So after my last less than stellar bread, I decided to go back to the Richard Bertinet formula and not try too many things at once (poolish, autolyse, new kneading/shaping/forming techniques).  I did want to do an enriched bread though since I know it can last longer before going stale.  Since we haven’t been buying bread for a long time now (I’ve been making tortillas for wraps the last 1.5 years), I figured I could try to make a white sandwich type bread for the week.

I went back to a formula that worked except I substituted some whole milk for water.

Recipe:

• 500 g bread flour
• 350 warm (110 F) whole milk
• 10 g sea salt
• 3 g active dry yeast

I mixed all the ingredients and let it autolyse for 30 minutes.  I pulled the dough out of my metal bowl and realized that the dough was a lot more firm/set than anticipated.  I thought it would be much more sticky and wet.  I read up and realized that when you use milk, the milk proteins require that you use more milk instead of water or add in some water in addition to the milk.  Chemistry fail!  Anyway, I still kneaded the dough (though didn’t have to use the slap and fold method) for about 30 minutes and set it back in the bowl.

I then let the dough bulk ferment for about 1 hour and 10 minutes at room temperature

I removed the dough onto a lightly floured surface and then did an envelope fold.  I shaped the dough into a log and placed it into the bread pan to proof.

After folding (3rds) and then shaping

In bread pan prior to proof

I lightly dusted the top of the bread as well as a light lint-free towel and draped it over the bread pan.  I admit I was a bit distracted as the wife and I were watching a movie while the bread proofed.  I checked on it regularly, though I accidentally let the bread over-proof and it collapsed on half of it.

I pre-heated the oven at 375 F (since bread with milk should be baked at lower temps than when just with water) and baked the bread at 375 F for 10 minutes, then dropped the temperature to 350 F for another 30 minutes (internal bread temp was around 200).

Collapsed right side of bread from overproofing

Overall the bread came out decently though it was drier than I would have liked.  This makes sense given that I had less moisture in the bread than I wanted.  Overall it worked as a decent sandwich bread for the work week.  This time the wife approved and has been eating the bread.

The crumb was tighter but this is great for sandwich bread.

Next up is a baguette boule (found from Weekend Bakery)

-StewsCat