The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

No bannettons, no dutch oven, my favourite quarantine bread

Uzbek's picture
Uzbek

No bannettons, no dutch oven, my favourite quarantine bread

I am so excited to have this turn out exact same three times in a row (after 1st disastrous attempt), having never done SD bread before. Looks like I start feeling how it works

alisa c's picture
alisa c

looks awesome! i also don't have a do or a banneton or a lame for that matter. lol. how are you cooking it? 

Uzbek's picture
Uzbek

I just shape batards, then rest on a makeshift couche made of heavily dusted linen towel, the way recipes for baguettes call for, but leaving the rolling part, so they are short, seam side up, one hour later move to a baking sheet, seam down, score with a sharp razor, heat oven to 245C with a cast iron skillet in the bottom, to which I pour half cup boiling water seconds before I put sheet in, 15 minutes later let steam out (if any water left on the skillet, then remove skillet too), then reduce temp to 230C, rotate the sheet for even bake. At the end I turn batards upside down for another 5 minutes to have bottoms brown (they are light coloured when I bake this way). So it is 15 minutes with steam at 245, 15 minutes without at 230, and 5 minutes upside down at 230.

newchapter's picture
newchapter

I don’t think I would have thought to flip the lid upside down, to brown the bottom.  Clever!

I had a loaf like that, recently.  A boule.  I just stayed sad about my loaf with the anemic looking underside.  I should have flipped it over.

That’s probably why I don’t do very many boules.  I like my Italian baguette pans, because they’re perforated & the bread always comes out brown, all they way around.

newchapter's picture
newchapter

That crumb looks glorious!

Uzbek's picture
Uzbek

Oh yeah, and delicious too )))

Artur77's picture
Artur77

Beautiful photos, I almost feel the aroma and taste of this bread!