https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/thiswayup/audio/20...

Looks great! Thanks