100% First Clear Flour Trident Submarine Loaf

Being a Connecticut Yankee, I remember way back when they built the first Trident nuclear submarine up the Thames (pronounced "THEYms" in Connecticut).  The river was too small.  They had to dredge it to get the submarine out.  Well, that was what came to mind when I took this loaf out of the oven.  It had an incredible oven spring and when it came out it was totally round on the bottom.  These pictures are about an hour or so later when it had collapsed a little but was still a big loaf of bread!

It's my first time using "first clear" flour and I was warned it was different.  First, the aroma is delightful, very wheaty but not like whole wheat.  I didn't knead it at all but by the time I got to the third stretch and fold, I had the "bowflex" of bread doughs!  It was actually a challenge to shape when the time came -- I just flattened it a bit and rolled it.  I didn't seal the ends or the bottom but it seems to have taken care of that itself.

This is a 600g first clear flour, 9g yeast, 12g salt and 420g water loaf -- cooked in an oven heated to 450F, turned down to 400F when the bread went in for 40 minutes.  The hole in the top is where I inserted a thermometer to make sure the inside was 200F-plus.  It was cooked on parchment paper on preheated tiles with a few squirts of water sprayed in the oven to make steam.

Husband declared it very tasty and wonderful.  I agree.  The crust is very chewy -- which I like.  The inside is light and soft.  It was great for holding some ground pork patties we had for supper.