Bread

I store it the same way. The issue is more that the crust is just very thin (more of a skin) and goes from crispy to flexible within an hour. I want to get that nice thick layer of crust that stays chewy/crunchy.

Is the oven temperature accurate?

No idea. I'm tempted to get a digital thermometer with a probe. Need one for the BBQ anyway...

I had similar issues when we moved house. New oven = new method.

We have an ikea oven that's underpowered. I have to run it on full whack to get any crust at all. When I bake I do:

• Turn oven on 45 minutes before baking, full heat, fan on, with cast iron pot in
  
• Pot out, bred in pot, lid on, pot back in, still full heat and fan on
  
• After 15 minutes I take the lid off and turn off the fan
  
• Remove bread when it's 99°C inside (measure with thermapen) usually after another 30 mins or so
  
  

If the crust isn't dark enough, I open the oven door a few times to let the heat escape so the heating elements have to turn on again, increasing the temp in the over for a little while

That's very similar method to me.

Preheating for long enough is essential to a decent crust and oven spring

Nice one. I'll try something similar.
New-ish oven here as well so haven't really learned how it behaves thoroughly.

Cheers for the tips everyone.

I've got one of these. It's good (if a little extravagant).

(Although obviously you can't put it in the oven to measure the ambient temperature but rather you stick it into things to see how how they are.)

https://thermapen.co.uk/

I see they are even making them with a Brexit union jack livery.

Already have one ;)

Excellent :)

If anyone else is after a Thermapen I got mine on ebay for £17 I think. Dead cheap as it was last years colour, as if that matters when it's gray...

That's the exact one I got. I live the little calibration certificate it comes with...
Haven't fucked up a steak since.

How do people convert grams of dried yeast in recipes in to the weight of yeast starter used?
I currently don't have kitchen scales and have to blag it

1 table spoon full to half a bag of flour, means today Focaccia was a little chunky

I am Photobucket and you owe me 400 dorrah...

Fixed!

First white loaf in a while

Been a year since I've baked sourdough, two house moves and a sprog later but the starter I was given by @pharoahsanders is still alive and breathing.

I'm midway through fitting our kitchen, it had to be twin hide & slide ovens, one to prove, one to bake!

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You got an oven just to prove bread?!
I'm just getting by with one of these:

Supernice. I am actually in Mumbai at the start of a three month assignment here so I think it will just be flatbreads for me for a while!

Ha, not just to prove, having two ovens is a useful luxury for all sorts of reasons, my Yorkshire puds don't get disturbed for starters!
Most of my bread proves at room temp or in the fridge overnight but it is nice to add an element of control on the timings.
Kudos for using your portable cooker, we've been living in a building site for a while and I really missed a big oven.

I sort of figured -it must be really useful!
I live in a rented apartment and it didn't come with a built-in oven, so I bought the biggest portable oven I could find. Sadly it doesn't get much hotter than 180-200 degrees.

This gets a lot hotter.
We're on our second one (sadly they don't last forever) but will always buy. The heat seems really well balanced and though the interior height might be an issue I'd still investigate if it's available in the UK.
http://www.panasonic.com/ca/consumer/home-appliances/kitchen-appliances/toaster-ovens/nb-g110.html

200°c is fairly low, I tend to follow the Tartine method so 250° preheat dropping to 230 when the loaf goes in. I can seriously recommend these ovens, the more use the happier I am.

Only had a quick look at your link, I see it's infrared... can you make crusty bread in one of these...?

Sounds nice - though I can't find it on any european websites.

Indeed it is - but I'd rather not invest in an expensive oven for our current rental apartment.