Hello Followers,
I want to keep you up-to-date with recent news and events within the industry and how it will affect us here at WheatFields Bakery. Recently, there has been a lot of news floating around about the drought in China and what all might be affected.
From what I have read there is still quite a bit of info not released, and this is because the agricultural production and reserves are state secrets. (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/09/business/global/09food.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp)
There is a ton of important information in this article linked above, and I am pretty sure The New York Times has much better writers than myself, so I would direct you to dive into that article and educate yourself. It looks like unless there is rain, this drought will affect our wheat prices considerably. So stay tuned and keep an eye on the market, because it will affect us all.
See you soon,
Josh
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
Bake to the Blog
Hello Followers and Readers,
We are back! The brief hiatus caused by the Holiday Season is now over! This new season of posts will include, in the near future, Sprouted Grain Sourdough and hopefully Sprouted Grain Baguettes, Croissants made with Levain instead of commercial yeast, and Lollipops!
I look forward to sharing all these exciting new adventures with you and hope you will all experiment along with me! I will try my best to deliver you an entry per week with photos and all that pazazz! I might even add some photos from my journey to San Diego, CA which will be taking place in approximately 2 weeks!
I will also be using the blog to update our Lunch and Dinner Specials here at WheatFields, which should only happen about once a month!
Let the new year begin!
Love what you do,
Josh
We are back! The brief hiatus caused by the Holiday Season is now over! This new season of posts will include, in the near future, Sprouted Grain Sourdough and hopefully Sprouted Grain Baguettes, Croissants made with Levain instead of commercial yeast, and Lollipops!
I look forward to sharing all these exciting new adventures with you and hope you will all experiment along with me! I will try my best to deliver you an entry per week with photos and all that pazazz! I might even add some photos from my journey to San Diego, CA which will be taking place in approximately 2 weeks!
I will also be using the blog to update our Lunch and Dinner Specials here at WheatFields, which should only happen about once a month!
Let the new year begin!
Love what you do,
Josh
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
December Dinner Selections
Apple, pancetta and smoked Gouda risotto served with hazelnut pesto crostini. $9.45
Chicken Cordon Bleu with Gorgonzola sauce accompanied with red flannel hash
and sauteed green beans. $10.45
Pork Posole - A wonderful Mexican stew featuring pork, tomatillos, hominy and green chiles
joined by house made cornbread. $8.95
Boeuf Bourguignon - A classic French dish served with beef, Burgundy wine, pearl onions and mushrooms, served with buttered egg noodles. $10.95
New England Clam Chowder with a warm baguette. $8.95
Penne ala Vodka tomato, fresh basil and grated Parmesan Reggianito
served with chile oil crostini. $8.25
And as always Every Wednesday is Fried Chicken night. $9.45
Chicken Cordon Bleu with Gorgonzola sauce accompanied with red flannel hash
and sauteed green beans. $10.45
Pork Posole - A wonderful Mexican stew featuring pork, tomatillos, hominy and green chiles
joined by house made cornbread. $8.95
Boeuf Bourguignon - A classic French dish served with beef, Burgundy wine, pearl onions and mushrooms, served with buttered egg noodles. $10.95
New England Clam Chowder with a warm baguette. $8.95
Penne ala Vodka tomato, fresh basil and grated Parmesan Reggianito
served with chile oil crostini. $8.25
And as always Every Wednesday is Fried Chicken night. $9.45
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Dinner Selections for November
Beef Carbonade Flamande with roasted red potatoes and sautéed Brussels sprouts. $9.45
Cornish game hen with cranberry green apple chutney joined by house made bread stuffing and roasted acorn squash. $10.45
German galuskis with Sourdough rye bread. $8.95
Sweet potato gnocchi with basil pesto cream sauce and roasted garlic crostini. $9.25
Grilled sea scallops served over a bed of creamy corn grits and finished with a roasted leek and apricot glaze. $12.45
Black bean and tofu chili topped with fried tortilla strips and yoghurt. $8.25
Every Wednesday night is Fried Chicken night. $9.45
We strive to use the freshest ingredients. Specials are subject to change without notice.
