12.202 BLT

Cycle 12 – Item 202

26 (Mon) July 2021

BLT

4.0

by me

at home

-Changgok, Sujeong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea-

with the Family

I am very pleased to report excellent progress on my homemade bread.  Following the barely edible first attempt (see 12.186 (French) Bread (Loaf)), I’ve been baking a loaf almost every other day, as fast as I can eat them, and each has shown improvement.

This is the medium 1.5-pound loaf, just the right size for our family of 4.

1st factor of success: change in flour.  Whereas the recipe book that came with the bread machine calls for all-purpose flour, many on-line recipes seemed to insist on bread flour.  Something about higher protein content (all purpose flour at 8% vs bread flour at 13%) (both Beksul brand) = more gluten = better rise, I think.

I keep forgetting to remove the kneading paddle, which doesn’t impact flavor or overall shape, but leaves a big hole in the bottom of the loaf.

2nd factor: more flour.  On-line recipes suggested that humidity might make the dough wet, thus requiring flour beyond the amount stated in the recipe.  Indeed, late July is when Korea is at its most humid.  I noticed in earlier batches that the dough was sticking to the walls rather than forming into a neat ball during the automated kneading process.  This was solved by sprinkling bits of flour onto the spinning dough, based on look and feel, sometimes as much as a tablespoon, while the dough was spinning, until it achieved a smooth texture.

I am now considering to purchase a meat slicer, partly to slice bread. 

Using the recipe for Basic White Bread: made with water + butter + sugar + salt + flour + dry milk + yeast.  If I may say so myself, it’s as good as the stuff from the bakery.  Fluffy yet firm, absolutely delicious.

My aunt gave me a box of super sweet tomatoes from her farm, which inspired me to make BLTs.

BLT is an American dish.  It’s a sandwich, usually on white sandwich bread, often toasted, typically dressed in mayonnaise and/or mustard, with bacon (B) + (iceberg) lettuce (L) + tomato (T).  While various sandwiches containing bacon and/or lettuce and/or tomato appear to date back to the early 1900s, based on recipes in cookbooks at the time, the use of the abbreviation “BLT” does not appear in popular literature until the 1970s, suggesting a relatively short history as an established dish.

While the BLT is one of my All-Time Favorite (By Me) Sandwiches, this is the first time featuring the dish on GMTD.  I was waiting for the right bread.

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

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