Salt Dough Bread

[signseeker]

I came across a reference to salt-dough bread recently. Anyone familiar with that? You make a "sponge" or something... don't need yeast - it's a pioneer thing.

Anyone make it before? Is it "perpetual" like sourdough?

[Earthling]

How are you doing with that sourdough start?

[signseeker]

Haven't made any bread out of it, yet. I'm going to read those papers you gave me this week for sure! :thumbsup:

My "from scratch" Amish bread start is doing fantastic! First round of breads were a hit! I'm tweaking the recipe/instructions so you don't have to give out 4 bags of stuff each time you bake...

[goldilocks]

salt dough is that stuff you make for clay for the kiddies like playdo or years ago we make baskets and figures with it. you cook it and it hardens .

[signseeker]

Yeah, that probably started from a mom like me who has a hard time getting her dough to rise. :rofl:

Seriously- you eat it. Anyone?

[goldilocks]

I think it would be like trying to eat shoe leather . possible but not probable

[Earthling]

Salt dough is homemade play dough as was posted. That is what they made when I was a kid all the time for us to play with. You definitely don't eat it.

[signseeker]

Okay, people. Maybe I got the name wrong. I'm going to have to quote what the book said. I'll be back. It's not freaking play-doh. Grr!

[Earthling]

I went to an Artisan Bread making class yesterday - learned a few things - sweet. :thumbsup:

[goldilocks]

so are you going to share or what ????

[Earthling]

For serious bread makers get the book The Breadmaker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart. I am getting it for Christmas off of Amazon.

[signseeker]

Okay, for the not-so-serious.... how 'bout what you learned?? :l0 (4):

[signseeker]

In case anyone wonders what "artisan bread" is supposed to mean...

WHAT IS ARTISAN BREAD?

Artisan bread is exactly what its name suggests: bread that is crafted, rather than mass produced. Baked in small batches rather than on a vast assembly line, artisan bread differs from prepackaged supermarket loaves in a number of ways. Special attention to ingredients, process, and a return to the fundamentals of the age-old bread-making tradition set artisan bread apart from soft, preservative-laden commercial breads.

<SCRIPT>google_ad_request_done.current_ad_block = 1;</SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript><!--google_ad_client = "pub-8290526608142878";google_ad_output = "js";google_feedback = "on";google_max_num_ads = 2;google_skip = 0;google_ad_type = "text_image";google_ad_channel = "291+0496586861+5866397755+6354589552";display_url = 1;//--></SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></SCRIPT>Whereas a store-bought loaf of mass-produced wheat (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-wheat.htm) bread might have nearly twenty ingredients, artisan bread will have closer to five. The basic building blocks of bread are flour, water, yeast (http://www.wisegeek.com/why-does-yeast-make-bread-rise.htm), and salt. Sourdough is added for some breads; eggs and sugar for others.
For a more complex, flavored artisan bread, the ingredients list might expand to include various other items, all of them recognizable: sliced onions, cheddar cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil. Bread has been around for centuries. No chemicals were added to the breads baked by ancient Egyptians or those mentioned throughout the Bible, and none are added to artisan breads now.
The process of crafting and baking an artisan bread remains largely the same as then, too. Quality ingredients are mixed, slowly fermented, hand shaped, and baked in small batches in masonry (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-masonry.htm) ovens. Often, steam is utilized during the baking process to produce the crispy golden-brown crust characteristic of certain varieties of the artisan loaf.
The texture and flavor of artisan bread are generally superior to those of mass-produced breads because the focus is on selecting high-quality ingredients. Also, acute attention is paid to details of chemistry (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-chemistry.htm), resulting in specific crumb and crust textures. Since chemical (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-chemical.htm) additives are not used, the flavors of each ingredient are fully developed. Examples of artisan breads include the country French loaf, semolina bread, whole-grain farm-style bread, flavored focaccia (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-focaccia.htm), stoneground wheat bread, and ciabatta.
Because artisan bread is made without chemical additives, it tends to have a much shorter shelf-life than the mass-produced prepackaged store-bought bread. It should be eaten within a day or two of purchase or frozen for extended storage. Leftover artisan bread may be used to make panzanella, an Italian bread salad. Because of its dense texture, artisan bread holds up well in the dressing, and the result is simply delicious.

To make panzanella, dice five or six slices of day-old artisan bread into bite-sized cubes and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Toss to coat. Lay out on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-garlic.htm) powder. Toast in a 400 degree F (200 degree C) oven for 7 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool completely.
<SCRIPT type=text/javascript><!--google_ad_client = "pub-8290526608142878";google_alternate_ad_url = "http://www.wisegeek.com/google_adsense_script.html";google_ad_width = 728;google_ad_height = 15;google_ad_format = "728x15_0ads_al";google_ad_channel = "291+0496586861+5866397755+6354589552";google_color_border = "CCCCCC";google_color_bg = "CCCCCC";google_color_link = "000080";google_color_text = "000000";google_color_url = "999999";//--></SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></SCRIPT>Assemble the panzanella in a large salad bowl: Combine cooled toasted bread cubes with halved cherry tomatoes, diced mozzarella, chopped fresh basil, thinly sliced red onion, green and/or black olives, minced anchovies (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-anchovies.htm), and/or other ingredients as desired. Drizzle all with extra-virgin olive oil and add a few splashes of red wine (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-red-wine.htm) vinegar (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-vinegar.htm), season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, toss to coat, and let sit for ten minutes before serving.

[Earthling]

As your article stated the ingredients are simple. It is the process of making the bread that is the "deal". So the book/teacher take a while to teach you the chemistry that is going on, changes you make due to humidity, etc, and how to know when it is ready to go to the next stage. I can't teach you in a post what it takes a book or class to teach.

A few tips though: mist your oven (avoid the glass) several times before putting in the bread with a spray bottle, proof the bread at 90 degrees and 80% humidity, bake to internal temp of 200 degrees - let sit until 80 degrees inside before open & eat, make any slashes when raised about 50% as it is too fragile when fully risen, dip knife in olive oil before slashing so it won't grab the dough, and bake on a baking stone (which takes an hour to get up to oven temp).

I am supposed to get the recipe by email - I will post it when I get it.

[waif69]

What does the misting or raising of the baking humidity do for the bread? (please tell me it has something to do with reducing crust thickness...)

[signseeker]

This is from a book called Homespun-Domestic Arts and Crafts of Mormon Pioneers.

"Another popular method of making bread was to use a salt-rising sponge made from warm water, salt, and flour. A pioneer recipe called for one quart water, one teaspoon salt, and flour enough to thicken to a soft dough. These were mixed together and allowed to stand at an even temperature until the mixture became foamy. Since it was difficult to get a good 'start' of the sponge, when one was successful the neighbors were called in to share it. To make bread, the sponge was mixed with additional flour and potato water to make a thick dough. It was allowed to rise and then shaped into loaves, put in pans, and allowed to rise again. Then it was ready for baking.
"Yeast didn't come into the settlements until years later..." etc...

I think I might try that.

[Earthling]

What does the misting or raising of the baking humidity do for the bread? (please tell me it has something to do with reducing crust thickness...)

High humidity increases the chewiness and color of the bread crust. You know how those artisan breads always have a chewy crust - that is why.