Olive Bread - Could Have Been a Disaster
Yesterday I made FWSY Overnight Country Blonde (with chopped olives), and started too late in the day. I put the dough to rise - in a large bowl covered with plastic - in a back bedroom that is around 65 degrees during the day. At 8PM, I suddenly realized that it would be midnight when I should divide the dough, shape the loaves, and then have to let them rise another 4 hours. Not happening!
I shoved the bowl into the fridge and let it sit until 7 AM this morning. Pulled it out, let it sit for 1 1/2 hours, shaped the loaf (I cut the recipe in half for a single loaf), let it rise 2 hours more, and baked it in a dutch oven at 475 degrees, 30 minutes covered, 15 minutes uncovered. Checked the internal temperature, it was 210 degrees, so I pulled it out.
Lookee at dem ears! :-) Crumb still fairly tight - some day I'll have open crumb - but the taste is to die for!!
Bless my husband for encouraging my baking and eating everything that comes out of the oven - even the "less than perfect" loaves. We have given up buying bread at the supermarket and are now supporting our farmer and miller friends by using their products.
Couldn't be fresher, couldn't be more local!
Comments
by long fermentation/proofing times but after getting up once at 3 AM I pick timings more carefully now or do as you did and just retard in the fridge (which I've found to enhance the flavour, btw).
The bread looks nice, I'm sure it tasted good (and virtually anything you make yourself will be better than what's available commercially). Don't worry about the crumb structure, open crumb is not the holy grail with all types of bread and baking is a learning experience after all, you should have seen my first bakes.
Xenophon,
You're so right - the flavor is absolutely amazing! And my husband has been "sampling" all day. He says it's the best ever - but then he seems to say that a lot... ;-)
Not getting up at 3AM to shape loaves, no way!
As for the learning experience; it has been the best! And all the help, advice, videos, and encouragement from TFL community has really made the difference.
Thanks everybody!
Gail NK
Well done! excellent use of local and fresh ingredients. And the blisters tell tales about the fermentation of this bread.
Has to be tasty with the olives. Well Done!