I have made 5 herbed flatbreads this morning, call them foccacia, if
you wish. Easy to make, varied in their toppings. Easy to serve, easy
to eat. Freeze well . Toast nicely. Pics later.
Then I started loading the oven with some lean dough "artisan"
loaves...flour (KA AP with a teeny bit of rye), water, salt, sourdough
leavening. I put them to shape in banneton baskets I have used many
times over the years.
I slashed the two smaller loaves and put them in the oven. I spritzed
every 3 minutes early on and baked at 500 with a well-heated stone.
This is how I work with my stove. Nothing unusual here. Worked
perfectly for years.
The slashes opened nicely, and I went to spritz one last time and saw
that both loaves had blown open. Wow. That hasn't happened to me in
years. I have no idea of what happened. Perfect storm of heat,
humidity, slash, shaping and proofing? Who the hell knows? I did
nothing out of the ordinary and it happened to not one loaf, but two.
I have one large loaf left of this batch, though, and I will slash way
deeper than I usually do. Maybe more slashes, too, but then this last
loaf will be going in 40 minutes later and will have risen more. Too
many variables. Crap.
Mumble mumble, dammit, dammit....spoil my lovely basket patterns,
grumble...
I will put them up on flickr and post a link here. Within an hour or
so, it'll all be done, I hope.
Meanwhile, the last and largest of the lean loaves went in. I slashed
it so deeply it almost looked like a laser cut pancake when it went
into the oven. The oven spring so far is unbelievable. Huge.
Whatever I have done differently today, I would really like to be able
to identify, harness and control. Fifteen years of sourdough baking
experience and to have such a WTF morning is interesting.
> I have made 5 herbed flatbreads this morning, call them foccacia, if
> you wish. Easy to make, varied in their toppings. Easy to serve, easy
> to eat. Freeze well . Toast nicely. Pics later.
> Then I started loading the oven with some lean dough "artisan"
> loaves...flour (KA AP with a teeny bit of rye), water, salt, sourdough
> leavening. I put them to shape in banneton baskets I have used many
> times over the years.
> I slashed the two smaller loaves and put them in the oven. I spritzed
> every 3 minutes early on and baked at 500 with a well-heated stone.
> This is how I work with my stove. Nothing unusual here. Worked
> perfectly for years.
> The slashes opened nicely, and I went to spritz one last time and saw
> that both loaves had blown open. Wow. That hasn't happened to me in
> years. I have no idea of what happened. Perfect storm of heat,
> humidity, slash, shaping and proofing? Who the hell knows? I did
> nothing out of the ordinary and it happened to not one loaf, but two.
> I have one large loaf left of this batch, though, and I will slash way
> deeper than I usually do. Maybe more slashes, too, but then this last
> loaf will be going in 40 minutes later and will have risen more. Too
> many variables. Crap.
<boron_el...@hootmail.com> wrote:
>I have made 5 herbed flatbreads this morning, call them foccacia, if
>you wish. Easy to make, varied in their toppings. Easy to serve, easy
>to eat. Freeze well . Toast nicely. Pics later.
>Then I started loading the oven with some lean dough "artisan"
>loaves...flour (KA AP with a teeny bit of rye), water, salt, sourdough
>leavening. I put them to shape in banneton baskets I have used many
>times over the years.
>I slashed the two smaller loaves and put them in the oven. I spritzed
>every 3 minutes early on and baked at 500 with a well-heated stone.
>This is how I work with my stove. Nothing unusual here. Worked
>perfectly for years.
>The slashes opened nicely, and I went to spritz one last time and saw
>that both loaves had blown open. Wow. That hasn't happened to me in
>years. I have no idea of what happened. Perfect storm of heat,
>humidity, slash, shaping and proofing? Who the hell knows? I did
>nothing out of the ordinary and it happened to not one loaf, but two.
>I have one large loaf left of this batch, though, and I will slash way
>deeper than I usually do. Maybe more slashes, too, but then this last
>loaf will be going in 40 minutes later and will have risen more. Too
>many variables. Crap.
>Mumble mumble, dammit, dammit....spoil my lovely basket patterns,
>grumble...
>Pics later on those, too.
>Boron
I've had my share of blowouts over the years. No real clue, but some
suspicions. I speculate that if the loaves are placed too close to
the oven wall, one side grows faster, dries faster and in order to
compensate, blows out. I have had loaves display spectacular growth
on exceptionally bright, sunny winter days. Does any of this ring a
bell?