WheatFields Lunch Specials November 4th- November 10th
Thursday 4th – Medianoche sandwich – Ham, marinated pork, pickles, roasted red peppers, whole grain mustard and Swiss cheese grilled on a brioche roll. $6.75
Friday 5th –Oven roasted beef brisket with spicy coleslaw and Cheddar cheese grilled on a ciabattina. $5.45
Saturday 6th – Pancetta and roasted corn salad with caramelized onions, cucumbers and diced tomatoes tossed with mixed greens and sherry wine vinaigrette. $6.95
Sunday 7th – Crab and artichoke salad with greens and mayonnaise on WheatFields Kalamata Olive bread. $7.25
Monday 8th – Portobello mushroom, sun-dried tomato pesto and Brie cheese bruschetta with a side salad. $6.45
Tuesday 9th – Greek salad – Dolmas, Nicoise olives. cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and Feta cheese atop mixed greens. Served with garlic rounds. $7.45
Wednesday 10th – Antipasti plate – Assorted cured meats and cheeses with baguette rounds. $7.25
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Sprouted Grains
Good Afternoon,
We are back with a quick how-to article on Sprouting Grains. There are many views and ways to go about Sprouting Grains, this is just one of the many. Grains has many nutritional and enzymatic qualities that increase significantly with the sprouting process. One of the most obvious is the sweetness in the flavor and the aroma that occurs.
For this example, I have used 7 lbs of Wheat Berries, 3.5 lbs of Cracked Wheat, and 3.5 lbs of 7 grain mix (wheat, rye, oats, barley, corn, buckwheat and flax). For home use, do not use this large amount of grain, you will have far too much to use! Bring it down to maybe 1lb of Wheat Berries, 1/2 lb of Cracked Wheat, 1/2 lb of 7 grain mix. In other instances, I have used just Wheat Berries and a 9 grain mix.
MEP to Start:
1. Container with a lid
2. 100 degree Water
The amount of water depends on the amount of grains used. You want to add 120% of your grain grain weight in water. So if you are using 2 lbs of grains you will use 2 lbs 6 oz of 100 degree water.
Once the water is scaled out, add it to your grains and stir it around a little. After it is all combined, just place the lid on and let it sit. We will leave the grains soaking for two days in the same water. So, make sure to put it in a safe place that will stay at room temp for two days.
This picture is an example of where NOT to put the grains for two days! The oven is unsafe because of the burners and also the drastic change in temperature when the oven or stove is turned on!
Check the grains after Day 1 is complete, remembering to use all of your senses! The mixture should of changed in the way it smells and feels. You should be able to instantly smell the sweetness coming from the grains. The water should also be cloudy and have a grimy feel to it. Place the lid back on and wait another day!
Day 2 has finally arrived! I know, it seems like an eternity of waiting but I want to assure you that it is well worth it.
The first thing we want to do today is observe the grains again. Once you have observed and made sure to use all your senses, it is time to drain the grains. You can use a colander for this or another type if fine strainer. Just make sure that the holes are not too large to let the grains run through. We need the grains to drain for 30 minutes. Maybe you can set a timer and then go for a quick jog?
After the jog, or the 30 minutes is over we are going to run water over the grains until the water becomes clear. This is one step you do not want to rush, because if it is not rinsed long enough it will hold onto a bitter flavor. It will take a few minutes, just make sure the water comes through clear.
We are back with a quick how-to article on Sprouting Grains. There are many views and ways to go about Sprouting Grains, this is just one of the many. Grains has many nutritional and enzymatic qualities that increase significantly with the sprouting process. One of the most obvious is the sweetness in the flavor and the aroma that occurs.
