Laurel said...
July 26, 2010 at 1:18 pm

Love that you included the melon and receipts on the counter, and the oops with the grill. Makes me believe I (with all my failings and “oops”) can do it. Thanks!

Christi and Fred said...
July 26, 2010 at 3:25 pm

Jeff -
Fred and I just watched your video – we are inspired! Fun to see you in your kitchen – Fred is ready to make buns tonight!

Courtney said...
July 26, 2010 at 3:50 pm

Is there any reason this couldn’t be made into hamburger buns?

zoe said...
July 26, 2010 at 9:47 pm

Hi Courtney,

We make them all the time! http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=1730

Enjoy, Zoë

Amanda said...
July 27, 2010 at 6:40 am

I made them last night, and they turned out great. I was a little sceptical because my grill never gives a consistant temp and I was afraid to put my stone on the grill (BTW, do you use a special stone for the grill?). Anyway, I ended up trying it without the stone, they actually turned out pretty well. They had a crispy bottom and a soft top, but tasted really great and were perfect for hotdog buns. I will definately try this again….and maybe one day I will save up and buy a grill worthy of making bread on.

jeff said...
July 27, 2010 at 7:46 am

Christi and Fred: Glad to hear you’re making these!

Amanda: I don’t use a special stone on the grill, and I suppose we might be exposing our stones to a little risk this way– I think I’ll put that disclaimer into the post above. I’ve never had a problem with the thick (1/2-inch) stones, but the thin ones crack at the drop of a hat.

So glad it’s working for you… Jeff

Linda said...
July 28, 2010 at 5:22 am

I so enjoy this site and, of course, like others who have made your bread am addicted to it. I check everyday for new comments and videos. Thanks for your time in doing this for us.

jeff said...
July 28, 2010 at 6:38 am

Your welcome Linda, check back anytime you have questions….

Lisa said...
July 28, 2010 at 7:18 am

Addicted doesn’t even come close! I will have to go to fat camp if I don’t stop soon. It’s so yummy though and I LOVE the smell. I was wanting to make bagels and noticed the directions said to use any of the unenriched doughs. I have a buttermilk dough in the frig now. Would that work?

jeff said...
July 28, 2010 at 1:19 pm

Lisa: It may be a bit loose, which makes it tricky in the boiler. Personally, I’d give it a try. Jeff

Maricar said...
July 29, 2010 at 9:58 am

I got your book last week and my first batch of dough is already gone! I made the basic loaf, cinnamon rolls and fougasse with red peppers. My question is about the elasticity of the dough. I had a very difficult time rolling it out for the rolls and fougasse because it was so elastic. It just wouldn’t flatten out. I ended up with rolls and fougasse that was rather thick. What causes this issue?

Thanks!

jeff said...
July 29, 2010 at 10:12 am

Maricar: One easy explanation is that you’re using high-protein flour (bread flour/Better-For-Bread, etc.). If so, switch to unbleached all-purpose and this should be easier.

But it may be that you just need to let the dough relax once you start rolling it out. Get it to the thinnest you can without fighting with it, then walk away for 5 minutes. When you return, it will be much easier to flatten. Jeff

Maricar said...
July 29, 2010 at 10:38 am

Hi Jeff, I used unbleached AP flour. So I’ll try your second suggestion. Thanks!

Suzan said...
July 29, 2010 at 11:23 am

Hi Jeff and Zoe,

I have been trying to find a yeast zucchini bread that doesn’t use white flour but have not succeeded. (any suggestions) Our garden zucchini is taking over the garden, the house, the fridge, etc.
Anyway., one website has suggested putting a cooling rack underneath the stone to keep it a little further from the heat of the grill. I was planning to try that with soem burger buns. Love the Bicycle Bread website. Are the kids doing the baking also?

Regards,

Suzan

jeff said...
July 29, 2010 at 1:00 pm

Suzan: Have you tried the Zucchini Flatbread in our “Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day” book? On Amazon at http://bit.ly/3wYSSN. It’s whole-grain flatbread topped with zucchini and cheese, see what you think. I would guess that trying to incorporate the zucchini right into whole-grain bread, especially a loaf (as opposed to a flatbread), would yield a very dense result.

Zucchini Flatbread recipe doesn’t appear on our site— publisher will kill us if we supply all the recipes from the books here!

Yes, you may find some good result with that cooling rack idea, but I’m guessing that the rack’s metal will deteriorate under that high heat.

