Tweaking the recipe: yeah, yet another maintenance post.

I have a Plexiglas frame stuck with magnets to my fridge, displaying in table form the Bread Machine S.O.P. Down the left side is a column of ingredients: milk, egg, coconut oil, sugar, whole wheat flour, bread flour, gluten, etc. The other columns are labeled at the top with the names of bread recipes: whole wheat sandwich, honey oatmeal, cinnamon raisin; and as you go down the column you see how much of each ingredient to use. At the bottom of the page are button-by-button directions for starting the bread machine.

I set that up some time ago so that Mark and the older kids could easily make a loaf of bread without needing to be walked through the steps. Before I could do that, of course, I had to develop a sort of personalized, foolproof standard recipe for each one. I started with the recipes that came with my bread machine and adapted them over many loaves until each had the right amount of salt, the right level of sweetness, and the right balance between liquid and my favorite brand of whole wheat flour. Once I had a good recipe that worked pretty much all the time, it got enshrined in the Bread Machine S.O.P.

I haven't added a new one in quite a long time, but after my stint in Cincinnati at Christmas I found myself craving more of the ubiquitous-in-southwestern-Ohio soft dark pumpernickel bread (Klosterman's Cincinnati Dark Rye being the classic example: http://www.klostermanbakery.com/products/grocery/cincinnati-dark-rye-bread ). That's all I need, another food item I can't get unless I am in Ohio! So I bought some dark rye flour and set out to develop my own recipe for the S.O.P.

After hemming and hawing over several online pumpernickel bread recipes, I decided to start with a basic recipe of one cup each whole wheat flour, dark rye flour, and bread flour; 3 Tbsp butter; 10 oz whole milk; 2 Tbsp each molasses and unsweetened cocoa; 2 tsp salt; 1.5 tsp yeast; 1 egg; and 1 Tbsp of gluten. The bread baked up nicely, but I decided the molasses flavor was far too pronounced, so that is where I will begin my tweaking. My very next loaf of bread will have white sugar instead of molasses; we shall see if the molasses is even necessary. I may try half-and-half next after that, and perhaps if I can find some I will experiment with some kind of malt syrup or malted barley flour. When I get the sweetener figured out, I will turn to the flour ratios. In any case, I will be making lots of pumpernickel loaves in a row.

As I added "rye flour" and "pastrami" to my shopping list, I reflected on this idea. When I am trying to tweak, I like to tweak as fast as I can. I want to lay the questions to rest so I can close the loop and say, "I've figured it out, now I don't have to think about it anymore." Even though my family will probably get sick of pumpernickel, by the end of the testing process I will know how to make the perfect loaf of Cincinnati dark rye to suit my cravings and the blend of flours that are available in my area. And the next time I want to make Reubens for dinner, we will be ready.

I realized that this has also been my approach to tweaking weight maintenance behaviors. Right now, I am testing the theory that I should always have half sandwiches, and I am working on getting used to the habit of always cutting restaurant sandwiches in half, and always making half sandwiches at home. And what I am doing right now is ordering sandwiches every time I am in a restaurant, whether that is what I would like best or not, and eating only half of them (in fact I am sitting in front of the remains of a ham-and-egg croissant right now in an Eat Street diner). When it is practical, I do take the other half home for later, by the way. I am also making lots of half sandwiches for myself at home for lunch.

And what I am finding is that, with practice, and the constant reminder that *this is what I am working on*, is rapidly forcing me to get comfortable with the practice. Half sandwiches are already starting to feel normal -- and indeed, they seem to be the right amount. But what really helps is repeating it as frequently as I can, until I have laid the habit to rest.

Comments

[Cathie]

I don't know if you are interested in making your own caramel coloring to make it dark. Here's a link I saw long ago. When I read your post I thought of it.
http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/2008/10/26/pumpernickel-bread-how-to-make-your-own-caramel-coloring

[bearing]

Pumpernickel is classically darkened with cocoa powder -- but I will check that out! Thanks!