Joe: Made the Fig Rye Bread today and it's spectacular! Never had a crust come out like a "true" rye

Thanks, Cyn! I'm so glad you tried it. Bousin would be great. It goes well with any cheese,

particularly blue cheese. It's really good as toast for breakfast, with cream cheese if you're feeling decadent.

I've used it often as a salad garnish: Cut thin slices and toast them, top with gorgonzola or goat cheese and broil until browned. Serve them on a salad with endive, pears and nuts.

The pecans sound like a nice addition.

Julia gets all the credit for the crust. I have one rusty cast iron pan I use only for bread baking.

 
It's the cast iron pan, if your oven is gas. Put it on the bottom of your oven when you preheat it.

Have a 1/2-cup of water ready, pop in the bread, and throw the water in the pan to create steam. Close the door quickly and do not open it for the first 10 minutes of baking.

If your oven is electric, you don't need the pan. Just throw the water into the oven.

 
I was going to ask what's the difference from spraying the oven wall with water, but then saw that's

in the original. Joe, in your opinion, is one method better than the other? (I used to use a cake pan in the bottom until it rusted. Frankly I think spraying the sides works just as well, but I don't make bread often enough to really judge.)

 
Has anyone made a beer bread. Not the German Rye with molasses. This bread was whitish inside.

The holes inside were a little large and the bread was almost tough. Flavour was terrific. Had this at a friends house recently and they are not too keen about sharing recipes.

 
I throw in a couple of ice cubes. In my old electirc I just tossed in the bottom, but now I toss

the ice cubes into the hot cast iron frying pan

 
My secret to a good breat crust (and I have an electric oven) is:

I cover the top rack (on the top rung) with aluminum foil and place the bread (on a pan) underneath the aluminum foil covered top rack.

Then when I take out the bread, I brush olive oil lightly all over the bread then I wrap the whole bread in aluminum foil. After 5 minutes I take it out and it's PERFECT

PERFECT CRUST ~ NOT SOGGY OR DRY AND THE OLIVE OIL DOES NOT ALTER THE TASTE AT ALL.

I've been doing this for years and I've done it for many different bread and rolls I make.

I do this when baking pies too, placing the pie under the rack covered in aluminum foil, does NOT burn my crust ~ though I do not brush the pie crust with olive oil, just the bread.

It's an awesome trick for perfect crusts for bread and pie crusts

 
My dedicated bread-baking cast iron pan is rusted beyond repair, so I always use that.

I think there may be an advantage in not opening the oven door, but since I've never tried spraying I can't say for sure. If spraying works for you, then I'd keep spraying.

With a gas oven, throwing water randomly in the oven might let it slip through the holes and get on the jets.

One thing I don't like so much is the blistered crust you get by spraying or brushing water right on the loaves. Lots of commercial French bread seems to be done that way, but to me it is too tough a crust.

 
I agree with you about spraying directly on the loaves. I also read, can't remember which

site, that spraying on the walls is ineffective since it evaporates immediately. In a container- it lasts a while

 
I would add also that pre-heating the oven for a longer time is . . .

Much, much better. I sometimes make 6 loaves, and bake them two at a time. My last loaves always come out with nicer crusts and spring than the first, UNLESS I let the oven heat for QUITE a while.

I too use the cast iron pan method, and it works quite well. I do not have a dedicated pan because I rotate a couple of cast irons in and out. My pans are very well seasoned and when one comes out of oven duty, I lightly scrub to get rid of hard water deposits and then cook something in it that needs a little grease. Seasoning seems to stay well.

 
Yum! For breakfast, I must admit I usually just slather it with butter. (The diet starts tomorrow).

I like to have the fig bread on hand in the freezer because it is so nice with a cheese tray. I ususally make three loaves instead of two, so the loaves are narrower and make smaller slices.

 
Joe, I make this bread too and love it. Time for T&T? I have used prunes when I didn't have figs

and it's delish as well.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top