Baking afficionados

Sometimes baking a loaf is doomed to failure.

Yesterday I must've measured the water incorrectly when mixing my sourdough. The dough was very stiff after 60min autolyse so I took a flier and added 70g more water but as all you experts will know the extra water didn't incorporate very well. I had very little starter left so decided to stick with it and carry on .... but then I had to go out.

I packed the mixture and a sealed container of water (to wet my hands) into the car and after 30 min, stopped on the roadside and did a stretch & fold - horrible cold lumpy dough, 2 more S&Fs at 30 min intervals, then home.

Once home I put the concoction into a cooler box with a heating pad and thankfully it rose nicely and I shaped it..... got all wrinkly underneath as it was rolled into a boule :ROFL:

Into the bannetons, into the fridge ready for baking first thing this morning. Woke up to no electricity! It's still off :mad:

I will not be defeated and the under hydrated, over fermented blob is going into the oven as soon as power is restored. Will post pics if I remember o_O
 
Oooooooh, I forgot to say that after my issue with the wrong measurements yesterday I did some research and someone has come up with an ingenious solution:

If the water was measured incorrectly, add up the weight of all ingredients, then weigh your mixture. The difference is the weight of water you should add.
 
Sounds like thar time I did everything else but forgot to ever add the starter.

Needless to say you can’t easily just go add it in after the fact.

I tried though. And I still baked it regardless. It wasn’t inedible but was more like a very dense flat bread at the end of the day.

So you learn.
 
SauRoNZA said:
Sounds like thar time I did everything else but forgot to ever add the starter.

Needless to say you can’t easily just go add it in after the fact.

I tried though. And I still baked it regardless. It wasn’t inedible but was more like a very dense flat bread at the end of the day.

So you learn.
Click to expand...

Exactly :laugh:.
 
Made a couple of rhubarb apple crumbles for a get-together today . I love rhubarb season

536d0a47893e5bef05d1d263162768ec.jpg

2298385f3e0b345d5a983514dda9ea79.jpg
 
So I saw Le Creuset’s new bread oven and told myself I need to burn some money and get that at some point, because I really need an inverted Dutch oven instead of the pot I currently use.

Yesterday scratching in the “neglected/**** I’ll never use” cupboard I find this magical thing which must have been made for this exact purpose which I got from my mother some time ago when someone or other passed away.

f3932c904e9f859f2c2f176ac1406999.jpg


Couldn’t help myself and fired up the starter last night and the first result after spraying some water onto the bread and baking paper before covering was fantastic.

008502bd05b0a2048926b1aa7c9cb18e.jpg



I was very concerned heating it up and then spraying it with water, but nothing shattered so it’s all good.
 
So I saw Le Creuset’s new bread oven and told myself I need to burn some money and get that at some point, because I really need an inverted Dutch oven instead of the pot I currently use.

Yesterday scratching in the “neglected/**** I’ll never use” cupboard I find this magical thing which must have been made for this exact purpose which I got from my mother some time ago when someone or other passed away.

f3932c904e9f859f2c2f176ac1406999.jpg


Couldn’t help myself and fired up the starter last night and the first result after spraying some water onto the bread and baking paper before covering was fantastic.

008502bd05b0a2048926b1aa7c9cb18e.jpg



I was very concerned heating it up and then spraying it with water, but nothing shattered so it’s all good.
 
@SauRoNZA That looks fantastic, I've never seen one before. Can you see if it's Pyrex or what.

Very brave of you to try it in the oven with steam but WOW how lucky are you.

Also LOLZ at "someone or other passed away" :laugh:

EDIT: it was probably made to roast chicken and vegetables
 
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maumau said:
@SauRoNZA That looks fantastic, I've never seen one before. Can you see if it's Pyrex or what.

Very brave of you to try it in the oven with steam but WOW how lucky are you.

Also LOLZ at "someone or other passed away" :laugh:
Click to expand...
How does Le Creuset bread oven work?


Designed more like a traditional bread cloche, the enamelled cast iron domed lid fits tightly onto the base. This traps steam and heat inside the pot which creates the perfect environment for a crispy crust to form, and maximum rise and spring – it's the best way to simulate a bakery steam oven at home.
 
Stokstert said:
How does Le Creuset bread oven work?


Designed more like a traditional bread cloche, the enamelled cast iron domed lid fits tightly onto the base. This traps steam and heat inside the pot which creates the perfect environment for a crispy crust to form, and maximum rise and spring – it's the best way to simulate a bakery steam oven at home.
Click to expand...

How do you mean?

It’s much the same principle of trapping and generating steam inside a small cavity which then makes it rise more quickly and taller at that.

It’s just very ****ing expensive.
 
maumau said:
@SauRoNZA That looks fantastic, I've never seen one before. Can you see if it's Pyrex or what.

Very brave of you to try it in the oven with steam but WOW how lucky are you.

Also LOLZ at "someone or other passed away" :laugh:
Click to expand...

Apparently it’s a Simax.

Never heard of it before but seems like Pyrex from Czech Republic.
 
SauRoNZA said:
Apparently it’s a Simax.

Never heard of it before but seems like Pyrex from Czech Republic.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I know Simax and own a set of clear Simax coffee cups. Simax clear glass tea pots can still be found at places like Kitchenique in Woodmead.

I think the importer was a Durban company, not sure if they still bring all the products in though.
 
maumau said:
Thanks, I know Simax and own a set of clear Simax coffee cups. Simax clear glass tea pots can still be found at places like Kitchenique in Woodmead.

I think the importer was a Durban company, not sure if they still bring all the products in though.
Click to expand...

Yeah I found what appears to be more or less the same thing now, maybe just with a deeper lower half.


Apparently it’s borosilicate which is why it didn’t care about the water being sprayed onto it.

Still wouldn’t do it directly or with cold water.
 
SauRoNZA said:
Yeah I found what appears to be more or less the same thing now, maybe just with a deeper lower half.


Apparently it’s borosilicate which is why it didn’t care about the water being sprayed onto it.

Still wouldn’t do it directly or with cold water.
Click to expand...
This is the same glass as my beer making lab equipment :)

This stuff is rock solid, must be awesome to see it rise through the glass. Just dont drop it and great looking bread!
 
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