Good morning, gentle readers. It is another gloriously sunny morning and I love how, now the clocks have changed, the sun appears so much earlier. It's not warm enough to sit outside in the earlier hours of the day yet, but one of the joys of the summer for me is sitting in the garden with a first coffee and whatever book I am reading at the time, so as soon as I can, I will!
Yesterday was mostly sunny too, sunny enough to dry two loads of washing before the predicted rain finally fell. I didn't iron it yesterday evening so that's the first task for today, after sorting out the kitchen, etc.
I was very pleased to finish off the dog coat and it looks OK. No photos yet because, as you may imagine, it looks weird without a dog inside! The customer has said she will take some photos so fingers crossed . . .
Then I started a second cushion cover. This is not for me: someone saw the first one and liked it very much. There's a lot of knitting in that so it will take a few days.
I finished the sourdough loaf but, like all my other efforts, it failed at the last hurdle, sinking badly when I transferred it to the baking sheet. It tastes OK but the crumb is very tight. Maybe I am over proving it, I don't know. Diane, any advice?
I was going to do an early shop at Aldi (going later than opening time on a Saturday morning is asking for parking problems) but didn't go. Instead I went late afternoon and I think it might become a regular slot from now on because it was much quieter and more pleasant to shop in. By that time it had started raining so I was glad I'd taking in the washing before setting out.
Today I have some sorting out to do followed by ironing and then I will knit until Beth comes for lunch. Nothing posh today, probably beans on toast!
Now I need my coffee!
ReplyDeleteI have an experiment loaf in the fridge! I tried the dried active yeast to see if it was still ok. It frothed up ok. But it took two hours to start rising. I even shoved it in the tumble drier - after it had finished of course lol at the image of dough going round. I then kneaded it and shaped it for the tin. Gave it an hour, not much movement - by then could not be faffed and it was late so stuck it in the tin in the fridge. Going to bring it to room temp now and bake! Expecting a brick!!!
I had visions of dough in a bag going round and round. Fingers crossed that it works OK. Delaying it like that might give a lovely flavour!
ReplyDeleteJ x
Well I opened the fridge, and there risen nicely was my loaf waiting for me!!
ReplyDeleteLeft it out at room temp for a hour. Baked to perfection!
Lovely flavour and perfect crumb!
Not sure if it was all overnight - do wonder if frothy yeast helped flavour too!
Give the dough a gentle poke with your finger. If it's correctly proved it should spring back, but slowly. If it sags, it's over-proved, if it doesn't give it's not ready yet. You just need to persist till you get all the variables right, and get used to how it should look/feel. For my first few months I wrote everything I did down, and changed one thing at a time!
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, I always bake mine in a cast-iron casserole -- lid on to start with, then lid off for the last 15 minutes. High-hydration dough always tends to spread rather than rise when baked on a baking sheet.