100 Great Days and Q & A’s!

I am excited to say that my new book, Kneadlessly Simple, is about to reach a high water mark–100 consecutive days on the Amazon list of top selling cookbooks! I have been getting a lot of e-mails from people telling me they are happy with the book, and also from folks with questions that I’ve answered. Since many bakers out there may benefit from the Q & A’s, I’m going to post some of them here. (I’ll be posting some more in a few weeks). But first, just let me share a couple of the many compliments that have been so gratifying:

“I have fallen in love with your breads and techniques.”

“Two loaves so far have been fabulous and it’s a great way to make bread. A GREATLY NEEDED BOOK!!!”

“This is amazing—I always ruined everything I baked. Now I make great bread and it doesn’t even take any work.”

To check out a copy, go to Amazon.com or for Jessica’s Biscuit Click here or for Barnes & Noble Click here.

Now on to the Q & A session:

How Brown is Too Brown?
Q: I’ve been baking your breads and am very happy with them, but my Grandma (she used to be the big baker in the family) thinks they come out looking too brown. Am I doing something wrong?

A: Nope, you are doing everything right! Your grandmother is probably used to breads made the traditional way, and they don’t brown as deeply or as quickly as those produced using the cool, slow-rise method. It’s because the long, slow rise gives certain enzymes that promote browning and lend fuller flavor more time to do their work.
Actually, deeper browning is a hallmark of today’s artisan-style breads. Some professional artisan bakers insist that deep browning is essential to creating a fine loaf. (One well-respected baker I know even posted a note in his new establishment telling customers that his breads were not over-baked, that the darker color meant they would have more flavor.) He’s right to a point, but I feel this is also a matter of personal taste. If you (or your grandmother) like less browning, just lower the baking temperature 25 degrees F from what is recommended in the recipe. Also, cover ing the loaf top with foil (shiny side out) halfway through baking will slow the browning process.

Why Fast-Rising Yeast?
Q: Your recipes all feature a long, slow rise, so why do I need to use “fast-rising” yeast?

A: A very good question! When the “fast-rising” yeasts came on the market in the 1980s, manufacturers dubbed them that to spotlight one of their advantages over the regular active dry yeast. But the newer yeast products have another useful property that makes them just the right choice for the Kneadlessly Simple method; the particles are finer and hydrate more easily. As a result, they can be conveniently added directly into dry ingredients without being activated in warm water first. Unlike ordinary active dry yeast products, the fast-rising kind will grow and leaven well even when the dough is mixed together using ice cold water, a step that’s integral in the Kneadlessly Simple approach.

Whole Wheat Flour for White?

Q:I am a real nut about whole wheat, and wonder if one can use the whole wheat bread flour rather than the white bread flour. I just discovered the whole wheat bread flour at our local natural food store.

A:You are lucky to get whole wheat bread flour—it can be hard to find. If a recipe starts with all white flour, first try substituting whole wheat flour for half of it. If the results are good, then increase the percentage of whole wheat further the next time; you may have to add a little more water than normal. To counteract the slight bitterness of the whole wheat, try adding about 1/3 cup orange juice in with the water. I have found that these suggestions usually work, but, of course, can’t be certain without actually trying them out in a recipe. BTW, there is a really nice 100 percent whole wheat-honey bread in the book that you might want to try.

Over-Browning on the Bottom
Q: I’ve baked several Kneadlessly Simple breads, including the basic loaf. I loved the flavor but it got too brown on the bottom. The buttermilk bread also browned a lot, both on the top and bottom. Any suggestions?

A: The buttermilk bread browns more than many loaves because milk products are sensitive to heat. If the baking pot you used was dark inside, it absorbed heat particularly efficiently, which resulted in even more browning. I suggest setting the oven to 425 degrees F to preheat, and then turning the oven down to 400 degrees F to bake. If it’s convenient, you could also switch to a pot with a light-colored or shiny interior.
I assume you mean the White Peasant-style Pot Boule by the ‘basic” loaf. I have both pre-heated the pot and baked this bread at 450 degrees F a number of times without problems. However, I found that in pots with dark-colored interiors, the bread tended to over-brown on the bottom, so I changed my instructions and suggested baking at 425 degrees F. Although this worked in my ovens and pots, it apparently doesn’t in yours. Try dropping the temperature to 400 degrees F for baking and see if that helps. To curtail bottom browning more, try moving the loaf to the middle oven rack. In most ovens, the closer the pot is to the bottom, the browner the loaf bottom will get.

Beating Instead of Stirring?

Q: I would rather use my Kitchen Aid mixer than mix the doughs by hand. Is this okay?

A: Yes indeed! The Kitchen Aid works just fine. You can just dump everything into the big bowl, then mix in the liquids with the paddle—use low speed. Then, just scrape down the bowl and use it for the rises. The second stirring is usually brief, only long enough to deflate, although in cases where powdered milk or egg are added, they can be mixed in with the Kitchen Aid also. You will likely need to switch to the dough hook, as the dough is rubbery from the gluten development at this stage.

Skipping the Salt?

Q: I am reducing the salt in my diet. Can I omit the salt from your recipes?

A: You can reduce the salt, but should not completely eliminate it from yeast doughs. Salt not only improves texture and flavor, but also keeps the yeast from become too fizzy and overactive. I believe it would be fine to reduce the salt by half, or maybe even two-thirds in my recipes but don’t omit it completely. This is true for all yeasted doughs.