Alright, alright I did say I wouldn’t mention the dreaded sourdough word again...
however as my heading suggests I am in serious trouble of falling truly, madly, heavily in love with the alchemy of this ancient of bread.
The whole shebang of feeding, coaxing, cosseting this simple life form as got me seriously excited. Is it feeding the inner cavewoman in me I idly wonder?
This was yesterday’s attempt, boy was I proud! If I’d pushed it out from my very innermost being I couldn’t have been more puffed up with pride. You have to admit even with the (maybe?) salt mishap it looks a treat.
Today after a couple of slices are gone for this morning’s toast, err, we have a little problem, Oh alright a big problem! Was it the salt content, was it the last kneading technique? I am too much of a sourdough novice to know? It tastes blooming glorious though...
Onwards and upwards, more new arrivals will be announced in the Court Circular...
would you expect anything less?
would you expect anything less?
We look forward to the next entry! Your life will be so much more boring once you master this! x
ReplyDeleteI know where I went wrong... I didn’t put my signature slash on the top! This I think would have given the air a way out AND you may be able to see that we had a bottom break out... as you do... on occasions!?! I think I am getting there slowly and enjoying every second I ought to say. Trouble is, the mistakes are strangely finding their way into and around my tum...
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I think that cavern is little more than a kneading exception. Yours or its is the question.
ReplyDeleteMore practice required. The feeding of the starter gets started again today in readiness for another go tomorrow. Then kneading a-go-go and cutting the top before baking. All of this is keeping me quiet and engaged, just like a naughty child up to no good!
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Is that the diet version?
ReplyDeleteSure is! Making more today and proving in the fridge overnight. Oh, the excitements, the girl knows no bounds!?!
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I've been baking bread since I was in my twenties (now 60) and a lot of it, and still if I don't deeply poke the top of each loaf of dough in several places with a toothpick before baking, it will always have a hole near the top. The reason for it is not pressing the air out of the dough carefully enough before and while shaping it into a loaf, but ... I press damn carefully and still! So now, teeny tiny toothpick holes are in the finished crust. But at least there are no holes inside. Good luck, don't give up! Holes or not, homemade bread's delicious. -Kate
ReplyDeleteLike you Kate i’ve been baking bread for years, this though is only a sourdough phenomenon. Yesterday’s loaf I proved overnight in the fridge as suggested by the lovely Irish guy on the youtube clip. I also this time slashed the top as he recommended, I hadn’t done until then. My knife although sharp didn’t really cut cleanly enough, he suggested a razor. That loaf hasn’t the hole, but didn’t lift nearly as much. The fridge proving I will give a miss next time, Your idea is my next move. The bottom line for me is I am totally enjoying grappling with another new skill.
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Thinking back (sourdough wasn't any different for me, by the way), for the first few breadmaking years my loaves always had holes near the top and bubbles on the crust till I finally figured out I was proofing it too long the last time. It was always 100% whole wheat flour and I was letting it raise for more than half an hour - probably an entire hour. Nowadays I let it raise in the oven for 20 minutes and then preheat the oven with the dough loaves inside it and bake it from there. Will look forward to more of your bread escapades! -Kate
ReplyDeleteThanks Kate, sourdough is so much slower to get cracking that you have to prove it a good long time. I now slash the top this seems to partly release the air. It is still early days.
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