In my sourdough travels, many of my efforts have focused on rye breads. Is it being Jewish, even so marginally, that turns me to the darker flour, the pungent taste. Or the memory of my late, angry father who disparaged commercial white with the comment, "Punk bread."
Since the spring, I've tried more recipes from books long-owned, newly acquired, and a few found online. The quintessence (link here to vegan, raw food eatery so named) of the work came in a class at Bob's Red Mill back in May. Alan Maniscalco who collaborated in opening Ken's Artisan Bakery here in Portland has worked with Ken's to create what is a very popular pizza place. You have to make careful plans to get a seat there; we have not mastered that yet.
However, we did get important immersion of rye breads under his direction. Peasant bread--half of the dough with sunflower and flax seed plus millet and walnuts. Excellent. Another with currants. One with pumpernickel flour (a/k/a cracked rye), and finally.
All in two and a half hours! Of course, Alan had helped it along by preparing the sourdough rye starters beforehand. This was not an overnighter! With two of us taking the class, we returned home with eight loaves of bread yet to be baked! A particular challenge for the Blooms who only havea 20-inch stove. You are impressed? Our bread-making classmates were astuounded.
And this one is an improvement over the one we had when we moved in. This one has a window and a light--slightly better temp control. But it's all part of the challenge. Generous neighbors have offered their larger ovens and I did take one up on it recently.
Serendipitously, our friend Toni was in a cheese-making class at same time we were excessing with making rye at Bob's. Here's a recipe for her Primo sale, a light-tasting Silician cheese. With her spouse Al, we had quite a feast--veggie dish for a little balance. And, of course, sent them home with bread.
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