Is it too warm for baking bread? The wild yeast don't think so. They were very happy yesterday and when I was proofing the sponge I was pretty excited about the rise I was going to get from the dough already.
To make this bread, I pretty much followed S. John Ross's basic sourdough recipe but improvised a bit and before I put the bread in the oven, I brushed the top of the loaf with cold water and sprinkled sesame seeds on it. I also put a casserole dish filled with boiling water at the bottom of the oven and removed it after 15 minutes.
Reminder: Do not preheat the oven. Turn the oven on to 176C/350F, after you put the bread in.
Baking time was longer than usual. It took 55 minutes for this loaf.
This was an interesting lesson for me because I found out why baguettes have those slits on top. It's to control where the breaks happen instead of letting it happen randomly like I did.
That break was a nice touch to the bread,though!
ReplyDeleteI love your bread. It makes me want to try to make some one day :).
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteLove your blog and nice pictures. Will visit often.
Your loaf looks great. Mmm!
ReplyDeleteWow, congratulation. Your sourdough bread look fantastic.
ReplyDeleteLooks great! I love sesame in breads.
ReplyDeleteI bet that wild yeast is happy. Bacteria party! Oh man, this is the time I should start me starter before it is cold again!
ReplyDeleteDelicious bread! Sometimes it's worth it turning on the oven :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip about no pre-heating, I had never heard of that! Is it specific to this kind of bread?