Bread

Walnut bread, used the following recipe

500 g strong bread flour – mixture of white and wholemeal
1.5 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp sea salt
50 g olive oil
250 g water
100 g walnuts weighed without shells

Ingredients assembled in food processor using dough setting. Given over 2 hours to prove, and then 35 minutes at 200C. Bread is a little cakey. What would the hive mind suggest to improve the recipe?

How's the crust? If it's solid, my guess would be that it locks in all moisture, esp as you have nuts in there as well adding to it. Lower heat + longer?

I'm pretty sure that starters are a little more resilient than that - assuming you're not storing it in the engine bay.

Even grey boozey starters can be refreshed with a day or two of feeding.

Crunchy, will try lower heat and longer

Mine has started to bubble somewhat, rise once, then separate and stink, then slow down to no activity whatsoever

Tesco with a proper bakery will give you free live yeast.

kboy will post you some in the new year, will play at drying some and bringing it back to life over christmas.

More proving, knock it back and let it prove then double in size again.

^^ Awesome, thank you!

I've read about people drying starter out to crackers that are easy to bring back to life, so shouldn't be too hard i don't think

I have two quite active starters, so will feed a few times in 24hours. Then overfeed the starter twice the normal amount and half the usual starter. Then spread all the starter on tin foil in a hot kitchen to dry out. Leave it for two weeks and see if it will revives in water and feed. If it lives will send some to you and others.

Chocottone, phase II complete

Testing in 10 minutes

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A machine of convenience has arrived....

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Speciality Raisin

Breadmachines are gateway machines....as soon you will become a bread experimentalist. Save time and go sour dough now.

@inchpincher was looking for some sourdough starter, so I shared some with him and took the opportunity to have another go.

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Nice crumb!

Thanks again @pharoahsanders, I'm a couple of feeds in and will start on a loaf tomorrow. Yours looks epic sir, enjoy.

Well pleased with that one, though last thing I need is more carbs in my life. Secretly hoping the young 'uns will devour it before I get home.

Just inhaled half this loaf made with @pharoahsanders starter, not pure sourdough but rested overnight in the fridge and proved this morning. Nomnomnomnom.

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Looks like a good result!

This weekend's effort is about to get devoured with some baked Vacherin Mont d'Or cheese, vegetables and salad. I had been making sourdough just with white bread flour, though this time used 75% bread flour and 25% wholemeal. I think I shall be sticking to this going forward.

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I need to eat before I check this thread.

Mix in some rye or spelt ;)

Is it me or do you bubbles look a bit big?

This a question to me? I wondered that at first but as I went through the loaf there were fewer big air pockets in the middle. I have had some that over-proved and the centre collapsed from the top crust, but that wasn't the case here.

Some amazing looking bread here. I need to get another starter going...

Years ago, whilst staying in Lanzarote I had some bread that had a hint of aniseed to it, it was the best bread I've ever tasted - went nicely with marmalade too!

Anyone know if anything like that is available in London, or a recipe perhaps?