03-05-25

Hi, all.  welcome to Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK and, nice surprise, the sun is shining brightly.  How long will that last?  No ice, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

Photo updates on that not-an-olive-bread-after-all.

The basic back-story is that I over-proved the dough during the bulk fermentation so I made focaccia instead - thanks, Elaine Boddy, for telling her readers what you can do with what seems to be a disaster!  Throwing it out would have been awful.

My, goodness, it was active - Just look at those bubbles after the second, shorter rise.  You could see the thing moving like the slow motion contents of a cauldron.

At least now I know what an over proved dough looks like and feels like.

After baking.  It smelled lovely.  I did dimple it, honest but it was so lively the dimples just sprang back up again!

I had fun getting it out of the oven tray!  

Here you go!  Doesn't it look great!  It tasted just wow.  Lovely, crunchy crust and soft and fluffy inside.

I had to exert great self control - thank goodness it cooled quickly.

I shall take some over to Beth's this afternoon, with her loaf and some crumpets (I have plenty of Squibbles discard again).

Three things I have learned:

1.  if in doubt, shove it in the fridge (unless you actually want focaccia, that is)

2.  chop the olives finer - it was hard to get them incorporated into the dough

3.  line the tray with parchment - I truly thought I was never going to get it out at one point

Next time I will also add some seeds and sun dried tomatoes and, fingers crossed, make a proper loaf.  I need an excuse a reason now!

I mentioned last week that I was using some granny squares I made ages ago to have a go at a shrug type thing.  Well, I did and, sadly, not my sort of shape.  It worked, it just didn't look great.  So I unpicked the seams and am now just doing a ribbed border to turn it into a rather attractive lap blanket.

I don't need another lap blanket.  Would it be worth offering it on here as a sort of give away?  Would anyone like it.  I'll finish it off today and take a few photos and then, if you're interested, just say in the comments and I can do a raffle type thing.

I have a Little List - actually quite a big list - of things I want to get done this weekend ranging from finance stuff through sharpening my knives to 'bedroom'.  That last is a necessity!!

Time to get started.  Have the best day, everyone.  xx