Slake
Assistant Cook
After baking all our bread for the last six years a 5,000 feet and above, I'd like to share some recipes that have worked well for me in the hope that things might go a little easier for some other high-altitude bakers.
Two of my favorites are the Rustic Potato Loaves from Julia Child's book Baking with Julia, and variation number one of White Breads: Three Multipurpose Variations by Peter Reinhart, from The Bread Baker's Apprentice.
I make some slight adjustments to these breads to compensate for our 5,000 foot altitude, and to accomodate my own personal tastes. In the Rustic Potato Loaves, I use 3 teaspoons of salt instead of 4 (personal taste) and cut the flour from 4 3/4 cups to 4 1/2. I bake this bread at 350 degrees rather than 375, for 40 minutes.
In the Peter Reinhart bread, I cut the salt from 1 1/2 teaspoons to 1 teaspoon, and because I personally found the bread from this recipe too sweet as printed, I use 2 tablespoons of sugar rather than the 3 1/4 it calls for. I use 1 3/4 cups of water, which is the maximum amount called for in the recipe. I bake this bread at 350 degrees for 33 minutes.
My number one current favorites are the Lalvain du Jour breads baked with the starters by that name from King Arthur Flour. I've posted detailed information on the Lalvain du Jour breads on my blog at: Eating Colorado
Two of my favorites are the Rustic Potato Loaves from Julia Child's book Baking with Julia, and variation number one of White Breads: Three Multipurpose Variations by Peter Reinhart, from The Bread Baker's Apprentice.
I make some slight adjustments to these breads to compensate for our 5,000 foot altitude, and to accomodate my own personal tastes. In the Rustic Potato Loaves, I use 3 teaspoons of salt instead of 4 (personal taste) and cut the flour from 4 3/4 cups to 4 1/2. I bake this bread at 350 degrees rather than 375, for 40 minutes.
In the Peter Reinhart bread, I cut the salt from 1 1/2 teaspoons to 1 teaspoon, and because I personally found the bread from this recipe too sweet as printed, I use 2 tablespoons of sugar rather than the 3 1/4 it calls for. I use 1 3/4 cups of water, which is the maximum amount called for in the recipe. I bake this bread at 350 degrees for 33 minutes.
My number one current favorites are the Lalvain du Jour breads baked with the starters by that name from King Arthur Flour. I've posted detailed information on the Lalvain du Jour breads on my blog at: Eating Colorado
