Bread

Another batch of day of the dead bread. Used orange zest instead of tangerine zest, a milder taste.

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Does the zest thing work?

Yeah, very nicely. I zested 2 oranges for 500g flour, would add another half next time. For the tangerines I used 2 but they were particularly large (edit- and I used 300g flour, no wonder they tasted stronger...). An aunt recommended using orange blossom extract but I haven’t tried it.

What’s the purpose of the orange?

The main problem with homemade bread is that I baked this an hour ago. We’ve eaten half already.

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Latest loaf, in pot and out of pot.
Really happy with the tear in this one.
Just out of the oven so haven’t had a chance to slice it yet..

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At that stage where I'm missing sourdough; have my starter here, but my girlfriends flat is just too cold to do anything and I don't have either my proofing oven or Lodge combo cooker. Sad!

Is the problem with home made bread that it doesn't last very long or that it doesn't last very long?

Nice. I missed the obvious long discussion somewhere up thread about how to slash dough. What are you using?

I changed to a pair of scissors, works way better than a knife (which had me sawing the dough and frequently bottoming out in the pot, bleargh).

Longer prove?

Alternatively put the oven on the lowest setting for 10 mins to warm up a bit, turn oven off (important step here), and prove bread in warm-ish oven.

Obviously this method is not without some risk if you get it wrong.

Gives it a characteristic slightly citrusy/floral/sweet note in the nose. If anyone’s had Three Kings’ Bread, it has a similar note, but TKB tastes more toasted and is denser than Day of the Dead bread, which should be light and sweet.

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Tried oven with the light on to try and create some kind of ambient heat, but mixed results.

Brought a lame off amazon to use to score.
This is the second of about 10 loaves where I’ve actually liked the tear and felt I scored deeply and cleanly enough to get a good result. Have started scoring on an angle after hearing someone talk about it as well.

Googled ‘lame’ and nope!

However, scoring at an angle is a new one on me, will give it a go, cheers.

Agree. Slabs of french butter and the loaf is gone in a day.

I've got a bag of light spelt flour, haven't started on it yet, as been going 25-40% rye, mixed with bread flour, recently, such a good flavour, especially for toast.

Any tips for spelt? I was hoping to make a couple of smaller loaves, maybe one with cheddar and jalapeno, unsure how that would work with the spelt though.

Have you tried proofing in the oven with just the light on?

Edit: sorry I just read literally the next post that you have

Tend to find spelt is more flavoursome than wheat flour but behaves similarly to wheat. It’s no as wildly different in the way rye is a completely different thing to handle.

Cheers.

I hate working with rye but find the pay off is worth it.

Missus says this loaf tastes really good. About to make bacon sarnies with it.
Loving the holes in it.

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That looks great!

Lovely

With the changing temps I'm struggling to get my proofing times right. So I've ordered a terrarium heating mat with a temp sensor and controller plus I will be pestering the local delivery joints for a big styrofoam box. That should make a decent proofing box for about a tenth of what the Brod & Taylor proofing oven costs.

Saw a recipe for beetroot and feta bread in the Sourdough School book. It involves roasting beetroot and then making a purée to use instead of water in the dough. I had neither beetroot or feta.

Thankfully the recipe suggested using a roasted squash instead and I had a 4 or 5 kg one in my veg patch so used some of it to make the purée. Not having the feta I folded Philadelphia cheese into the loaf instead. It smells pretty fucking awesome but now having to wait for it to cool.

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Suitably yellow inside

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That looks fucking banging. I'd demolish that pretty rapid.