Bread - What are you baking today…..

[Chap]

Biga 80% White flour 20% Whole wheat Kamut

[Giles]

Mmmmmmm

[neph93]

@Chap  that looks splendid. Are your using a cast iron pot when baking? I know they can be used as a dutch oven over the bread, but I see methods used where people but the bread in the pot too, and cover with a lid.

[Chap]

Yes @neph93 I use this pot which is suitable for stews etc. too. It did improve my results a lot.

[Chap]

30 min then I remove the lid and bake for another 20 min

[neph93]

@Chap:

30 min then I remove the lid and bake for another 20 min

Brilliant. Thank you. No problems with the dough sticking?

[Giles]

Forkish don't…....

[neph93]

Lovely. I might have to pick one up. His book arrived today.  I had a job finding an online store that had it available, but when I did it only cost me £20 and it was in hardback.

[LewisStonehouse]

@neph93 i used to bake in a dutch over too, worked great. I'd sprinkle some cornflour in the bottom of the pan, and turn the bread out into a sheet of greaseproof paper on the counter, the lower that into the pan. Also makes it easier/safer to lower the bread into the pan, which will be well over 200c when youve pre-heated it. Just be careful not to de-gas your loaf when you're tying to lower it in. A lot of people use lodge combi cookers which make it much easier.

[LewisStonehouse]

Something like this is ideal https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lodge-litre-quart-Pre-Seasoned-Cooker/dp/B0009JKG9M/ref=asc_df_B0009JKG9M/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=422520465551&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9256992708178583849&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046655&hvtargid=pla-384840287497&psc=1&th=1&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=100566592474&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=422520465551&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9256992708178583849&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046655&hvtargid=pla-384840287497#

[neph93]

Thanks for the tips @LewisStonehouse. There is an ironmongers near me who does cast iron Dutch ovens relatively cheaply, I’ll pick up a couple from there.

[Giles]

80% Biga with more Austrian flour….

[Giles]

One on the left - steam oven
One on the right - Dutch oven

I know which I prefer the look of…..

[Chap]

Niiiiiccceee!!! The dutch oven probably gives a bit more initial spring? Will be interesting if there are any differences regarding taste

[neph93]

No dutch oven or steam oven yet. Managing OK with foil and a pan of water for now.

Double dough day.

White Biga a là Forkish:

White sourdough with spelt levain and 20% spelt flour:

[neph93]

I’m up the cabin in glorious weather with friends and I’ve decided to try a guerrilla Biga. No scales, no thermometers, no proofing baskets… we’ll see how it goes [emoji1]

[neph93]

Project cabin bake went pretty well. Judged water temp by running it on the inside of my wrist, took a little extra yeast in while mixing the final dough (about half a gram more than Forkish asks for), and didn’t have bannetons so they were proofed and baked in a bread tin and a flat tin. Came up pretty nice:

[Giles]

Congrats - I thgink, in the main, the water temp thing is flexible, it just alters subsequent timings….

[Seul]

That looks scrumptious, nephy!..

[neph93]

@Giles:

Congrats - I thgink, in the main, the water temp thing is flexible, it just alters subsequent timings….

That is what I figured. Forkish says 41C, better to be too cool than too warm though, and the ambient temp at the cabin was such that I figured bumping the yeast a little was the best answer.