For this example, I have used 7 lbs of Wheat Berries, 3.5 lbs of Cracked Wheat, and 3.5 lbs of 7 grain mix (wheat, rye, oats, barley, corn, buckwheat and flax). For home use, do not use this large amount of grain, you will have far too much to use! Bring it down to maybe 1lb of Wheat Berries, 1/2 lb of Cracked Wheat, 1/2 lb of 7 grain mix. In other instances, I have used just Wheat Berries and a 9 grain mix.
1. Container with a lid
2. 100 degree Water
This picture is an example of where NOT to put the grains for two days! The oven is unsafe because of the burners and also the drastic change in temperature when the oven or stove is turned on!
Check the grains after Day 1 is complete, remembering to use all of your senses! The mixture should of changed in the way it smells and feels. You should be able to instantly smell the sweetness coming from the grains. The water should also be cloudy and have a grimy feel to it. Place the lid back on and wait another day!
Day 2 has finally arrived! I know, it seems like an eternity of waiting but I want to assure you that it is well worth it.
The first thing we want to do today is observe the grains again. Once you have observed and made sure to use all your senses, it is time to drain the grains. You can use a colander for this or another type if fine strainer. Just make sure that the holes are not too large to let the grains run through. We need the grains to drain for 30 minutes. Maybe you can set a timer and then go for a quick jog?
After the jog, or the 30 minutes is over we are going to run water over the grains until the water becomes clear. This is one step you do not want to rush, because if it is not rinsed long enough it will hold onto a bitter flavor. It will take a few minutes, just make sure the water comes through clear.
Now that the grains are rinsed we want to let them dry for 2 hrs before we grind them.
MEP for Grinding:
1. Meat Grinder, Food Processor
2. Bags for storage
Depending on the size of the food processor you are using, only grind a few pounds at a time. In the one In the one I was using, I filled the container with 1 1/2 lbs of grains. Allow the grains to grind for at least 30 seconds or so, enough time to make sure all the grains have been ground. You are not going to want a smooth mixture, just a uniformly ground mixture. After grinding, place the grains in ziplock bag and freeze unless you are using them immediately. As you can tell by the picture, this process will be messy.
There you have it! Once I have done a little more research I will have a short article on the benefits and qualities of Sprouted Grains. I should also have a few pictures of some finished products we will be testing this week.
Have a Wonderful Day!
Bake That Bread,
Josh
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Sour Culture Final Product
Good Morning Readers,
The long-awaited "Sourdough Issue" has arrived! I will be bringing you through all the steps necessary to making your own homemade loaf of sourdough! I hope you took care of your starters, and fed them well, because they will be put to good use today! There will be a recipe posted in the beginning, but this recipe is just a basic formula! You have creative freedom to be adventurous; after all, it is your loaf of bread. And the good news is if it doesn't work the first time you can try again until it does.
Are your ready? I know I am. Let's get started!
MEP List:
1. Scale
2. Towel (To Cover Dough While Resting)
3. Large Bowl
4. Sour Culture
5. Water (80 deg or lukewarm to the touch)
6. Flour (Flour in photo is not what I used, just for show)
7. Salt
Now, for the formula...
Sour Culture 260 gr or 10 oz
Water 422 gr or 15 oz
Bread Flour 612 gr or 22 oz
Whole Wheat Flour 45 gr or 2 oz
Salt 18 gr or 1 oz
I have placed all these ingredients in the order you should place them in the bowl. Please note: ounce weights are not the same as ounces in volume- be sure to weigh it out to ounce weight. 1 oz of Sour Culture is not equal to 1 ounce of water in volume, only in weight. This is very important because if you measure it out in ounce volume it will mess up your whole recipe! The saying, "A pint is a pound the world around," is not correct! A pint of flour, especially sifted flour, is not going to weigh the same as a pint of water. Now, with that cleared up I have consulted a book called, "The Book of Yields," that can convert all of these weights into cup measures if you prefer a volume approach or you simply do not have a scale handy.
