Friday, August 20, 2010

Basic White Bread, Soft Rolls

Chef's Rolls

There's something to be said about bread. If pastry is an exact science, bread making - straight forward as it may seem, is precise chemistry at work, affected not only by the how but also the where. Being a novice, I'm in no position to lecture, instead I'll refer you to the great Peter Reinhart if the world of bread fascinates you as much as it does me.

I do love making bread: feeding and fermenting the yeast, developing its subtle flavors, kneading and shaping the dough, I feel it living and breathing in my hands, a simple yet complex product, so you can imagine my joy at this week's bread making classes. 

In The Raw

Roast Beef For The Morrow

Sweet Rolls

Pressed for time, we sped up the process by adding a bread improver, which compromised the flavors that could have been better achieved if we left the yeast to ferment slowly and naturally over a few hours or better yet, a couple of days. 

Basic White Rolls

Shaping the rolls and larger loaves was fun, and topping them with seeds helped the patterns stand out. Some will be kept for tomorrow's sandwiches. The rest will be sliced, lightly toasted, slathered on with butter and savoured. To simple pleasures.

4 Plait Loaf

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