Better Bread

Last week I made a loaf of bread and it just came out awful. It didn't rise like this. There was no dome of wrap over it. It rose a bit and then it collapsed and never did rise after that. After the 18 hours of rising, it never recovered it's lightness. I thought if I baked it off, it might still rise up and be good. It certainly looked good when it came out of the oven. But D~ ended up coming to get it and told me that it was heavy, pasty and salty. Just bad. I have no idea what happened to it. All I know is, what you see here is fantastic dough. This is it after a two hour rise. It fills about half the bowl. Just what it should be doing. You can see the air pockets. The dome is high and tight. It is exciting just looking at it.



It is now over six hours into the rise, twelve more hours to go. The dough is now one inch from the top of the bowl. It probably won't get any higher. The dome is as high as it will get. See the air pockets? Perfect. Everything is perfect. I put the bowl on a towel to add to the warmth, better than on a cold counter. This will be good bread. D~ is coming this Sunday and I am sure she will have great bread.

Bread is very important to me. I used to bake bread several times a week. It is what I used to give to people as a comfort to those with hectic, turmoiled lives. Holding a loaf of homemade bread in your hands is a really healing thing. How often I used to get calls from my customers when they got home saying "You know, I couldn't resist. I started breaking off pieces as soon as I got into the car. Thank you so much!" No one ever said - that was awlful - the worst thing you could ever have given me! There is something about fresh bread, real bread, that wraps the soul in a comfort not even a blanket can achieve. I used to be a bread baker. Maybe I will become one again. After all, it is soothing to my very being as well, bringing the dough together, watching the rise, handling the dough, the smell as it cooks, and when it emerges from the bake, it speaks. It speaks for quite some time in crackles as it cools. I think more people should bake bread. The experience is wonderful

On Baking Bread

This is the raw dough in its first for ready to go into the 18 hour rising.

This is the dough after it has risen 18 hours. That saran wrap dome is very tight and isn't it beautiful!

The dough gets turned out onto the work surface and dusted with flour and coarse bran, then folded six times with a rising in between. The oven gets pre-heated for 2 hours at 500 degrees and the cast iron dutch oven goes in after the first hour. So when the boule is ready to be cooked, the cover of the dutch oven is removed and the dough is carefully put in and re-covered. Then the cooking is begun.


This is the result. I am pleased. But the next loaf, I will cook it for another ten minutes. The crust was not quite hard enough. Looks great though!


I am baking bread. A whole new method. Very interesting. The first rising is 18 hours in a glass bowl which I just happen to have. Then I created a bread canvas which will not be washed but re-used over and over if this technique works. It calls for coarse bran which I had but is a little old and I have to get some new bran. It is now baking in the oven in my cast iron dutch oven. totally fascinating. I tried to take pictures but the process of getting it from its third rising into the pot, covered and into the oven was a little awkward and I didn't get a picture. Next time. If it comes out well tonight, I will be making it again on Christmas Eve and will take pictures again.

I have made thousands of loaves of bread in my life. I have failed her in the West. Totally different atmosphere. I am going to master Portland bread this new year.

OK. The timer just went off. The loaf is out of the dutch oven. It is a beautiful color and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Can't cut into it. Too hot.

Will post later. Pray for success ~~~~~~~