The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, Potato, Cheddar, and Chive Torpedoes (adaptation)

The Bread Baker’s Challenge, is based upon the book written by, Peter Reinhart, and published by, Ten Speed Press, created by Nicole of the blog, Pinch My Salt.  We began our foray through this lovely book in 2010.  I’m lagging in my completion of the project, but determined to complete it within my lifetime.  I’ve jumped around a bit, as those of you that have completed this project will note, but at this point and stage of the game all that matters is my journey.  After all, is that what bread is, a journey, defined by time, energy and space?  I’d like to think so.  I’ve never enjoyed anything more than baking…well, maybe a few things, but you understand.  Any baker, understands!  ;)

I was running against raindrops as I attempted to photograph the bake.  But, I’m really NOT complaining.  As much rain as many areas of the United States have seen these past few weeks, just the mere thought of mentioning rain hastens my anxiety.  We have suffered, as many have, by a horrendous drought.  With this is mind, I hope those that read this post know that you, while perhaps envied at times, are at others, concerned for and by those of us that read and see the horrendous damage done.  Well wishes are found among these bread crumbs.  Sincerely, and most dearly.

I tend to live in my own little Kodachrome world over here, so when Nicole, the lovely soul that brought us all together on this challenge, posted a note to a latest bread bake, saying she was attempting to get back to the challenge to finish the project, herself, #1, I felt gloriously happy to hear from her,and, #2, she herself was attempting to get back to the journey in hopes of fulfilling the pursuit of baking her way through, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, written by Peter Reinhart, Ten Speed Press.

As life will toss us all a curve ball from time-to-time, she has been side-tracked.  If others of you were also, I do hope you’ll journey back into the fold (pardon the pun), and we’ll encourage one another forward.  Now, here is my latest bake, fully out-of-order, as were earlier ones, but none-the-less, a rendition created between the span of two days. First I had to refresh my barm and the following day I pursued the breadmaking. I am fortunate that I had all I needed on hand to assemble and do the baking.  My organic garden has garden chives in abundance and this house hordes cheese of several types to satisfy the women under its roof.  I did opt for a Monterrey Jack/Cheddar combo and in one loaf I added some Italian Salame.

Peter warns us to wrap our torpedoes tightly, “To squeeze out all trapped air pockets to avoid separation of the layers.”,  (Page 280.) I attempted to do just that, but my technique needs a bit of tweaking as you will see by the opened layers.  The crumb is tighter too, but I suspect that occurs due to the degassing that happens when the dough is divided and each piece pressed into a rectangle before adding the cheese slices. However, the crumb is quite delectable because this recipe calls for boiled potatoes and the use of the rendered starch water as part of it’s list of ingredients.

You will start baking at 500 degrees, but after steaming, the oven temp goes to 450 degrees.  And, although Peter says this bake takes, 35 to 40 minutes, my first loaf baked for 30 minutes, and the second took 35 minutes.  My loaves baked upon a heated baking stone.   The steaming process, rather primitive in my limited kitchen, is where I use an old roasting pan, and a 50 cent plastic bottle of water to spritz the oven walls.  It isn’t the best of situations to work within.  (I’m one of the walking wounded that once cracked the glass on my oven door while trying to steam a bake.)

Would I bake this bread again?  Definitely!  I’m wanting to try this as a dinner roll.  (I would leave the Salame out of it though as I wouldn’t want that to conflict with any given meal.)  I must work on  my technique of torpedo shaping and definitely roll the items tighter on future loaf baking, thus hoping to remove those large area’s of openings.  ;)

~ by coffeegrounded on August 14, 2013.