Hi..im relatively new to breadmaking and am getting a bit nervous about what I need and dont need. Firstly, can anyone clarify for me what the consistency of durum flour should feel like. Is it slightly grainy like caster sugar or silky like normal flour? Is the colour yellow or more cream?
Also, I do not have a baking stone or a peel. Is it ok to use an upturned baking sheet? Also, what about the bannetons. I would love to get one but am gathering other goodies right now so is a cane basket appropriate or even a tea towel lined stainless steel bowl? Does anyone know of any good flour suppliers in Australia. I am in WA.
Thanks!!
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A tea towel lined bowl (or basket) will be just fine, make sure the tea towel is clean and liberally dusted with flour (forum members use wheat, rye and rice flour depending on their preference and availability). Cane baskets without the tea towel may have too many crevices for the dough to get stuck in, depending on the type of basket you have. The other thing you could try is to use the tea towel as a couch - lay it on a tray, dust with flour and then lay the loaves on it and separate them with a fold of the tea towel. Finally you can lay baking parchment on a baking tray (or cornmeal, semolina etc) and just proof the loaf on that, then slide it onto your baking tray or put the proofing tray directly into the oven. The bread will probably spread a little more as it proofs so will be a little flatter than if proofed in a bowl. Remember to cover the dough while it proofs (unless you have a particularly humid environment).
Baking sheets don't have the ability to give the dough a good shot of heat, but you'll still be able to bake fine bread.
I assume you're using durum flour because you have a recipe calling for it, I don't use it so can't give you any advice on it sorry.
Matthew