Here are the results of my latest baking effort. I posted these photos on my earlier post but I thought they might get missed and I would like some feedback.
My self criticism list encompasses the following:
I didn't get any colour on the top even though my (shoddy) oven was turned up to the highest it would go.
The dough wanted to split where it was shaped on the bottom:
I would like a more open crumb.
I think I underproved (despite the palid crust).
I reduced my kneading time and used the method suggested by Wild Yeast for the Norwich Sourdough but the dough mix was a different recipe (as described in my previous post) because I can't weigh things accurately.
Any comments, hints, suggestions greatfully recieved.
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Replies
Absent the colour, I think it looks good. Why do you think you underprofed it? What's the bread taste like?
Don't be so hard on yourself, you are doing the best you can, for what equipment you have. If you are happy with the way it looks and tastes, then so be it... You will always get better just by getting more experience.
To me the bread looks great. You got great oven spring, a pretty good looking crumb. The oven is not your fault. You need to practice more with 'shaping' so you don't have the creases. Those are splits from baking, they are there because of lack of proper shaping. Look on you tube for "shaping bread dough" here's a link for you...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=45z18TtFijU
The video will show you how to roll a batard and boule
Take care
Hi HopesHope
Thanks for your comment. I'm still playing around with my bread and I have fun with it which as you say is good enough. I would like to get a more consistant result but it's hard with the resources I have at the moment. I looked for some scales at the supermarket when I went to town earlier this week but there weren't any.
I would like some more colour on my loaves and a nice crunchy blistered crust but I think I might have to wait until I stay here long enough to build myself a wood fired stove. Or else convince the pizzeria to let me cook my bread in their pizza oven.
Happy baking.
P.S. I've waited it out long enough now to have watched the video. I feel a little disheartened rather than encouraged. Wouldn't a nice work surface be nice, and a dough scraper, a banneton, semolina... sigh. No the really demoralising thing is I think that my flour is simply not really up to it - with or without weevils (see other thread for more on that subject) - I can't get a nice 'skin' and I can't get the dough to seal. I suspect the gluten content of my flour is not particularly high. Never mind.