I'm doing loaf #5 this week and am out of bread flour too . #4 was made with all purpose and looked beautiful ..tasted good but wasn't as rustic as the bread flour ...had smaller holes and tasted more like just a dense bread .OTOH if you wanted a sandwich stuff wasn't going to fall thru the holes .
Still trying to figure out how to keep bread crusty and not dried out ..Put a nice loaf in a plastic bag and lost all my nice crunch .Maybe the answer is just to eat it all in one sitting and make more :P
That is the answer….lol!
I have no way of keeping it crusty for more than say 8 hours, even then it’s not so good. That said, it is a long way from stale and is fine for sandwiches or toasting. You can just pop a 1/2 eaten loaf back in the oven for 10 mins or so, much like pizza sometimes it’s better. You can try various glazes too, but I find just plain water is best, or nothing at all. The important bit is the ice or water in bottom of the oven when it comes to crust - but make sure you release the steam 8/10 mins before end so it crisps.
I tend to cook mine so it’s ready and still slightly warm right when we eat dinner. You know your bread is good when the family want the bread more than the dinner!
Off out to try to track some yeast down………got flour now and no yeast! grr!
For my loaf bread, I typically, slice the entire loaf and put 1/2 in freezer as soon as possible. Then when needed, take out of freezer and pop into a toaster, less time than normal toast for almost as good as fresh using this method.
My sourdough starter seems to be acting up. I started it 5 days ago with flour and yeast. It’s sitting beside an always-on hot water unit. I left it sitting for 24hrs. Day 2 produced bubbles. Each day for next 3 days, I would pour out half and feed it 1:1 flour and water. Saw bubbles but this morning I didn’t see any bubbles. So I decide to feed it again and see what happens tomorrow.
I heard it can take from 7 days to 2 weeks to see the starter rise. There’s always a layer of liquid hootch on top which I pour out before feeding. Should I keep feeding it daily and wait longer? I read depending on conditions that it might take longer?
Stick with it for a while - it probably bubbled more at first because of the yeast.
Basically when I feed mine it bubbles up over say 14 hrs, then eases off until morning it’s less active.
If it doesn’t wake up put 1/4 of a potato (not huge) in the bottom. These things take time , and different temps etc make it hard to say what the reaction will be like.
I notice in the photo previous you had flour, is it bread flour, or general flour? this will have an effect I’d imagine, it does in actual bread, less gluten.
Maybe don’t change it for a couple of days - it has to go ‘sour’ maybe it’s being replaced to quickly whilst it’s still starting up.
This afternoons offerings, since it’s BBQ time I had to make some rolls, but that baton is the mutts nuts!
! <a target=‘_blank’ href=‘https://imgbb.com/’ !
Okay great tips and didn't know about the potato part. I started 2 new starter batch and will leave it alone and check every 24 hrs this time. I even put it next to the portable heater.
Oh and here's my first attempt at baking. I decided to try Focaccia bread. It's got garlic, thyme, basil, oregano and a sprinkling of cheese. I think I'll let it poof longer as it's just a little bit too dense but still has the foamy bubbly texture to it. I think I should of left it in the oven a little longer as it looks quite pale.
Well done, it may not be prefect, but it is a loaf! and I’m sure you enjoyed it.
It’s hard to tell, but it’s defo undercooked.
To tell if it’s cooked, tap the bottom - it should sound like a sort of hollow drum sound, which kinda resinates…ish
If you don’t hear that clearly (and it will be clear when it’s right) , it’s not cooked. The dough is soaking up the sound.
Cook for no less than 25 mins on 200deg c (uk) - preheat the oven for at least 20 mins too.
On your next loaf I want to see a crust the colour of the one above lol - apparently, they say you should see 3 colours - black, dark golden brown and a bit of pale white.
I've been into making pizza about 10 years now. Have been using the same sour dough starter since i started. Numerous stones, ovens... I make what i call a " NEO-NY" style pizza. Thin and cooked at high temps, around 2-3 minute bake. 10oz of dough stretches out to about 12-14" pizza.
OOOOOhhhh nice! I love making pizza too, it’s so easy and quick - mouthwatering! My trouble is I can’t stop eating it, and often end up with indigestion later………
Well done Hank , improvements there for sure these are pure sourdough right? I hope you enjoyed them
Keep at it - I promise you, it is a struggle at first and it feels like you’ll never get it 100% right - but you will. (and it don’t really matter so long as you enjoy it)
I still don’t think it’s cooked enough though. Blacken the next one a tiny bit (not all over lol). Over cook rather than under cook, if it’s a bit raw it’s not good for you, overcooked = more crust but no belly ache !
Also don’t forget to slit your loaf before cooking! It will help stop that cracking type effect on top.
Very very nice! is that a dutch oven I see there? I have never used one/had one , what’s it like?
Oh and Donuts……….I have been thinking about making those for a while now, maybe today is the day they look yummy!
And Croissants too! I’d like to be your neighbour! I have never attempted those……
thanks! yep, it’s a dutch oven. Its heavy :P, but helps keep the steam in. But I’ve got very good results without using one and just placing a tray with boiling water in the oven. then again, I’ve got a very ideal stone oven which works excellent for bread, pizza and anything alike
For the donuts I used this recipe and they taste devine (I skip the lemon zest though): donut recipe
and yea croissants… I’ve been dissapointed with the croissants from local bakeries for a while now, so this quarantine was the ideal time to try and make them. They came out great, but I’ve had trouble replicating the results… very finicky
lol - apparently, they say you should see 3 colours - black, dark golden brown and a bit of pale white.
(and it don’t really matter so long as you enjoy it)
they look yummy!