So I'm a baker now?

It's amazing how simple it is. I love that book.  Congratulations!! Do you need my homemade butter method?  The too make a great combination. 

Don't forget to let the dough develop some. A few days in the fridge can really bring out flavor.

@blasting
Looks great buddy!!

Looks great, you are well on your way to being a master baker.

Man I don't do anything special with the butter other than try and find local grass fed cream. When I find that, my butter is AMAZING. Otherwise it's only really really good.


Here's a write up I did on another forum

"Do you have a kitchen aid mixer? Make butter itself. Just whip heavy whipping cream on high till the butter separates out (make sure you cover the top with paper towels and that those paper towels don't get caught in the beater). The better the cream, the better the butter. But any cream will be better than typical shelf butter.

The cream will turn to whipped cream first then start breaking down to a cottage cheese constancy. After about 15 minutes? of beating it will separate violently and the solid and liquid will separate. You need to be paying attention or it can quickly become a mess. Turn it off when this happens. You should have a big clump of what looks just like butter stuck to the beater and a bit floating around in the milk. Time to strain the milk and keep the butter (cheese cloth makes this next process easier) I keep the liquid and use it in anything that calls for buttermilk. 

Now, using ice water rinse the butter till its free of any remaining milk. I fill a glass of ice water and pour it over the beater in a bowl and then dump it out keeping the butter over and over till it runs clear. Ice water keeps the butter from melting away and getting messy. Next you need to get as much water out as possible. I wrap paper towel and kind of ring it. Then I put it back in my beater and spin out more water. 

Finally it's time to put your butter back in the mixer and beat till creamy and add salt to taste. i put a teaspoon per pint of cream.





Here is a good video, she does the exact method I use to make the butter. A couple notes: Try and find local grass fed heavy cream. The better the heavy cream the better the butter.

I have made that bread also. Think the recipe is also in either one of my Dutch oven cookbooks or a boy scouts cookbook. I was amazed at how good it was with only 4 ingredients. 

The same ingredients, my second try, I didn't refrigerate the dough, I'll retry

I have made butter but only by mistake, well it really wasn't butter just over whipped cream that was neglected.

One of my prep cooks is dating a dairy farmer so I just asked her to get me some fresh cream from him.

That looks great. I recently gave up bread. Dang diabetes.

@nolaegghead What % hydration are those loaves? They look great by the way. 

nolaegghead said:

@SciAggie - I pretty consistently stick with 70% (of the flour weight).  I'll add more water if I have dry additives....lately I've been adding whole mustard seed, dried garlic flakes, dried chipotle flakes....I mix it up.  Also I'll go 20-30% rye or wheat flour in addition to the bread flower.  I've used Tipo 00 also (out of it right now).

Thanks. That's about where I have settled. I've been mixing about 74% using King Arthur bread flour. 

Very nice!