The Bicycle Bread kids make their own stored-dough bread from our recipes, yes… Jeff

Julia said...
July 29, 2010 at 3:40 pm

I just received your books on Monday and baked my first loaf of bread tonight–Rosemary Flax Baguette. I just have to say “Oh my goodness.” It was wonderful. I have been on a quest to make great homemade bread so I don’t have to feed my family all the junk in the store bought stuff. Since it is hot here in NC, I didn’t want to heat my oven up (and I’m not much good with a grill). I decided to try it in my toaster oven. I have a baking stone for it and since I knew a broiler tray would not fit, I used the spray method with the water. It could not have worked better. I am amazed beyond words. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

marian said...
July 29, 2010 at 4:38 pm

i made ‘Gluten-Free Olive Oil Bread’ today. i was surprised to use ‘3.5 cups of cornstarch’..i see no where that this is a typo. it’s been 2.5 hours & i’m just starting to see a rise.
thank you. i love your book!

jeff said...
July 29, 2010 at 6:17 pm

Julia: Thanks for all the kind words. Since you’re in a hot-weather zone, you may be interested in the posts we’ve done this summer and last about baking bread, pizza, and flatbread outside on the gas grill.

Come back anytime you have questions. Jeff

jeff said...
July 29, 2010 at 6:18 pm

Marian: No, not a typo, it will rise. Let us know if you have problems. Jeff

Alison said...
July 30, 2010 at 3:04 am

I love this, especially facing adversity with a smile! Just dropped by from Tiny Happy’s blog, and will be exploring your site further in due course, it looks excellent! Thank you!

Maricar said...
July 30, 2010 at 10:43 am

Hi Jeff and Zoe, I’m back with my second question. I love crusty bread, but my family (hubby and 2 young kiddos) prefer a softer crust. What should I do to get a soft crust using the basic boule recipe?

jeff said...
July 30, 2010 at 11:03 am

Maricar: Either paint the crust with oil or butter. Or, cool the finished loaf under a clean towel. Jeff

Shannon Marie said...
August 1, 2010 at 7:51 am

I had your Healthy book since it came out but was so addicted to the perfectness of the first book, I only finally ventured out and made the healthy master recipe..made a pizza with it and bread too now…FANTASTIC! Looking forward to your next book, I love you guys! You make bread making effortless!

Judy said...
August 1, 2010 at 10:36 am

Hi Jeff and Zoe,

I just got a new Kitchenaid Pro 6qt mixer, and have a question about mixing your recipes. I probably won’t mix your doughs in the mixer unless I do a double batch, but…

People in the baking group have said that one batch of your dough overheats their mixers. I think that’s because they are putting all the flour and dry ingredients in the mixing bowl, as your recipe states.
I called Kitchenaid to ask what’s going on.The problem is that KA wants the recipes modified so you start with about 4 cups of dry ingredients, add the wet, and then the remaining dry ingredients a little at a time.
So my question is–should I premix all the dry ingrediens (including VWG) in a separate bowl and then start with 4 cups of dry mixture, or can I put all the dry ingredients into a bowl with about 4 cups of flour, adding the rest of the flour later.
I guess the question is whether it matter that things like salt, yeast, and VWG be mixed into all the flour in the beginning.

Thanks,
Judy

zoe said...
August 1, 2010 at 1:59 pm

Hi Shannon Marie,

Thank you so much for stopping by with such lovely feedback!

Enjoy, Zoë

zoe said...
August 1, 2010 at 2:09 pm

Hi Judy,

Hmmm, this is a new issue for me? I use my KA all the time with no problem of overheating. That is something that only happened to me when I was kneading dough in it, but our dough isn’t kneaded so this hasn’t been a problem.

To answer your last question you do need to mix the VWG and flour together before adding any liquid, but other than that it doesn’t matter what order you mix the ingredients.

Thanks and enjoy your new mixer.

Zoë

Suzan said...
August 1, 2010 at 3:50 pm

Hi Jeff,

Funny you should mention the zucchini pizza – that was what I’d planned for dinner that day before I got your answer. It was kind of an experiment – I used red onion and mozzarella cheese and no pine nuts (couldn’t find anywhere around here that sold them). I used the 100% ww dough and cooked it on the grill, on the stone with parchment paper under it. (the paper so I could easily get it on the grill. It was great (well 1 out 2 in the house liked it *G*). Note to self for next time: doubh needs to be a little thinner and grill needs to be watched more carefully. But, it was still great!

Suzan said...
August 1, 2010 at 3:52 pm

Oh – forgot to mention. Just won Ebay auction for a pot, with cover, like the one in your previous video (making bread in the grill). With shipping, it will run a shade under $9. What a deal!

zoe said...
August 1, 2010 at 4:01 pm

Hi Suzan,

Your pizza sounds great! Enjoy your new pot, it will produce wonderful crust!

Thanks, Zoë

Judy said...
August 1, 2010 at 5:08 pm

hi Zoe,

I guess I wasn’t clear. Do you have to:
1. mix the VWG with ALL the flour and add the liquid. If I have to mix the VWG with all the flour, that means mixing it in a separate bowl.
OR
2. Can you mix the VWG with part of the flour (3-4 cups) then add more later, after mixing with the liquid? Then I could do that in the mixer bowl, much easier.

