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The other evening I was watching the sweet dough episode of The Great British Bakeoff and when it got to the technical challenge (a product which the contestants don't know in advance and only basic directions are given) - Paul Hollywood's Apricot Couronne - my wife said: I WANT THAT.

This morning I downloaded the recipe

 http://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/paul-hollywoods-apricot-couronne-technical-challenge/

and made it.

Hi

I have made a number of Spelt Wholemeal loaves ranging from 100% Spelt Wholemeal flour to 50% Spelt Wholemeal and 50% Canadian Strong White flour.

On a bnumber of occassions the loaf has emerged from the oven with a "flat" or "flattened top crust. Can anybody enlighted me  as to what is happening ?

I like good bread.  This is not good bread.  This is seriously good bread!  And I like it a lot.

This is Hamelman's Potato Bread with Roasted Onions.  It's a rustic bread featuring a preferment, roasted potatoes, and roasted onions.  While the photography isn't anything to write home about, the bread is.

I started out to see what the keeping qualities and crumb structure of a YW /SD combo levain and a straight YW levain would be compared to a SD levain bread.  I figured that if YW alone couldn’t supply a decent keeping quality and was better in combination with SD for this while still mellowing the sour and providing YW’s unique crumb structure - there was no sense making a straight YW bread if you could get the benefits of it and still get the SD keeping quality with a combo levain.

The only twist was to add a scant 1/4 tsp of instant yeast after I added the salt to the top of the dough.  Ken Forkish recommends using a little commercial yeast for increased volume and a more open crumb.  Check on both points!

Yesterday my goal was to start the task of revitalizing my sourdough starter which had spent most of the summer in the fridge being ignored. I know it makes me a bad sourdough mom, but it's coming together now that there's snow on the ground and I hunt for reasons to keep my oven on!

An experiment with pluses and minuses. The original formula was posted here:http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/28855/spelt-beach. There weren't really any directives  . I mixed the levain and it was gang busters when it grew ! I subbed my active raisin yeast water for all the water and used my rye wild yeast. I had to refrigerate it after only 6 hrs as it was already doubled. I didn't want it too sour.

Yesterday I decided to bake some bread, so I took out my sourdough starter from the fridge in the morning gave it some flour and water twice during the day and let it ferment over night.

I would like to post the sequence of my labour today but can't find how to post more photos.

Found this recipe lurking around on this site and just had to try it. IT'S PERFECT!!! Quick, easy and a delightful companion for my home made chicken soup.

My picture shows four subjects, the bread ready to go in the oven, the bread just out of the oven, the bread torn by hand into pieces and the soup it went so well with.

I will have to stock up on flour as I envision myself finding many more recipes to try!

     I thought a baguette would really be a nice true first foray into true "baking" for myself.  All of the time I hear! I don't bake from people.  I am a little shocked at how loose the term bake is used.  I can make cookies, banana breads, and other recipes in the oven. I wanted more depth.  I mean baking that requires thought, technique, and skill.  I love the beauty and texture of good bread.  It is like art.  Perhaps, this is a way I can be creative and artistic to create something pleasing to both the palate and the eyes.