Cream, Butter and New Bread Recipe and cheese making info

   Morning everyone. Today I skimmed off the cream from my milk. Thought I would give butter a try. Also, trying to come up with another bread recipe of my own. I have the cream sitting and the dough rising at the moment, just waiting till all is ready to proceed with each.

Dough rising

Cream ripening for butter attempt

   Just to re-cap, I get fresh milk from an Amish farm. I was particularly blessed to find this farm. They have a greenhouse with many fabulous plants as well as the milk I can use in my cheese making and such. The ultimate prize is that everything is so reasonably priced! This is certainly a huge bonus for sure.

 

   When you can get milk in this form for less than store bought, you have hidden treasures. Store bought milk has been separated and most of the butterfat has been removed. Hence the 1%. 2% and so on types of milk. I believe they also kill the lipases in the milk which is needed in certain cheese so you have to add it back in. That involves buying it from either +Amazon.com or a place like www.cheesemaking.com . As well, I have found that my yogurt came out better with the fresh milk too. I can't wait to make butter and get REAL, not store bought cultured buttermilk! I use both my homemade yogurt and buttermilk in making cheese because they each contain certain cultures necessary to make certain cheeses. More on that later.

 

   Now don't be mistaken. This is all work in progress and I am certainly not an expert on anything. I enjoy making these things and there are failures. Like making bread at the shore. The dough becomes a living blob dripping over the pans taking over the place and not rising up like it should. I usually let the dough rise in the oven with the light on and it just oozes everywhere! Then it's time to scrap out, toss in the garbage and clean the oven. *Scratching Head* Still trying to figure that one out. It doesn't do that at home and I can't seem to understand why I have so much trouble at the shore. NONE of my breads seem to rise right except at home! It has to be something with the salt air...I will figure it out sooner or later.

 

   So, I will just chug along here and just checked my rising dough. We seem to be rising quite nicely...another living blob thing again?

Will have to wait and see. Trying to make a bread with a nice holey texture for topping with my homemade cheeses and home grown tomatoes. I will keep you posted on my progress....till later!

UPDATE: I have let it rise and kneaded for a few minutes and let it rest..getting ready to divide.

Have the sheet ready sprayed with oil and dusted with corn meal

Kneaded and resting. It had a nice smooth feel to it too.

What shapes shall I make? One big and a few small? Undecided...any suggestions anyone? Well I decided without you! Making one long and a few little rounds.

I have hope. Take a look...I cut the salt in half what I would normally put in.

There is hope! No Blob!

 I had cut down on the salt by half like I said....rising normally. Going for the egg wash and the bake next.

 A little hazy since it is thru the door. The steam is making it hard to take a picture.

Starting to look good. Turned the pan around twice. Doing the final bake stretch.

I think we have a winner! Who wants the recipe?

 

   I have finally made butter! Oh so smooth and creamy! Ever since watching Gene London show way back when I remember he made butter on his show. Took me over 40 years to get around to it but I did it and with real milk cream that I separated! Ok you peeps...who watched that show? Since I didn't have my Kitchen Aid mixer available I used a blender. My cream was sufficiently fermented. The butter rose to the top. I scooped it out into a small bowl and over the blender keep folding it over with a big spoon squeezing out the milk till it formed a small ball. Lightly salt and store in the fridge. This was a perfect partner with my new bread recipe.

The butter floats to the top.

Squeezed the milk out of the butter and made a ball.

I made butter! A little salt will do.

Buttering my bread.

Addendum: Even though I cut the salt down by half I still don't think the dough reached it's potential. I still think some flattening was going on. I did get a great tasting and looking product. When I look at the finished product I see some flattening. Not to be discouraged I think a minimum of salt will correct the issue. I am convinced that the salt air has a lot to do with the finished product not to mention the rising phase. Is there anyone else out there by the sea bake bread? I am so interested in your opinion. Please, please leave comments. Cheers everyone. I am done.....I will be making the recipe next at home. I am sure I will get a good rise there! Who wants it?


Enjoy!

Steph

 

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