Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2007 16:39:28 -0700
Reply-To: Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: [NVC] Recipe: Camp French bread for Gayle
In-Reply-To: <012001c7cc8b$7af1b5d0$3300a8c0@morgan>
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Hi Pete -- no cowbells at all. The herd must-a been chowing elsewhere.
Come to think of it, there were no cow patties anywhere around the
Highland Lakes, either. Low cow population, I reckon.
Please tell your beautiful wife that I just use a basic French bread
recipe (though I am experimenting with sourdough, which is a lot trickier).
Something like half of one of these:
http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipes.recipeListing/filter/dianas/recipeID/1610/Recipe.cfm
I combine all the ingredients in a big Ziplock to reduce hand cleaning
and do the first rise in the bag. Just moosh it all together and set out
of the sun to rise. Or do it a day ahead and set it in the refrigerator
to ferment overnight for a richer flavor, take it out of the reefer in
the morning for its first rise.
The rest of the process is sort of a desultory "smash bag to deflate
dough, let it rise again, take it from bag and shape it into a boule on
a flour-dusted peel, cover the boule with an inverted plastic bowl for
final rise, slash top, slip onto preheated stone in grill and cook."
Taste to see if it was worth the trouble.
I use a little gas-powered barbecue with an 8'' round pizza stone in it.
A little oven thermometer gives me some idea of the temp. I skip the
water spritz or other half-a$$ed steaming techniques that have bedeviled
home bakers as it never does much for the crust. No way to emulate
steam-injection while camping, near as I can tell.
At home I use a baker's cloche for a better crust -- here's someone
else's blog about that:
http://home.att.net/~carlsfriends/carlospics/ArtisanalLoaf.htm
I find making bread in camp to be relaxing and fun. Always an adventure.
With regular yeast it's very predictable, but not as chock-full o'
flavor as sourdough's wild yeasts and bacteria. But sourdough is a lot
fussier and less predictable.
--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
KG6RCR
pete typed:
> Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2007 18:53:15 -0700
> From: Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Long Trip Report
>
> Great travel report Mike - you didn't mention any cowbells in the distance at Highland Lakes - maybe the summer herd was grazing in a different area.
> Gayle wants me to ask about your bread making and baking techniques while camping - not the nekkid kneading part, necessarily, unless, of course, that's critical to the outcome. I've done some Pillsbury type tube bisquits on foil in our little Weber gas grill/oven but never anything more serious.
>
> Good blog reference on Highland Lakes also - quite humorous - he's not a candidate for Hwy 4 in a 27 year old Westy (content) and not too observant either - he drove right by El Jardin in Murphys twice.
>
> Pete (prepping for Idaho and surrounds in Sept)
> 80 Westy "Banana Slug"
>