We aren’t kneading the dough. Just mixing. But having that much flour dumped in at once, people are saying it overheats their mixers. Most people can’t do more than 1/2 batch of your dough at a time in a mixer.

Judy

jeff said...
August 1, 2010 at 7:12 pm

Judy: We tested by mixing the VWG with ALL the flour, then add the liquids. But I’m almost certain you could prevent lumps (which is the reason for this), just as well by choosing your option #2. Jeff

Amy said...
August 3, 2010 at 9:00 am

Hello – I was wondering where you can get the large plastic buckets that you use in your examples for mixing the bread dough. Thanks in advance!

Amy

jeff said...
August 3, 2010 at 3:09 pm

Amy: Kitchen supply places have them, or you can order them on Amazon through our website http://www.amazon.com/Cambro-Round-6-Quart-Storage-Container/dp/B0001MRUUU?&camp=212361&linkCode=wey&tag=arbrinfimiada-20&creative=380725, but careful– that doesn’t include the top, which you have to order separately. Jeff

Jessie said...
August 6, 2010 at 6:26 am

Loved the video. Liked that you didn’t edit out the running out of gas! Never tried buns outside, but will because next week is going to be warm & humid again in MN. We LOVE using the master dough recipe for pizza crust & making them on a pampered chef stone on the grill. LOVE your books, can’t wait for the next one to come out!

jeff said...
August 6, 2010 at 7:08 am

Jessie: Thanks for the kind words– we leave all that in to show that bread isn’t such an exact science as sometimes depicted– there’s leeway and oppt’y for some fun. Jeff

Leah A. Zeldes said...
August 8, 2010 at 8:48 pm

I love that you use poppy seeds in the Chicago style! How do these buns hold up to steaming over the hot-dog water?

jeff said...
August 9, 2010 at 7:01 am

Leah: Yeah, poppies were my nod to Chicago. Given that our breads and rolls are firmer, denser, and more substantial than typical American commercial bun products, I think they’ll do great. In particular, the crust won’t get soggy from the steam.

I love the way the dogs in Chicago are served with the kitchen sink on top of them, somehow contained by that bun…

Suzan said...
August 16, 2010 at 9:09 am

Hi Jeff and Zoe,

I posted this question – somewhere – and now I can’t find it so I’ll post again (sorry for the repeat).

A family member just gave me a wonderful cast iron pot with two covers! One is domed; the other is flat. Which, in your opinions, would be better for baking on the grill?

Regards,

Suzan

zoe said...
August 16, 2010 at 4:56 pm

Hi Suzan,

Both of the pots will work well for baking the bread, but one may fit better in your grill. As an experiment you could try them both and see which one you prefer. Let us know the results!

Thanks, Zoë

Cristie said...
August 20, 2010 at 8:03 am

Have had remarkable success with grilled pizza this summer. Love your honesty in this clip.

jeff said...
August 20, 2010 at 10:45 am

Thanks Cristie!

Bettyanne said...
August 21, 2010 at 2:43 pm

Hi all, I froze a couple of boule dough from the HB5 book and now I want to bake them. I remember reading that I have to let the dough thaw in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, though, I’m not clear about what to do. Can you help me?

zoe said...
August 21, 2010 at 3:50 pm

Hi Bettyanne,

Just treat the defrosted dough as though you are taking it out of the bucket. Form the loaf, let it rest and bake it.

Enjoy, Zoë

Bettyanne said...
August 22, 2010 at 7:19 am

Thanks Zoe. I appreciate your quick response. I am going to make some spinach and cheese calzones (first time) out of the frozen dough (rosemary/flaxseed recipe). I thawed it overnight and today is the day. Both of you are so great at helping your followers out!!!!

Karen said...
August 25, 2010 at 7:11 am

First attempt: Bread came out fine, but didn’t sing because the cup of water called for in the recipe was insufficient, it dried out too fast. Is this expected, or do I need to add extra water at the beginning?

zoe said...
August 25, 2010 at 12:17 pm

Hi Karen,

The steam in the oven is only effective for the first 10 minutes of baking. It is meant to soften the top crust so it rises better and make the crust shiny.

What dough are you using? Not all doughs will sing! If the dough has any fat or dairy in it there will be a softer crust and it won’t sing.

Thanks! Zoë

Karen said...
August 28, 2010 at 5:12 am

Thanks for your comment! The dough is the basic one recommended in the book–flour, water, yeast, salt. I don’t think the water lasted even the first ten minutes, but that is all right. The bread is delicious anyway, perhaps a bit too salty for my taste, but it makes killer bruschetta!

jeff said...
August 28, 2010 at 4:43 pm

Karen: Decrease the salt to your taste– see the FAQ on that subject, click above…

Jeff