Tag Archives: Jeffrey Hamelman

When your sourdough starter goes bad

  My 60% Hamelman sourdough starter is no more. I had scooped up a wad (with the master’s permission) when I took the Wood Fired Oven class at King Arthur Flour back in 2012, nurtured it to a bubbly bloom, … Continue reading

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Best and worst online cooking and drinking classes

Like you, I have spent a lot of time in this past year eating and drinking with strangers through online classes and tastings. Maybe the best so far was Kenji’s Japanese soufflé pancake class which I attended with my daughter … Continue reading

Posted in Cooking, Eating | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Recipe: Go-To Sourdough Bread

This is my favorite sourdough bread recipe which I’ve been tweaking for the past couple of years. I am obsessed with making presentable baguettes, but it also makes excellent and reliable boules and batards for sandwiches and everyday use. It … Continue reading

Posted in Baking and Baked Goods, Recipes | Tagged , | Leave a comment

How to get big(ger) holes in your baguettes

[New to Burnt My Fingers? See UPDATE at the end of this post.] Big, lacy holes are a right of passage in baguette making. Big holes in baguettes mean an airy, well-made loaf with a chewy, tasty crumb. Contributing factors … Continue reading

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Baking Hamelman’s 80% rye “Affidavit Bread”

The other day I baked up a wonderful pullman loaf of 80% whole rye that’s perfect for serving with smoked salmon or some of the nice Brooklyn whitefish salad I had left over from a party last weekend. With a … Continue reading

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Why bakers steam their bread (and how you can too)

One of the differences between home and professional bakers is that commercial bakeries have ovens which release copious quantities of steam on demand. I got a lesson this week in why steam is important, when I took a Sourdough Rye … Continue reading

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

What’s the best flour for baking bread?

What’s the best flour? In this post I will tell you. But you will have to sit through a bit of a windup first, even though I’m simplifying. I am not going to talk about stone ground flours or specialty … Continue reading

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Recipe: Country-Style Miche

A miche (pronounced “meesh”) is a rustic loaf made with high extraction flour. It’s big and hearty and gets better as it ages over several days. Great for sandwiches or just eating with some good butter. Ingredients: For the levain: … Continue reading

Posted in Baking and Baked Goods, Cooking, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Country miche taste test … take two

After my first miche test taste, there were a few loose ends. I wanted to add Central Milling Type 85 Malted to the contestants, and I wanted to try a smaller loaf after Michael London’s advice for baking in dutch … Continue reading

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Taste test: Country-Style Miche

A miche is a rustic loaf made with levain and flour that has retained most of its outer coating of bran and aleurones. Its most distinctive feature is its volume: the typical miche is 4 pounds or more and spreads … Continue reading

Posted in Cooking, Food Heroes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment