Healthy Bread in Five MInutes a Day

DMurray · #1 11-05-2009, 12:26 PM

Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois ( http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Bread-...gy_cc_b_text_b )

I read about it on their blog here:
http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/

Has anyone checked this book out? I know a lot of folks here are fans of the first book, Artisan Bread. I have the book but haven't made the leap yet.

Deb

patissac · #2 11-05-2009, 12:38 PM

I just ordered mine today, I can't wait for it to arrive! Being a huge fan of the first book, there was no way I couldn't pass this one up. I skimmed thru it at Borders and it looks great!

On Amazon there is a video with Jeff and Zoe where they show you a bread from the new book.

I look forward to all the reviews to come!

cminmd · #3 11-05-2009, 12:52 PM

So what is the difference between these two books? I use the 5 min bread recipe all the time, but wish it had some more versatility. I usually use a mixture of ap and ww flour because the recipe for the full ww is too dry and bland for me.

Also, have people been getting good results making rolls or mini boules?

DMurray · #4 11-05-2009, 02:00 PM

The rolls on their current blog posting (Cinnamon Crescent Rolls) from the new book look wonderful . . .

DMurray · #5 11-05-2009, 02:18 PM

I found this while poking around their website. It's a link to another blog that is organizing a group for the new book and "5 minute" technique in general. Looks like there will be bi-weekly recipes . . . .
http://www.bigblackdogs.net/2009/10/...ing-group.html

charley · #6 11-05-2009, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMurray

I found this while poking around their website. It's a link to another blog that is organizing a group for the new book and "5 minute" technique in general. Looks like there will be bi-weekly recipes . . . .
http://www.bigblackdogs.net/2009/10/...ing-group.html

That's Michelle's blog. I remember her from GW.

The whole grain master recipe is online.

I wasn't crazy about the first artisan bread. Too yeasty! Last week I mixed up another batch using half the amount of yeast. Made a world of difference! Much better flavor!

sugaree · #7 11-05-2009, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charley

I wasn't crazy about the first artisan bread. Too yeasty! Last week I mixed up another batch using half the amount of yeast. Made a world of difference! Much better flavor!

Did you mean the first artisan bread from the new book or from the old book? I just got the new one, made the master recipe and wasn't wild about it - not sure why. Maybe it was too much yeast?

DMurray · #8 11-05-2009, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charley

That's Michelle's blog. I remember her from GW.

The whole grain master recipe is online.

I wasn't crazy about the first artisan bread. Too yeasty! Last week I mixed up another batch using half the amount of yeast. Made a world of difference! Much better flavor!

Here's a link to the Whole Grain Master Recipe:
http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=1087

Charley, I see that the recipe calls for 1 1/2 T granulated yeast, so you used 3/4 T (would that be 3t?)? I just checked the recipes in the first book and it seems like that's the amount of yeast most of the recipes call for, though it does say in the online recipe that the amount can be decreased. I really dislike that overly yeasty flavor so I need to figure this out.

Has anyone else had any problems with the amount of yeast called for in the recipes?

Deb

DMurray · #9 11-05-2009, 05:44 PM

Here's a blog post where they talk about using less yeast:

http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=85

charley · #10 11-05-2009, 06:59 PM

I was talking about the original recipe from the first book. Even after a week in the fridge the yeast flavor was too prominent. I ended up giving my book away.

Recently I was reading an article by Jeff Hertzberg online. The recipe in the article listed the yeast as 1 1/2 tablespoons (or 1 1/2 packets). A packet is 2 1/4 teaspoons, which would mean the 1 1/2 tablespoons is too much yeast at 4.5 teaspoons compared to a little over 3.25 teaspoons from the packets. I didn't know what the book said, so I kept searching and found a page with book errors (the yeast amount was one of them ... it should have read 2 packets) and then I found the page about using less yeast ... the same one DMurray linked.

I used 2 1/4 teaspoons in the batch I made a week ago. The initial rise at room temp took 4 hours. I kept it in the fridge for 2 days before baking the first loaf. The difference in taste was dramatic! I highly recommend doing the same with any of those recipes!