Sour Culture 1 Cup
Water 1.9 Cups
Bread Flour 4.6 Cups
Whole Wheat Flour .5 Cups
Salt 1.5 T
These numbers are not precise, so you might need to add some flour or water depending on how the dough feels.
Get ready for the long haul because we are mixing this dough by hand, and this process will take over 2 hrs until we are completely finished.
First, place the water and culture in the mixing bowl and dissolve the culture in the water. Make sure to have some culture left over to feed. (Side note: You can feed the culture now or after we are finished mixing. If you want to keep it going feed it and leave it out as usual. If you don't plan on using it for a while, feed it and place it immediately into the fridge.) Back to our regular scheduled program. Once the culture is dissolved, add your flour and salt on top. Start mixing by hand, making sure to incorporate all the flour. You should be left with a very sticky clump of dough. The dough shouldn't be extremely stiff and tough to mix, but it also shouldn't be soupy either.
After everything is incorporated, cover with a towel and look at the clock.
Time is essential in this exercise. This dough is going to bulk ferment for 2 hours, and every 20 minutes we are going to fold the dough. Now, you might of just heard a few words that are foreign to you so let me explain. Bulk Fermentation- time we let the dough sit, allowing the culture to do its magic producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. During this time we are starting to develop some flavor and also allowing the gluten in the dough to relax. Folding- process of stretching and lifting the dough over itself to develop the gluten and de-gas the dough.
The folding technique shown can be done with two hands, but for me my other hand was preoccupied with the camera. We want to do this to the dough every 20 min for 2 hrs. By the end, the dough should become less tacky and more of a smooth ball of dough.
After the 2 hrs, we are going to be dividing the dough evenly to be shaped. You can either cut the dough in half and make two 1.5 pound loaves or if you have a scale you can cut it into whatever size pieces you desire! Before we get started on dividing, we need to get our MEP for finishing ready.
MEP List:
1. Flour (for dusting the table)
2. Bench knife (to cut the dough)
3. Bowls (for the dough to ferment overnight)
4. Pan Spray
Once the MEP is setup, get the dough out of the bowl and place it on a floured table surface.
We are now going to divide the dough into desired weights. I wanted to use some of my dough for pizza so I cut mine a little differently.
When you have the dough divided, we are going to shape it into a ball or boule. The rounding technique is something that I am so used to doing I didn't think about having a video for you. If you are unsure how exactly to round a ball of dough, go to YouTube and type in "rounding dough"!
Now that the dough is shaped we want to place it in our bowls to ferment overnight in the fridge. Before we just place it in the bowl we need to spray the bowl with our pan spray and then flour over top of the spray. If you just place the dough into the bowl without spray or flour, you would find that the dough would be stuck and it would not come out tomorrow morning! Let me tell you, that is one of the most frustrating experiences ever. All the time invested into that loaf of bread only to be destroyed because it will not come out of the bowl! So please, make sure to spray and then flour very well.
Then place the dough seem side up. The seem would be the bottom part of the dough that was in contact with the table while shaping. We want to leave the dough at room temperature for one hour and then place it in the fridge overnight. Letting it ferment overnight in the fridge helps develop flavor in the dough. Giving the yeast as much time as possible to produce. While it is fermenting we want to keep it covered, I would suggest a plastic bag that fits loosely around the bowl.
And we wait. Well, you don't have to wait, you can sleep! You want to leave the loaf in in the fridge for roughly 18 to 24 hours. Any more than 24 hrs and it will over ferment and leave you with a terrible product that will taste and smell alcoholic.
So, now that 18 to 24 hours have passed, let's pull the dough out of the fridge and let it sit at room temp for 1 hr. During this hour, you can get your oven preheated to 470 deg. Also, ten minutes before you bake your sourdough, place a container of water into the over to create steam. A loaf pan or 13X9 in pan half filled with water should do the trick.
If you are using a baking stone:
Place the baking stone into the oven when you turn the oven on for preheating.
