First miche and 2nd sourdough loaf
After a long time being intrigued by artisan bread baking, I finally decided to give it a go. I think I got it from my father, but I usually dive in head first and think "go big or go home."
Last weekend, after experimenting a little bit with my sourdough starter I decided to pick up a copy of BBA and start baking...with the Poliane-style miche. Other than not using the high-extraction flour (did a 50/50 bread + whole wheat mix) I made no modifications and I'm fairly pleased with how it turned out. Of course, you guys are the experts, so please let a newbie know what you think! Personally, one of the best tasting breads I've had in a while. 3 days after baking and I'm amazed at how the flavor has changed and gotten even more complex!
Here's a shot of the miche right after shaping it into a boule:
The scoring (just a bought a lame, so hopefully it will improve quite a bit)
Right out of the oven...I think maybe it should be a little darker? The lighting is a little off..probably something to do with my iPhone:
A close-up of the crust and crumb:
Miche cross-section:
I've really only been baking on the weekends, but hopefully I can find a way to work in some bread baking around my weird work schedule during the week so I can post more often.
Cheers!
Comments
Ever heard that line about needing to spend 10,000 hours at something before you really become proficient? Well, I've heard that we've got to bake around 600 loaves before we really get rolling in the matters of dough. That means I've got about four more years before I can start to take my self seriously. In the meantime, I keep learning the craft and having fun at it so it's all good.
If you have the time, check out the Madison Farmers Market on weekends. There was a NYT article on a really hardcore baker that showed up at the market with lots of loaves and made many customers into regulars with the quality of his breads. If he's still in business, you'll find inspiration and motivation from observing and tasting the loaves. Remember, as long as your baking is fun, it won't be work.
Hi
Whilst what PG says is quite correct (especially where baguettes are concerned) your shaping and final loaf look great - particularly for a first attempt. I hope you enjoyed the flavour.