Bread failure

Sunday, November 21, 2010

I've attempted to make a Wild Rice and Onion loaf recipe from here.  There isn't anything wrong about the recipe, but the environment is all wrong here at Casa de Batata.  We have an old house here in South Minneapolis and it is a bit, um, drafty, to say the least.  Since the place is insulated with newspapers from when the house was constructed, it does leave a bit to be desired in the protection-from-the-winter department.

Raising a dough in cool conditions isn't a problem here in November, but the second fermentation requires more time (which I didn't have) or a higher temperature (which I didn't think of).  Having a cold house is part of the cheap way we live but why I didn't have time is part of the reason we live extravagantly.

We are rarely home, so keeping a warm house makes little sense.  The animals have fur and live quite well without temps in the 60's.  The humans are rarely home and the need for warmer temperatures are seldom so we don't need the thermostat set high.  And, referencing back to the inadequate insulation, it doesn't make sense either.

Regardless, this is a long way around to the point that we have a cold house and with a bit of thought I figured that my rolls and my loaf didn't rise because of the temperature of the kitchen.  Of course, there is no way to fix the recipe or the loaves, but I do see a future where their participation for my Thanksgiving meal has been, uh, cemented, as perhaps as the ingredients of the dressing for the turkey.  I just need to let it go stale.

Lesson learned; make sure that you have the oven ready and that the kitchen is in DefCon1 when the time to proof stuff is ready.  Luckily, at Thanksgiving this is difficult.  By the bye, should any of you find yourself without a place to be, or a place where you wish not to be, let us know as our Orphan Thanksgiving always has a seat for you, just let us know and we'll make a place for you.  I promise to raise the buns correctly this time.