When you are ready to score your dough, use hot pads to pull out the baking stone and place the loaf on the stone. Score it quickly and place it immediately back in the oven. This process would need to be done carefully and quickly, so the stone doesn't cool off too much.
If you are using a baking or cookie sheet:
If you are baking on a cookie sheet place the dough on the sheet and score. Once you have it scored, place it in the oven and bake! I would suggest using parchment paper in between the cookie sheet and dough.
Scoring the dough is the process of cutting the dough in a certain design, or shape, which will allow the dough to expand in that specific spot. If you do not score your loaf it will not get as much volume and will also burst at the weakest point of the loaf, and that usually looks pretty bad. I did a basic tic-tac-toe style score with a razor blade. This can also be done with a serrated paring knife.
The long-awaited "Sourdough Issue" has arrived! I will be bringing you through all the steps necessary to making your own homemade loaf of sourdough! I hope you took care of your starters, and fed them well, because they will be put to good use today! There will be a recipe posted in the beginning, but this recipe is just a basic formula! You have creative freedom to be adventurous; after all, it is your loaf of bread. And the good news is if it doesn't work the first time you can try again until it does.
Are your ready? I know I am. Let's get started!
MEP List:
1. Scale
2. Towel (To Cover Dough While Resting)
3. Large Bowl
4. Sour Culture
5. Water (80 deg or lukewarm to the touch)
6. Flour (Flour in photo is not what I used, just for show)
7. Salt
Now, for the formula...
Sour Culture 260 gr or 10 oz
Water 422 gr or 15 oz
Bread Flour 612 gr or 22 oz
Whole Wheat Flour 45 gr or 2 oz
Salt 18 gr or 1 oz
I have placed all these ingredients in the order you should place them in the bowl. Please note: ounce weights are not the same as ounces in volume- be sure to weigh it out to ounce weight. 1 oz of Sour Culture is not equal to 1 ounce of water in volume, only in weight. This is very important because if you measure it out in ounce volume it will mess up your whole recipe! The saying, "A pint is a pound the world around," is not correct! A pint of flour, especially sifted flour, is not going to weigh the same as a pint of water. Now, with that cleared up I have consulted a book called, "The Book of Yields," that can convert all of these weights into cup measures if you prefer a volume approach or you simply do not have a scale handy.
Sour Culture 1 Cup
Water 1.9 Cups
Bread Flour 4.6 Cups
Whole Wheat Flour .5 Cups
Salt 1.5 T
These numbers are not precise, so you might need to add some flour or water depending on how the dough feels.
Get ready for the long haul because we are mixing this dough by hand, and this process will take over 2 hrs until we are completely finished.
First, place the water and culture in the mixing bowl and dissolve the culture in the water. Make sure to have some culture left over to feed. (Side note: You can feed the culture now or after we are finished mixing. If you want to keep it going feed it and leave it out as usual. If you don't plan on using it for a while, feed it and place it immediately into the fridge.) Back to our regular scheduled program. Once the culture is dissolved, add your flour and salt on top. Start mixing by hand, making sure to incorporate all the flour. You should be left with a very sticky clump of dough. The dough shouldn't be extremely stiff and tough to mix, but it also shouldn't be soupy either.
After everything is incorporated, cover with a towel and look at the clock.
Time is essential in this exercise. This dough is going to bulk ferment for 2 hours, and every 20 minutes we are going to fold the dough. Now, you might of just heard a few words that are foreign to you so let me explain. Bulk Fermentation- time we let the dough sit, allowing the culture to do its magic producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. During this time we are starting to develop some flavor and also allowing the gluten in the dough to relax. Folding- process of stretching and lifting the dough over itself to develop the gluten and de-gas the dough.
After the 2 hrs, we are going to be dividing the dough evenly to be shaped. You can either cut the dough in half and make two 1.5 pound loaves or if you have a scale you can cut it into whatever size pieces you desire! Before we get started on dividing, we need to get our MEP for finishing ready.
