This morning I downloaded one of the many copy cat recipes on the web for
making Boboli bread. I had to convert it because it called for WAY too much
flour. Here's what I eventually tried:

560 g Bread flour 100%
006 g Instant yeast 1%
004 g Kosher salt .71%
380 g Water 68%

The flavor was okay, but not very interesting--I find focaccia a little
boring too. The biggest problem was that the holes in the crumb were more
bread-like in size and shape--not very Boboli-like. I'm thinking I will
need to raise the hydration to something like 75% water and kick-up the salt
and instant yeast to about 2% each.

After an initial fermentation of about one hour, I formed the bread and
punched down with my finger tips (like I would with focaccia) then let it
proof for about another hour. Then I placed the whole thing directly on a
pre-heated 550?F pizza stone for a few minutes until it reached an internal
temperature of 200?F. Actually the finished product looked more like a
round focaccia than it did like any kind of Boboli bread. I wonder if they
throw a little baking powder in there in addition to the yeast. Maybe the
extra water is all I need.

Ideas?

Thanks!

Rich Hollenbeck
Moreno Valley, CA

The "?" in the original message (like "550?F" for example) was supposed to
be the degree symbol but somehow got changed to a question mark when I sent
the message. Anyway, my biggest question had to do with how to adjust the
ratio of ingredients to get the right Boboli look, feel, and taste. Thanks
again!

"Richard Hollenbeck" wrote in message
news:kkvTg.12596$gF3.5551@trnddc02...
This morning I downloaded one of the many copy cat recipes on the web for
making Boboli bread. I had to convert it because it called for WAY too
much flour. Here's what I eventually tried:

560 g Bread flour 100%
006 g Instant yeast 1%
004 g Kosher salt .71%
380 g Water 68%

The flavor was okay, but not very interesting--I find focaccia a little
boring too. The biggest problem was that the holes in the crumb were more
bread-like in size and shape--not very Boboli-like. I'm thinking I will
need to raise the hydration to something like 75% water and kick-up the
salt and instant yeast to about 2% each.

After an initial fermentation of about one hour, I formed the bread and
punched down with my finger tips (like I would with focaccia) then let it
proof for about another hour. Then I placed the whole thing directly on a
pre-heated 550?F pizza stone for a few minutes until it reached an
internal temperature of 200?F. Actually the finished product looked more
like a round focaccia than it did like any kind of Boboli bread. I wonder
if they throw a little baking powder in there in addition to the yeast.
Maybe the extra water is all I need.

Ideas?

Thanks!

Rich Hollenbeck
Moreno Valley, CA

Not even one answer after seven and one half hours? I need to be patient.
Since I wrote these earlier emails, I tried a minimum batch of 200 g Bread
flour plus 75% water, 2% each of instant dry yeast and kosher salt. I
refrigerated it for about two hours while I went to Sam's Club but it's been
out at least double that. I'm thinking it's still too stiff. Maybe I'll
make another batch much thinner/wetter and incorporate this morning's "old
dough" into it.

At what hydration percentage does a dough become a batter? Would a very
stiff batter be a better solution for Boboli bread?

Rich

"Richard Hollenbeck" wrote in message
news:kkvTg.12596$gF3.5551@trnddc02...
This morning I downloaded one of the many copy cat recipes on the web for
making Boboli bread. I had to convert it because it called for WAY too
much flour. Here's what I eventually tried:

560 g Bread flour 100%
006 g Instant yeast 1%
004 g Kosher salt .71%
380 g Water 68%

The flavor was okay, but not very interesting--I find focaccia a little
boring too. The biggest problem was that the holes in the crumb were more
bread-like in size and shape--not very Boboli-like. I'm thinking I will
need to raise the hydration to something like 75% water and kick-up the
salt and instant yeast to about 2% each.

After an initial fermentation of about one hour, I formed the bread and
punched down with my finger tips (like I would with focaccia) then let it
proof for about another hour. Then I placed the whole thing directly on a
pre-heated 550?F pizza stone for a few minutes until it reached an
internal temperature of 200?F. Actually the finished product looked more
like a round focaccia than it did like any kind of Boboli bread. I wonder
if they throw a little baking powder in there in addition to the yeast.
Maybe the extra water is all I need.

Ideas?

Thanks!

Rich Hollenbeck
Moreno Valley, CA