"Boron Elgar" > wrote in message
...
> So, I have been going against my usual free-wheeling baking and
> playing with (gasp) weights and recipes (There! I've said it!) and
> been unhappy with the results. Why I have not been successful, I am
> not sure, unless these two particular recipes that I have been playing
> with are, themselves, flawed in some way that my gram-challenged mind
> just does not see.

The problem with weights and recipes, is that they can't take into
consideration the air in your kitchen, nor the exact composition of the
flour you are using. I believe that is why 'going by feel' is the best way,
which is why, you and I get better results by so doing.


> Ok, I said to hell with it this weekend and just made dough in my
> usual way...my sight and touch. As both of the above recipes called
> for, I used both a well-refreshed starter/levain and yeast. I happened
> to have fresh yeast in the house (thank you, Bread Faeries) and used
> that. I mixed the levain, yeast, flour, water and salt in the Kenwood
> with the dough hook a bit, then plopped it into a large bowl and did a
> few stretch and folds over the course of an hour. Then into the fridge
> overnight.
>
> This was a relatively high hydration dough. It could not be handled
> without oiling, flouring or moistening the hands or cradling it with
> flour on the mat. Messy, but shapeable. 65% - 70%, I'd say.

Heh, you have more patience than I do Just too messy for me

> I got goofy and carried away in all the shaping, though. I say this,
> as I injudiciously made long thin loaves for the most part,
> necessitating that they go at an angle on the baking stone. Only two
> fit at a time. Damn shame I wasn't thinking well enough in advance to
> have tucked some of the loaves back into the fridge. No real harm done
> other than my slashes did not blossom out as fully as I would have
> liked on some of the later loaves. And that damn oven just wasn't wide
> enough and a few loaves have an interesting curve or two.

Pah, who needs standard loaves <g>

> Oh, I also made a couronne and a couple of epis - never played with
> those before.
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/2564880...7623433991586/

Looks great) Well done!

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