June 5, 2022 - 4:46pm
Bread girdle?
My wife gave me a La Cloche for my recent 68th birthday so I'm venturing into freeform loaves for the first time. My shaping skills are nonexistent and my first attempts spread out much more than I wanted.
I made a bread girdle using a loop of parchment placed around the dough ball in the cloche for the final proof. My paper loop had no bottom; I just placed it on another piece of parchment in the bottom of the cloche.
I pulled the loop off when I removed the lid after 35 minutes.
The loaf is much taller; almost like it was baked in a round pan. I guess this is more like the shape of a panettone. I think it is going to make great toast.
Surely there is a better name for this than bread girdle?
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Sash, belt?
Mini had a good suggestion a while back: count your staples before and after baking. https://www.thefreshloaf.com/comment/506891#comment-506891
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My modus operandi is to "cheat" and match the dough weight and banneton diameter to the diameter of the baking vessel, usually a 3.2 qt Lodge combo cooker.
Yes, I didn't like using the staples. I'm going to try joining the ends with overlapping cuts next time.
I see the Germans have backrahmen which are wooden baking forms. Sort of a similar idea.
So cute! .. even has a belly button! That does look like it makes toaster sized bread. Which way are you going to cut it, Gary, vertically or horizontally? Do ya prefer square or round slices? :)
I'm slicing it vertically, though horizontally slicing for round slices sounds appealing.
could make you a box form without using staples, all folding. Sort of like this video:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd5Z8hmcb10
was having a little fun digging for new very old bread discoveries, 14,400 yrs ago and such...food traces on old pots and charred remains. Ancient bread and love of carbs.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01681-w
@Mini: Interesting video on 6,000 years of bread history by Eric Pallant:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYqjBxQhe8o
40+ minutes long. Goes back to Egyptians, Romans, etc.