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π Back from Italy and Hearty October Bakes!
Published 12 days agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
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Back from Italy and Hearty October Bakes!
I'm back home from two weeks in southern Italy and Naples! What. A. Trip.
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I had the pleasure of finally meeting fellow TPL readers, working with some dough in a sourdough friselle workshop, and tasting all Italy has to offer, from cheese, to bread, to taralli (little crackers), to pizza (of course).
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I'll have a longer post about the trip, our itinerary, how I brought back and used a 90-year-old sourdough starter (!!), and all the juicy details next week, but if you want to head in early, check out my Instagram highlight.
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This week, we're diving into fall, and what better way to start than with pretzels? But in addition to pretzels, the cooling weather has me returning to a recipe I developed earlier this year: 90-rye.
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There's something about the robust flavor of rye that calls to me in the cooler months.
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This newsletter is all about those earthy, hearty, substantial breads that make you want to grab that chunky sweater and sweatpants, light the fireplace, and get baking.
If there's anything that screams "October!" to me, it's pretzels. With this recipe, I call for lye for the most traditional approach, but you could also use baked baking soda for an almost-as-good result.
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I love how these pretzels have a thin and slightly crispy crust, yet the interior is incredibly soft and chewy. The flavor will definitely surprise you, too.
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Be sure to watch me make them in the video at the post!
I recently got a back of einkorn flour and have returned to this classic I developed many years ago.
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Einkorn can be challenging because the dough can be very sticky and dense. In this recipe, I point out the things to look for and how to get a beautiful loaf.
This recipe was one of the inspirations for my Rustico loaf in my cookbook.
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A blend of whole wheat, spelt, and rye plus a little white flour, resulting in bread with loads of flavor but still lots of volume and an open and light interior.
Last week, I talked about The Baker's Corner, the newly-named membership at The Perfect Loaf. Want to talk about your bakes, ask questions, and nerd out about sourdough?
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Or, join for the full recipe archive (in editable spreadsheets), discounts on baking tools and flour, and much more.
I haven't tried sourdough yet, but I struggle with my bread-baking skills. I used to live in an area much lower in elevation but now we're in an area that is almost 4,000 ft. in elevation... My bread rises in less than 1/2 hour instead of the usual 2 hours, and the flavor isn't as good either.
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Any ideas as to what I can do?
All of my recipes at The Perfect Loaf will work well for you at high altitudes, so there's no need to worry.
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I have some tips on how to deal with this, though. They will give you a good idea of how you can adjust your baking, if necessary (again, not specifically necessary with my recipes, but they're good to keep in mind, especially if you're much higher than my 5,280 ft (1,600 m).
Pizza Dough Hydration Explained. (YouTube) A really helpful look at various dough hydrations and their effect on the final pizza. (LINK)β
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I have a few fascinating emails coming for you next week. One of them will introduce a new baking tool I helped develop, and the other will be a recap of all the events on my recent Italy trip.
Want to make bakery-quality sourdough bread from home? Subscribe for the best sourdough guides and recipes to take your bread from ordinary to incredible.
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