Food Lockdown Loaves

Thom Blach said:
Could someone please explain to me modern hamburger etiquette? even as large a mouth as mine cannot bite down upon the whole assembly, so how does disassembly correctly take place?
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I annoy my half American son by using a knife and fork with a hamburger and with pizza. I find it really, really hard to use my fingers to eat hot food because it feels a touch barbarous - something to do with my upbringing I suppose.
 
Richard Zambuni said:
I annoy my half American son by using a knife and fork with a hamburger and with pizza. I find it really, really hard to use my fingers to eat hot food because it feels a touch barbarous - something to do with my upbringing I suppose.
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But Tom's question is different - while it's possible to eat a Big Mac by inserting sandwich into mouth, this is not viable with some of the newer breed of multi-storey burgers. I also use a knife and fork for these.
 
Phil David said:
Spelt behaves quite differently to modern wheat. The dough isn't strong and proves quickly, so watching temperature and timing is important.
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Many thanks. I am getting much improved results at 60% hydration, combined with watching the proving process like a hawk. With the last loaf, I also started off with a traditional kneading which seemed to improve the final dough texture (no autolysis). I find that, for some reason, spelt bread tastes saltier than other bread (perhaps due to density?). and so have reduced the amount of salt I am adding.
 
Jim Agar said:
Well, after my first, disastrous, attempt at golf for two months yesterday, I'm appalled to admit that I may have to ditch the sport entirely and take up baking full time.
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I'm hoping to get a round in this weekend, Jim, my club still isn't open as yet but they are hoping to give the green light tomorrow.

Somehow I can't see me smashing a hole in one on the 1st like that chap on BBC news yesterday. I'd bite your hand off for 90, and l'd probably settle for anything under 100 to be honest!
 
I won the first hole(par 4) yesterday with a cheeky 8 after taking 4 to hack it into the brook, short of the green, drop, then a miraculous chip and two putt. Luckily my son, off 9, lost his drive right before a couple of unmentionables and a pick up. High quality golf all round. Forecast better for tomorrow, well at least no North Easterly gale!
 
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95D53F6C-554F-45BF-A380-6B0C6524CC64.jpeg This morning’s sourdough, 95% strong white and 5% light rye from the starter, 75% hydration and 2% salt. Without a banneton, I’m struggling to get a good, stable shape before cooking, so I tried doing all the folding and bulk fermentation yesterday and kept it in a small, rounded aluminium bowl, lined with a floured tea towel, in the fridge overnight before tipping into the le Creuset this morning. Still slightly puddled, certainly not the stiff, stable shape I see on YouTube videos but it must have had decent oven spring so reasonably happy with the result. Any suggestions?
 
Jim Agar said:
View attachment 12282 This morning’s sourdough, 95% strong white and 5% light rye from the starter, 75% hydration and 2% salt. Without a banneton, I’m struggling to get a good, stable shape before cooking, so I tried doing all the folding and bulk fermentation yesterday and kept it in a small, rounded aluminium bowl, lined with a floured tea towel, in the fridge overnight before tipping into the le Creuset this morning. Still slightly puddled, certainly not the stiff, stable shape I see on YouTube videos but it must have had decent oven spring so reasonably happy with the result. Any suggestions?
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If you want more stability you'll need less water or different kinds of flour-which strong white is it? as with most things in life when we gain something we lose something also. It looks pretty good to me, but 75% is high for white flour and low for brown.
 
That’s interesting Tom. I’ve got supplies of Wessex Mill and Marriage’s strong white, which I think are good producers. What sort of % hydration should I be looking for in a white loaf?
 
Is it Marriage's Canadian or the other? if the protein is fairly low, ie under about 13.5%, I think 70% is practical, but using 10% wholemeal wheat or rye will mean another 5 or 10% water can easily be used.
It seems to me, though not to others, that it is quite easy to lose structural stability by overworking the dough, but that again depends very much on the flour.
 
I’m only carrying out three sets of stretch and folds so hopefully that’s not overworking the dough. No kneading,in the old fashioned sense, certainly.
 
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