Potato Rye Bread

I must have missed this bread in Laurel Robertson's 'The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book' because it's in the Sprouts section and not in the Rye Breads section. It uses yogurt and fennel seeds along with wheat flour and of course, potatoes and rye. However I had buttermilk I wanted to use, RH doesn't like fennel and I didn't have quite enough rye. So the final recipe is somewhat different from the original.

Recipe

110 g cooked potato
114 g buttermilk
150 g rye flour
340 g whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 Tbsp oil
2/3 cup water

Ingredients

I blended the potatoes with a hand blender so they would mix uniformly in the dough. Not a good idea, because the blender makes the potatoes very gummy. Hand mashing would be best.
The mashed potatoes, buttermilk, yogurt and 1/3 cup water are mixed together. In a large bowl the remaining dry ingredients are whisked together.
When first mixed in, the dough should be very stiff. As the dough is kneaded the moisture from the potatoes gets incorporated. The remaining 1/3 cup water is slowly added in over the 10 minute kneading.

11:17 am: Ready for the first rise

1:12 pm: First rise is done nearly two hours later

1:14 pm: Ready for second rise

1:51 pm: Quicker second rise

2:04 pm: After rounding, resting and shaping

2:22 pm: Super fast proofing

2:23 pm : Into the pre-heated cast-iron pan

3:26 pm: Is that oven spring?

This was the first time I used a vertical slash on a round loaf. Whoa!

Slicing very wide loaves is not easy

Decent crumb

The bread
We shared some of the bread with the in-laws. We liked the taste, mildly rye and caraway seed - like.

Notes
Date: Sept 24, 2011
Recipe: Adapted from Potato Rye Bread from Laurel Robertson's book, 'The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book'

Flours: Whole wheat, rye
Bread specific ingredients: Potato
Sweetener used: None
Liquid: Buttermilk, water

Comments: I need to blog promptly so I can write useful notes about the baking experience. I think I said that a few blog posts ago too. Sigh.

-RPH

Herb Cheese Bread

Or Whole Wheat Basil Bread II

This bread was identical to the previous bread. My friend, who enjoyed that bread with us, was excited to see the bread baking process, so she came over and we made a loaf for each of us. The ingredients were almost the same, except we didn't have enough fresh basil, so we substituted some dried basil. We used pepper jack cheese in my loaf and parmesan in hers.

I wasn't very good about taking pictures from the start and differentiating the two loaves, but here are some pictures:

5:18 pm: Ready for first rise

6:35 pm: Ready for second rise

7:03 pm: Second rise is done.

7:06 pm: My loaf in a loaf pan

7:10 pm: My friend's loaf would be a boule

7:30 pm: Very quick proofing

7:30 pm: In a preheated cast iron pan, ready for the oven

7:39 pm: This loaf went in a little late

8:30 pm: Wonderful oven spring for the loaf

Sliced really well

Even crumb without being very dense at the bottom

The bread
Both the loaves were liked by those that got to enjoy them. 

Notes
Date: Sept 16, 2011
Recipe: Adapted from Whole Wheat Basil Bread from Beth Hensperger's 'The Bread Bible' book.

Flours: Whole wheat, bread flour
Bread specific ingredients: Parmesan/Pepper Jack cheese, fresh basil, herbs (dried thyme, oregano)
Sweetener used: Honey
Liquid: Water, buttermilk

Comments:A good sandwich loaf after a long time. Credit to the bread flour?

-RPH