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I was alone in the house this Sunday with nothing to do, my thoughts automatically turned to making bread. But what bread? There's not much stuff in the pantry and I want to enjoy the bread on the same day when my parents arive. I also want a bread like "that bread from that nice lady at the end of that narrow alley" you know what I mean. Days before I've been pondering about the wonderful world of street food; how quick, easy and convenient it is delivered to you and how delicious and varied they are; opening my own food cart someday or just going on a street food trip.

Today was one of those days I will always remember.  Nearly right up there with getting married, the birth of The Baby and anything else I can remember.  I got to see my pizza dough being prepared and baked in a wood fired oven by a real pizza master - Niecco Capone of Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana.

I dont know how I should classify this bread, either as a sourdough, a yeast bread or an artisan bread.  I dont feel like i can call it a sourdough bread or an artisan bread, because these 2 classifications come with a certain preconception these bread are more complicated to make than yeast breads.  However, this loaf IS a sourdough artisan bread, but it is also, super easy to make!

I've found this recipe useful because it gives a nice product and is a tasty alternative to margarine. If you like homemade bread, you might like homemade spreadable butter to go on top of it. All the best...Mark

1 C room temperature salted butter, 2 C canola oil, 1/4 tsp salt (or a bit more or less to taste). Beat well, chill in fridge.

To anyone even casually glancing at the most bookmarked pages on TFL, Jason’s Quick “Coccodrillo” (sp.) Ciabatta Bread is akin to the great thoroughbred Secretariat running against all puny comers.  I’d been avoiding trying it out, for who knows why, but just this week adrianjm added to the list of those posting their version of the bread.  So, I guess it was gravity that brought me to try it out too.  And I did.  Twice in one day.

Weekends, the times that I do most of my baking, have been rather full of late.  There have been seminars to attend, a class to teach, a grandson's out-of-state (for us, not him) cross country meet to attend and all of the other "normal" stuff that makes up life.  Still, I've found ways to weave in some baking with the other things going on.  Posting here on TFL has taken a bit of a back seat to the other activities, though.

I just milled some fresh Durum flour and decided to sift it this time instead of using it whole.  Sifting made it closer to the KAF flour I used to use all the time for Durum breads.

To make this one interesting I added some fresh ricotta and mashed potatoes.  The end result was a nice open soft crumb but for some reason this one ended up very sour.  It does make great toast and grilled bread for sure.

A fine loaf.

I based it on a recipe that I found online that was based on a recipe from Dan Lepard and Richard Whittington 'Exceptional Breads'. It took a while for the orange juice starter to get going so it sat on the counter for most of the week. But it got there. Makes the best toast.

From top left, the obligatory weekly pulla braid, country blonde, apple, walnut, cream cheese bread and Italian semolina, sesame loaves!

I used a single batch of pulla dough to make both the braid, 60%  dough volume and apple, cream cheese bread, 40%dough volume. My goal with the fruit, cream cheese bread was to pack as much goodness into each bite as possible. Mission accomplished!!!

Happy baking!  Ski

I have been building my starter for about 6 weeks now, and I am finally getting the results I want.

Not that the previous breads were bad, they just lacked the sort of oven spring I was getting from Commercial yeast.

Standard Forkish Lean dough.

1st feed: 12 hrs with KAF whole wheat. 100% hydration, 50g 

2nd feed: 12 hrs with Unbleached Shepard's Pride white 100% hydration. 100g

Poolish with 100g starter + 450g flour, 100% hydration, 12hrs

Final dough: additional 500g flour, 244g water, 22g salt