Week 6 Lab Data Group 4: Bread Baking

This week we baked three loaves of bread.  All of our loaves were baked in a cast-iron pot heated with coals from a woodfire. For the first loaf, we used only salt, water, and fresh milled organic flour. We also poured roughly 5 grams of water into the pot when the dough went in. The following table shows the timing and temperatures while baking the first loaf. 

Our first loaf was very dense and charred on the bottom. However, the flavor was good and described as savory and toasty. 

The dough of our second loaf was made while the previous loaf was cooling for roughly 15 minutes. Our second bread was made with cow feta and an egg, again with the water, salt, and flour. This loaf took roughly an hour to bake and was once again very dense. However, it was observed to be slightly fluffier than the first loaf. We also observed small white flecks of feta in the bread. Once again, this loaf was charred at the bottom. The char on the second loaf was thicker. The bitter flavor and hard texture made it unpleasant. For this loaf, we also took extra care to make it thinner and flatter, resembling more of a flat bread.

Our final loaf was a sourdough, for which the dough was already provided. This loaf took roughly 40 minutes to bake. It was considerably fluffier than the first two loaves and features the classic sourdough tangy taste. It should be noted that the sourdough was not quite as fluffy as one you would buy at a supermarket, and the bottom was once again charred. This loaf was also stuck to the bottom of the pot when we tried to remove it. This prevented us from allowing it to sit for the expected 15 minutes. 

Experiential observations:

• Kneading the dough was pleasant and relaxing. It may also be easier with a larger amount of dough.
• The temperature of the pot was highly variable and needed to be monitored often.
• Most of the process was waiting and temp checking.
• Grinding the grain was satisfying but slightly frustrating due to the mismatched sizes of the roller and the stone.