I've been baking bagels this week.These pictures above are 'strawberry chocolate' bagels.
I strawberry's sourness and chocolate's sweetness matches really well.
Do you like sweet bagels?
I've been baking bagels this week.
I was in Vegas for several days and could not find any good bread there.
My 2-week winter break started last night!
Today, I baked a batard with Japanese natural yeast that I got from Japan.
My apple yeast is very active.
Yum, yum.
Past 3 days I've been baking croissants.

Today I baked 3 kinds of bread.
This is an easy variation of 'melon pan' bread (Japanese favorite bread).





















SALT
I use fine sea salt for bread making. Many professional bakers use special coarse mineral salt but I prefer fine natural sea salt because it dizzolves in no time.
SUGAR (including honey and malt/maple/brown rice syrup)
It is not necessary to use sugar for bread baking but sugar helps yeast to energize. If you want to obtain good crust color, use some sugar so the browning reaction occurs. Honey makes bread's crust color darker than regular sugar. Sugar keeps bread moist and soft longer.
Since I am following Macrobiotics diet, I do not use sugar (particulary refined white sugar) in any cooking. You can use any sugar you like.
YEAST
There are many different kinds of yeast available at supermarkets and health food stores. I personally prefer this instant dry yeast called Fermipan. It is available at Smart and Final in California. I also use Saf red label. Also available at S &F. You can buy organic or imported instant dry yeast at some markets.
I used to love using fresh yeast (look like small bricks) but it's perishable and hard to find now so I am not using it anymore.
(macrobiotic followers should not eat bread that is made with commercial yeast but since baking is my biggest hobby so I am still using commercial yeast...)
Special Yeast
There are some natural yeast (macrobiotic friendly) that you can use like instant dry yeast.
I have "shirakami yeast" from Japan. I get this product from Japan. It's easy and has sweet flavor with a lot of trehaolse (helps keep bread soft longer). This yeast is so special. You can even freeze the dough and unlike commercial yeast, it won't get weaken.
WATER
If you live in US, tap water should work with no problem. Purified water tastes better.
Please do not use alkaline water. Bread dough should not be alkaline.
YEAST WATER BAKING
All of the above and most importantly, 'natural yeast water' that you make.



Now you have pre-fermented dough.Place the dough in a bowl and let it sit for 2-6hours, until double in bulk. Time depends on the room temperature and yeast's strength.
In yeast water baking with whole wheat flour, 60-65% water (yeast water+water) in ratio to flour is enough. Also while the dough is rising, the dough is loosen and becomes soft. Please be careful how much water you add. It's easy to add water but difficult (almost inpossible) to remove water from the dough!
Generally speaking, bread flour needs more water than all purpose flour. Whole wheat flour needs less water than all purpose. So you can put around 70% water when you bake with bread flour only.
