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Yay! Thank you! After much research and tips and narrowing down the problem (via videos from King Arthur flour and seeing their dough in each step), I figured out that I wasn't kneading it correctly in the bulk fermentation step. I was doing the push-down and quarter turn method. No folding or stretching, because I wasn't even aware of that at all! Interesting how even the end result in bread can point to a problem much earlier in the process. With just folding and stretching, the dough became dramatically different, and the bread held its nicely curved lofty shape during baking!

Sending this to Yeastspotting.

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In my previous entry, I blogged about the latest attempt in my years-long desperate journey of trying to make baguettes, as closest as possible to the real thing, only using a mixture of various flours easily available in UK (without having to buy real Type 55/65 in bulk to save P & P and risk of all the bags get infested by flour bugs, again).

In the last 2 weeks, I baked a lot of breads. I hope I'll have time to write about every one of them, and I start with these two loafs.

Spelt challah and rolls

A friend of mine cannot eat anything made with white flours (it's not the gluten it's the flour itself), so every now and then I bake a special challah with spelt flour for her.
Spelt flour is very low in gluten so no long-kneading.  and less rising time is needed.
Actually you have to make sure the dough does not rise too much, otherwise it loses it's strength and the challah "falls down" in the oven.

Hello,
I was captivated by Sylvia’s Sourdough Fig Focaccia, and grateful to her for her recommendation of Carol Field’s book Focaccia. I have it on loan from the library, and I’m certain after the book goes back to the library I’ll be shopping on Amazon :^)

Wanting to make something similar to Sylvia's lovely bread, I tried making Ms. Field’s Schiacciata Bursting with Grapes (Schiacciata All’Uva), as fresh figs aren't ripe here yet.

Sending this to Yeastspotting.

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First the bread, then we'll talk about cakes, sinful delicious cakes...

Two months ago, after enjoying Phillipe Gosselin's “baguettes tradition” in Paris, I attempted to replicate this delicious bread in a sourdough version. (Baguette Tradition after Phillip Gosselin) My wife and I actually preferred my version to the original. In fact, I felt they were the best tasting sourdough baguettes I'd ever made.

Dutch Regale’s Finnish Rye

 From Maggie Glezer's Artisan Baking Across America

I found some cracked rye at my local health food store and then found this recipe which seemed like it might be an interesting balance of hearty flavors.

Cracked Rye Soaker:

Cracked Rye – 145g

Hot water – 145g

Soaked 8 hours

Flax Seed Soaker:

Golden Flax Seeds – 50g

Hot Water – 100g

Soaked 8 hours

Sourdough Starter: