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here is today's loaf!  it turned out well.  I made the french loaf from "The bread breakers apprentice" but tried the stretch and fold technique instead of kneading.  It worked;  I was amazed.  I put the dough in the fridge overnight and shaped them cold on the counter.  I had a hard time getting them off the counter.  I cooked it at 500 (by accident, forgot to turn it down to 450 when I put the loaves in) with steam.

My love affair with my 50 year old GE Hotpoint 40" range has been, literally, on and off these past few weeks. 

This was another white bread with a small amount of whole rye flour.  I’ve started to enjoy the simple shaping of a boule.  Actually, as they say in the commercial, ‘I’m lovin it.’ It does not require much intense planning or attention to details.   Processing of this type of bread is quite soothing, especially at the end of a long day, to an exhausting body and mind.   My original plan was to make baguettes but it was running late so I switched to a boule instead.

I love this site!  After taking the lessons, I can FINALLY make decent bread. 

So now I'm experimenting.  I added one T. beet powder to my favorite white bread recipe. 

Can any of you breadheads* out there tell me why my beet bread isn't PINK in the center?  It isn't even white.  It's brown, like whole wheat!  Only the crust is PINK.  Here's a photo:

Thanks,

Deb

*so called with much respect and admiration

After seeing the fabulous Monkey Bread that Txfarmer posted about here, I had to try my own version.  I have to say that hers runs circles around mine- especially as far as the photography, but we enjoyed it.

First of all, I'd like to say this:

Now that thats out of the way:

I watched some of the videos linked to from this site.  cool.  I know from my reading and experience that I tend to have bread that is not "wet" enough.  

Watching this video:  http://www.sourdoughhome.com/stretchandfold.html, I am really amazed that this technique gives well kneaded bread.  What is it about this technique that works?  I don't see how the gluten can develop using this method!  Amazing.

Hej

Being a newbie I hope I am in the right forum.

When my bread comes out off the oven it has  a nice crispy crust,  after the bread has cooled down the crust goes soft

Any help will be appreciated

take care

Knud

This is my first bread made from the "Bourke Street Bakery" book. The book introduces a basic white flour white starter dough, then add various ingredients to it. In this case, it's toasted hazelnuts (yum! I am on a hazelnut kick lately, can't get enough of it), a mixture of currants and raisins (I like that combo, it's better than just currants or raisins alone), and a bit of rye starter to add some tang. In the basic dough, the white starter ratio is fairly high, which is probably why the bulk rise was only 2 hours. The dough was then shaped and put in the fridge to proof overnight.

Well I had to throw out my sourdough starter again today because it was dead.  This is starting to get frusterating.  My first starter I was able to get a loaf out of and before I could test out another loaf, I wake up to find flies in the starter and the lid off!  ARG!!  So that same day, I start up a new batch and after a week, it smelled of mildew.  I am VERY determined to make it work this time...No matter what it takes.