Janet
>>I have made 5 herbed flatbreads this morning, call them foccacia, if
>>you wish. Easy to make, varied in their toppings. Easy to serve, easy
>>to eat. Freeze well . Toast nicely. Pics later.
>>Then I started loading the oven with some lean dough "artisan"
>>loaves...flour (KA AP with a teeny bit of rye), water, salt, sourdough
>>leavening. I put them to shape in banneton baskets I have used many
>>times over the years.
>>I slashed the two smaller loaves and put them in the oven. I spritzed
>>every 3 minutes early on and baked at 500 with a well-heated stone.
>>This is how I work with my stove. Nothing unusual here. Worked
>>perfectly for years.
>>The slashes opened nicely, and I went to spritz one last time and saw
>>that both loaves had blown open. Wow. That hasn't happened to me in
>>years. I have no idea of what happened. Perfect storm of heat,
>>humidity, slash, shaping and proofing? Who the hell knows? I did
>>nothing out of the ordinary and it happened to not one loaf, but two.
>>I have one large loaf left of this batch, though, and I will slash way
>>deeper than I usually do. Maybe more slashes, too, but then this last
>>loaf will be going in 40 minutes later and will have risen more. Too
>>many variables. Crap.
>>Mumble mumble, dammit, dammit....spoil my lovely basket patterns,
>>grumble...
>>Pics later on those, too.
>>Boron
>I've had my share of blowouts over the years. No real clue, but some
>suspicions. I speculate that if the loaves are placed too close to
>the oven wall, one side grows faster, dries faster and in order to
>compensate, blows out. I have had loaves display spectacular growth
>on exceptionally bright, sunny winter days. Does any of this ring a
>bell?
>Janet
I do believe all of those conditions were met that day.
>>>I have made 5 herbed flatbreads this morning, call them foccacia, if
>>>you wish. Easy to make, varied in their toppings. Easy to serve, easy
>>>to eat. Freeze well . Toast nicely. Pics later.
>>>Then I started loading the oven with some lean dough "artisan"
>>>loaves...flour (KA AP with a teeny bit of rye), water, salt, sourdough
>>>leavening. I put them to shape in banneton baskets I have used many
>>>times over the years.
>>>I slashed the two smaller loaves and put them in the oven. I spritzed
>>>every 3 minutes early on and baked at 500 with a well-heated stone.
>>>This is how I work with my stove. Nothing unusual here. Worked
>>>perfectly for years.
>>>The slashes opened nicely, and I went to spritz one last time and saw
>>>that both loaves had blown open. Wow. That hasn't happened to me in
>>>years. I have no idea of what happened. Perfect storm of heat,
>>>humidity, slash, shaping and proofing? Who the hell knows? I did
>>>nothing out of the ordinary and it happened to not one loaf, but two.
>>>I have one large loaf left of this batch, though, and I will slash way
>>>deeper than I usually do. Maybe more slashes, too, but then this last
>>>loaf will be going in 40 minutes later and will have risen more. Too
>>>many variables. Crap.
>>>Mumble mumble, dammit, dammit....spoil my lovely basket patterns,
>>>grumble...
>>>Pics later on those, too.
>>>Boron
>>I've had my share of blowouts over the years. No real clue, but some
>>suspicions. I speculate that if the loaves are placed too close to
>>the oven wall, one side grows faster, dries faster and in order to
>>compensate, blows out. I have had loaves display spectacular growth
>>on exceptionally bright, sunny winter days. Does any of this ring a
>>bell?
>>Janet
>I do believe all of those conditions were met that day.
>Bread tasted great. I cannot complain about that.
>Boron
doesn't matter. I love it when there is a blowout as you describe and
you can see all the threads of gluten and all the crusty colors. Bread
like that has life that you will never see in a store loaf.
Janet
>>>>Mumble mumble, dammit, dammit....spoil my lovely basket patterns,
>>>>grumble...
>>>>Pics later on those, too.
>>>>Boron
>>>I've had my share of blowouts over the years. No real clue, but some
>>>suspicions. I speculate that if the loaves are placed too close to
>>>the oven wall, one side grows faster, dries faster and in order to
>>>compensate, blows out. I have had loaves display spectacular growth
>>>on exceptionally bright, sunny winter days. Does any of this ring a
>>>bell?
>>>Janet
>>I do believe all of those conditions were met that day.
>>Bread tasted great. I cannot complain about that.
>>Boron
>doesn't matter. I love it when there is a blowout as you describe and
>you can see all the threads of gluten and all the crusty colors. Bread
>like that has life that you will never see in a store loaf.
>Janet
And that is when I put the camera lens on "macro" and get photos of
all those crispy strands!
