Save a loaf that stuck to the proofing bowl
Hello!
I've made a few naturally leavened loaves of bread before, and each time I have tried something different. This time, I followed this recipe from RootSimple:
http://www.rootsimple.com/2007/03/sourdough-recipe-1-the-not-very-whole-wheat-loaf/
I don't have a proper proofing basket, so I shaped the boule, dusted it with flour, and placed it into a ceramic bowl lined with parchment. I let it sit at room temperature for about 2 hours, and now I can tell that the dough is sticking to the parchment. I know that when it's time to bake the bread and I flip the bowl over, the outside of my loaf is going to stick to the parchment, and when I peel the parchment away it's going to take some dough with it and the entire loaf with "unravel" and become flat focaccia. This has happened before.
I know people could answer with what I should do better next time (More flour, stiffer dough, more kneading, et cet...), but that's not the answer I'm looking for. The question I have is, "What do I do NOW?" Do I take the loaf out, re-knead and shape it, and place it back in the bowl? Can I place it into a rectanglular loaf pan, let it rise, and bake it in that? I'm hoping to let it rise overnight and bake it tomorrow morning.
You won't be able to save the loaf if you try and peel the parchment away. I would bake it parchment side down. The paper will detach from the loaf as it cooks and your bread will come out fine. Try and give it a score before you place it in the oven. Either use a dutch oven if you have one to bake it in, or on a stone if you have one (add steam), or in the rectangular loaf pan.. just add steam if you're not covering the loaf in a dutch oven. It will all work out in the end. Enjoy the bread and experience.. it's all part of the journey! Bake happy.. bread1965!
Thank you bread1965! I hadn't thought of that before. I did a sort of "feasability test" by lifting parchent and loaf out of the bowl to see what happened. When I set it on the counter, the loaf seemed to hold its shape, just with paper stuck to the sides I'll try this and take photos and post them tomorrow.
that is... let the dough proof in a parchment lined basket and just transfer; pick up the proofed loaf by the corners of the parchment and set it on a baking sheet. Then into the oven. Cut off rude extending corners if you want to. The parchment corners are easy to grab and rotate the loaf quickly half way through the bake. Works well in mini ovens. :)
This certainly reassures me! I get bread-induced anxiety when something doesn't go as the textbook says.
Here are photos of the final result. To bake, I simply grabbed the edge of the parchment paper and lifted the entrie loaf out of the bowl and into a pre-heated cast-iron skillet. Overall, it was a little dense, but I don't think that is becuase of the parchment transfer. The denseness probably was caused by my young starter or the whole wheat. Despite the density, it has a nice chew and springs back when I bite into it!
...and the house elves already bit into the lower corner! :)