bread for Les Hearth Bread and Flatbread Discuss bread for Les in the Brick Oven Cooking forums; This is for Les, I couldn't figure out how to send him a picture in a PM! Sorry to all ...

[egalecki]

This is for Les, I couldn't figure out how to send him a picture in a PM! Sorry to all the rest of you, but if you like to bake, you can follow along...

Well, I made the bread- I can't figure out the BP on it because of the way she makes the sponge- since you don't use it all, there's an unknown amount of flour and water you don't use. And I'm NOT a math whiz...Anyway:

I used 24 oz of water and 15 oz of flour to 2 oz of starter- which in weighed amounts is her 3c water, 3 c flour and 1/4c starter. This morning I measured out 2 1/2 c (I just used the measuring cups, since I wasn't sure what it should weigh) of the sponge and added 12.5 oz of flour. I used the mixer and the dough hook- autolyzed it for 30 minutes, added the salt (2 tsp) and mixed it a little more- maybe 2 minutes. It was a really sticky dough, but I think the reason you haven't had good holes is because she tells you to add flour until you get a workable dough- if you stop at 12.5 oz and scrape it into an oiled bowl, you can fold it twice at about 45 minute intervals and get a workable dough then. That's what I did. Then I turned it out onto a floured surface, divided it in two, flattened them a bit and folded them sort of letter-style, placing them on parchment paper to rise. I covered them up so they didn't dry out (I use a big plastic bag), let them rise for another hour and baked them until they hit 205 in the center- it was probably 15-20 minutes.

I did have to bake inside today, it was raining, but I used my unglazed tiles in the reg. oven with a pan in the bottom for steam, cranked it up to 500, loaded the bread, steamed twice at 1 minute intervals and left it for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes I put in my temperature probe and just let it go until it was 205 inside. I got pretty good color and what I think are pretty good holes. That's Wilson's hand there in the picture...

If you can't follow me at all, I'm sorry- I'm in sort of a hurry to get to my daughter's first college soccer scrimmage...

[Les]

Thanks Elizabeth, I will try your way the next time I fire the oven. It's easier to go by weight. BTW, your bread looks great. Mine did not have nearly the holes you are showing.

Thanks!!

Les...