DMurray · #11 11-05-2009, 07:07 PM

Thanks, Charley! I may give this a try tomorrow.

GayeC · #12 11-05-2009, 07:31 PM

I haven't had any problems with the amount of yeast in the original recipe, but I'm sure that "yeastiness" is a matter of preference. I love this recipe and always have a batch going in the refrigerator. I like the basic recipe with 2 cups of white whole wheat flour.

Someone asked about rolls. I have had luck with rolls if I make the dough just a tiny bit drier than I do for loaves. You have to be able to do that "cloaking" step or the rolls won't rise, and it's hard to cloak something that small if it is very sticky.

RiverFarm · #13 11-06-2009, 05:44 AM

We have struggled with the yeasty/sourness issue, too. We don't care for the sourdough taste. I posted a question about it on the ABin5 forum, and Zoe suggested that I not let the dough sit in the refrigerator before baking it, and also to be sure not to cover the resting dough, because that builds up a stronger flavor. What I did a few times was to bake one loaf right away (I just make two large loaves from the standard recipe) and then freeze the remainder. Recently I've just been baking them both right away: one in a loaf pan and one as a boule or some other more free-form type. (And the last two batches were baked on our new Big Green Egg, which was fun.)

That helped, but what I found to make the most difference was switching to the white whole wheat flour. Recently I bought some Fleischman's yeast in bulk when my SAF ran out, because I noticed that on Amazon someone mentioned that Fleischman's yeast didn't have a strong taste the way SAF did. I haven't tried regular whole wheat with the Fleischman's to see whether I can go back to using it, but I'll do that next.

It is more difficult to handle the dough if you form it right away, but not adding the extra water for King Arthur flour, as they suggest, makes it more workable.

By the way, I didn't want to use less yeast because it's not as convenient for me to have to wait that much longer to go on to the next steps.

GayeC · #14 11-06-2009, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RiverFarm

It is more difficult to handle the dough if you form it right away, but not adding the extra water for King Arthur flour, as they suggest, makes it more workable.

I agree about not using more water/less flour for King Arthur flour. I use KA all-purpose and white whole wheat and the proportions of flour to water given for the standard recipe are just right for me. When I used 1/4 cup less flour the dough was just too sticky to manage, even though I always refrigerate it before baking.

apple*tart · #15 11-06-2009, 09:53 AM

I have this book! So far I've only made one batch of dough, but it's had a wonderful flavor. I use Bob's Red Mill bulk Active Dry Yeast ($5/8 oz) and haven't noticed an overly-yeasty taste, but I do like sourdough bread, so maybe I'm not sensitive to it.

I cannot wait to make more batches from this book. I love the emphasis on whole grains and adding fruits and vegetables. The 100% WW bread I made from this book is way better than the one from the first book. Seems like the authors spent a lot of time figuring out how to apply their method to whole grains successfully!

charley · #16 11-06-2009, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RiverFarm

By the way, I didn't want to use less yeast because it's not as convenient for me to have to wait that much longer to go on to the next steps.

It's only 2 additional hours for the initial rise using half the amount of yeast. And pre-bake rise is maybe 20 minutes longer. IMO, both well worth it!

kwormann · #17 11-08-2009, 02:57 PM

I have the book too. I made dough Thursday before going out of town. It is now on its 90 min rest before baking.

I have made several from the first and love it - it is great for weeks when a "longer" bread isnt possible!

RiverFarm · #18 11-08-2009, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charley

It's only 2 additional hours for the initial rise using half the amount of yeast. And pre-bake rise is maybe 20 minutes longer. IMO, both well worth it!

It would be, except that if I'm busy and have to go out, it's easy to plan around my bread if it's a shorter rise and pre-bake, but almost two and a half hours more means I can't fit it into my schedule as well.

Using the white whole wheat and baking it or freezing the dough right away seems to have solved the problem, anyway; in fact, now it's a little TOO bland. I'm thinking of adding more salt but that would probably lengthen the rising and pre-baking time too.

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