AnnieT's blog

How frustrating! I spent most of the afternoon figuring out how to get the pictures into the computer but now I can't manage to send them! Zounds! What is the saying about not teaching an old dog new tricks? The instruction book doesn't tell me how either. Is anyone able to give me some guidance, please? A

After a few disappointing efforts I have to report that yesterday the dough fairies were on duty. I really like the firm starter PR calls for, and as I dropped the pieces into my mixing bowl the flour flew! Next time I will be more careful. I mixed all together and left it alone for 45 minutes and then did a Mike Avery fold and left it again. The dough was already feeling good and I attempted a French fold which went pretty well. Not sure whether it is allowed to mix methods like that?

I wrote recently about being disappointed with my loaves and several kind people suggested overproofing was the problem. Katie urged me to keep trying, so today was the day - I used my starter instead of barm and spiked the final dough with instant yeast as suggested by PR. My firm starter rose nicely and stayed over night in the frig and this morning I chopped it up and left it to warm up.

Not a great success, which is frustrating as I did everything by the book - kept dashing back to check at each step. As I mentioned, the dough was great to work with and I had great hopes, but in the end there was practically no oven spring. The bread tasted good and the crust had the pretty "freckles", but there weren't many holes. My only thought is that I overproofed the loaves - I let them sit for 4 hours after coming out of the frig because that is what PR suggested. I had made batards and they rose nicely and didn't collapse when I slashed them.

Hi Katie, my dough was great so I guess I didn't goof too much with the amount of starter. It had doubled in 2 1/2 hours and was so nice to work with. I decided to leave the loaves in the frig overnight and there they sit, snugly held in place with parchment and rolled towels. It will be REALLY hard for me to let them sit for 4 hours before baking but I will try to be patient. I am so thrilled with my near-disaster bread too - it keeps fresh, and I seem to remember reading somewhere that using a preferment is the reason. I'm hooked! Can I mention the Brummie words?

Katie, I was so anxious to try using my starter instead of the barm - and already I have a question. My 4oz. of starter was less than 2/3cups. Do you think it was because my starter was revved up and more liquid? I sorta kinda split the difference and went ahead anyway - I'll let you know what happens. I am also fretting a bit about "firm French bread dough" because I have never made French bread and don't really know how firm it should be. I see PR says tacky but not sticky. Hmmmmmmmmmm. Thanks for your help, A

Weavershouse, you've blown my cover! I was born in a small place outside "Brummagam" and had no idea anyone over here would know about Brummie slang. My mother used to do what we called bread and scrape - she would spread butter VERY THINLY on the cut end of the loaf before slicing it. Guess that came from the butter being rationed during the war. Of course I had to Google the site you mentioned and sat here laughing out loud to the amazement of Boo the one eyed pug. Now she thinks I'm over the edge too like my son in Paso Robles, CA.

Last night I lay tossing and turning, doing what my late father-in-law would call "mithering" - thinking about the bread I was going to bake today, (Floyd's Daily Bread), the basic sourdough from the BBA, and wondering whether anyone has tried making ciabatta dough using a food processor. Lots of things to make my brain spin. So I was late getting going this morning and it was probably 10am when I started on the bread.

Beautiful bread, kjknits! It hadn't occurred to me to use my own sourdough starter instead of the barm, and now I can't wait to try it. I have the poolish sitting on the counter for Floyd's Daily Bread, and now this! I am getting panicky about running out of flour, and my freezer is getting full - not sure I want the family to know I am baking so much. Luckily my neighbors are always happy to take a loaf off my hands. I don't have a mixer so maybe won't get the great results you did, but I'm going to try, A