Oven Spring

I have no idea what I did today that was so right. I was not in the least careful with my baking. The dough was not wet enough for my liking. Yet just look at the result.

Could it be the changeover to the Marriage’s flour? I do recall it as being excellent bread flour but can that be the only factor?  If it is, I am sticking with Marriage’s and eschewing the Bacheldre Watermill from now on!

My loaves have the best oven spring ever!

The crust is totally scrummy, and the bases are beautifully cooked.

For my future reference (and if I remember correctly):

• 1 kilo Marriage’s bread flour (Manitoba wheat)
• 600 ml water
• 4 tbsps sunflower oil
• 15g Dove’s Farm dried yeast (the fresh did not thaw out in time)
• 10g salt

I baked in pre-heated ceramic bakers.

Pre-mixed  in the Kenwood Chef, then “Bertineted” by hand, but not for long – it was a stiff dough and tiring to work with. I rested it under the bowl for ten minutes then kneaded again, adding the salt towards the end. Risen for 1 hr, then shaped and proved in  brotform (for the cob) and a metal loaf tin. Turned into hot stoneware, slashed and sprayed with water.

Baked at 230-ish° C (my oven is ishy in the extreme) for half an hour.

Having finally found some old-fashioned razor blades (in Tesco) last week, I fitted a new blade to my Lame today. Maybe the clean cuts helped with  the spring.

I wish that we had some nice cheese in the house. I’d love a bit of nice bread and butter and a hunk of tasty cheese for my tea.