MEP List:
1. Flour (for dusting the table)
2. Bench knife (to cut the dough)
3. Bowls (for the dough to ferment overnight)
4. Pan Spray
Once the MEP is setup, get the dough out of the bowl and place it on a floured table surface.
We are now going to divide the dough into desired weights. I wanted to use some of my dough for pizza so I cut mine a little differently.
When you have the dough divided, we are going to shape it into a ball or boule. The rounding technique is something that I am so used to doing I didn't think about having a video for you. If you are unsure how exactly to round a ball of dough, go to YouTube and type in "rounding dough"!
Now that the dough is shaped we want to place it in our bowls to ferment overnight in the fridge. Before we just place it in the bowl we need to spray the bowl with our pan spray and then flour over top of the spray. If you just place the dough into the bowl without spray or flour, you would find that the dough would be stuck and it would not come out tomorrow morning! Let me tell you, that is one of the most frustrating experiences ever. All the time invested into that loaf of bread only to be destroyed because it will not come out of the bowl! So please, make sure to spray and then flour very well.
Then place the dough seem side up. The seem would be the bottom part of the dough that was in contact with the table while shaping. We want to leave the dough at room temperature for one hour and then place it in the fridge overnight. Letting it ferment overnight in the fridge helps develop flavor in the dough. Giving the yeast as much time as possible to produce. While it is fermenting we want to keep it covered, I would suggest a plastic bag that fits loosely around the bowl.
And we wait. Well, you don't have to wait, you can sleep! You want to leave the loaf in in the fridge for roughly 18 to 24 hours. Any more than 24 hrs and it will over ferment and leave you with a terrible product that will taste and smell alcoholic.
So, now that 18 to 24 hours have passed, let's pull the dough out of the fridge and let it sit at room temp for 1 hr. During this hour, you can get your oven preheated to 470 deg. Also, ten minutes before you bake your sourdough, place a container of water into the over to create steam. A loaf pan or 13X9 in pan half filled with water should do the trick.
If you are using a baking stone:
Place the baking stone into the oven when you turn the oven on for preheating.
When you are ready to score your dough, use hot pads to pull out the baking stone and place the loaf on the stone. Score it quickly and place it immediately back in the oven. This process would need to be done carefully and quickly, so the stone doesn't cool off too much.
If you are using a baking or cookie sheet:
If you are baking on a cookie sheet place the dough on the sheet and score. Once you have it scored, place it in the oven and bake! I would suggest using parchment paper in between the cookie sheet and dough.
Scoring the dough is the process of cutting the dough in a certain design, or shape, which will allow the dough to expand in that specific spot. If you do not score your loaf it will not get as much volume and will also burst at the weakest point of the loaf, and that usually looks pretty bad. I did a basic tic-tac-toe style score with a razor blade. This can also be done with a serrated paring knife.
As soon as you score the loaf you want to get it in the oven quickly. The longer it is out of the oven the more gas it is losing out of the cuts. After 15 min in the oven pull out the water. Depending on size, it could take anywhere from 25 min to 1 hr. Make sure to keep an eye on it, there is no exact time that will always work. It is done when it is done! If you read farther down I have included a few tips for some visual cues that should help you determine the "done-ness" of your loaf.
I had the convenience of using our amazing Llopis oven at work! I figured I would give you an exclusive peak inside of our oven.
You want to get a nice golden to dark brown color on your loaf to maximize flavor. I always say color is flavor, so the darker it is the more complex flavor you will get. Until it gets black, now thats just burnt!
You now have your very own Sourdough! From start to finish, it was all you! Congratulations! Before you get to eager and cut it open hot, one of the many important steps in baking is cooling. So, allow it to cool and then cut it open and enjoy! Make sure to taste it constructively, see what you can do better or different. Maybe you want more acidity or maybe less! If you want more acidity, try using colder water during your feeds or warmer if you want less acidity. It is your sour culture now, take care of it and use it well!
I hope this was helpful! Please post a comment with a picture of your final product. I would love to see them!
Bake That Bread,
Josh
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