Bread

That’s interesting. I stopped putting a tray of water in entirely a few loaves back because it made no difference - but back then I was baking it in a pot - just doing the last 15 mins lid off.
Now, I do 30 mins in the pot with a lid on, 15 on a rack -which gives me a good loaf but still has the same papery, powdery crust.
This last loaf was slightly glossy and the crust was crunchier. So I guess I try more goes with wheat flour and get some steam back into the oven.
Cheers...

I love that no knead recipe and apart from the fact that it doesn't add nearly enough salt for me, it's otherwise perfect - I think the 18 hour prove really adds to the flavour.

However I cannot work out for the life of me how to get that loaf off the teatowel into the scalding hot dutch oven without half the damn thing sticking to the towel. I'm using enough flour, I think, but during that second prove it expands so much that at least some of the wet dough ends up getting stuck. Any ideas? Is rice flour an answer?

Rice flour makes a difference to handling, yes.

I got a big bag of it from Patel’s in Tooting High St then realised it was too coarse (more like semolina) to be useful, so I bought a small bag of Doves Farm to get me by.
I’ve since realised it comes in different grades, so will check out the Natco brand again.

I use baking parchment to stop sticking these days. I haven’t been baking the no-knead loafs in a pot because it’s never been necessary in my oven. Tip the dough out and shape it, pop it on a square of baking parchment for the second prove, then just lift the whole thing onto a hot metal tray.

For years I’ve religiously oiled and looked after a large plain steel paella dish which I bake directly on, but it does occasionally catch and the loaf will literally be bonded to the surface. It’s been a long time since I used my banneton, just remember it needed a huge amount of flour to stop it sticking. A lot of these things, I find, can amount to quite a lot of work and washing up on top of the actual baking.

If you re-use and re-flour the tea towel over and over, it should eventually stick less, in the same way that a seasoned banneton does? Or switch to a proper banneton? The start of lockdown 2 is probably not the best time to be looking for one, but they're only about a tenner.

Yeah mine are always done pretty much the same way, although I just take the lid off for the last 10/15 mins - I stopped putting the tray of water in because I wasn't sure it made any difference but after that the crusts were definitely thicker & tougher...

There's probably a difference in the bread mix / flour / starter too - I always wonder just how much difference these things make, I find if I let the second prove go longer than about an hour at room temp the results suffer but others using the same recipe can leave it longer without any Ill effects - it's a yeasty lottery...

I always use a bit of baking paper as a sling too, clean & easy

Awesome. I'll buy some of both. I'm glad to know a banneton isn't worth it, I've been really tempted but if it didn't work perfectly I'd feel like I'd be better off with a bowl and some flour/parchment paper.

Thanks both. Some lovely breads on the last few pages!

IMO a banneton is definitely worth it; it just takes a little while to season (I don't wash it between uses - just shake the loose flour off and let it air out).

Today’s effort

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I didn't actually realise that the tea towel was meant to be seasoned - I'd wash it each time. That could be the prob. If tis parchment thing doesn't work out I'll give the banneton a bash. Appreciate it.

Today’s load was over proofed. Flat as a pancake.

I’m going to go for 12 hour proof as opposed to the 15 hours it’s had today

Just tried this, tastes good!
I had some wholemeal flour in that I need to use up, and I popped some bicarb in the water as well.
Much success though.

nice, thought it was a well fired loaf, then zoomed in : )

Cool, right!

The recipe doesn't ask for bicarb in the water, which seems wrong to me but I was after Beigel Bake specifically, so who am I to argue. He explains it by saying the starch in the water ends up glazing subsequent beigels. I still haven't gotten round to my third/thicker attempt. Going to try plain water first. But may give some bicarb a go in future.

It has always been a tradition for my wife (whose family tree goes back via East End Jews) to get beigels from there on Christmas Eve to have for breakfast on Christmas Day (she's not strictly Jewish but has some cultural affoliation - loves a bacon beigel). So I'm trying to get it right before then as I doubt we'll be making the trip this year what with all the 'rona.

Ha! Yep poppy seeds

I have started making bran muffins using the bran sifted out from the flour after milling. A really nice way to use up a potential waste product. Though I have otherwise taken to rolling loaves in the bran or adding it to yoghurts.

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I generally do all my handling with slightly wet hands and bench scraper. Then use 1/3rd rice flour to 2/3rd plain flour in a shaker and only just before the banneton/loaf tin. With a slight dusting on my peel to get it onto my pizza steel.

I find using any more rice flour in the mix makes the crust stick to my teeth. Also makes my rice flour go further. It feels really absorby when you touch the flour too.

I also never fully clean my banneton and leave it floured so it builds up a bit of a ‘seasoning’.

• Missed this page before I replied.
  
  

So simple yet excellent.

Made a baby boule with cheddar rolled through it to eat while my loaf cooled after reading this.

Thank you.

Glad it helped

Closer

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Then use 1/3rd rice flour to 2/3rd plain flour in a shaker

I think this is why I've had disastrous efforts using flour to avoid sticking - I don't use a shaker. I just sprinkle it on. That won't work, will it, it'll leave gaps.

Right, back to the old baking board!

Flax seeded malted spelt and rye

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I tried these this evening but misread the timings which didn't help things. The dough was very dry for me, almost like pastry. Is that similar to you?

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Not dry here, but I have been adding the flour gradually and stopping when I think it's about right.

Still not happy with the texture though. Next effort will try more kneading. Even though the recipe doesn't call for it.