Round Five: Is this almost it?

Finally, a (near) success!!
Using a couche, or more accurately a chunk of heavy cotton cut from a painter’s dropcloth (yes, new but washed) and a very generous amount of rice flour/UAP mix (50/50) rubbed into the cloth, there was NO STICKING issue whatsoever. So the loaf had no opportunity to deflate. The result is, at last, a non-flat loaf.
The oven was set at 440ºF (although it should have been 475) and watched carefully through the entire baking process.
A distinct improvement from the last batch!
Things to do or improve next time:
  • Slashing: Needs to be deeper and, perhaps, at more of an angle into the dough. The new cheapy dollar store knife worked well.
  • Cover couched dough in plastic film to avoid top side drying more than bottom while it rises.
  • Rig up better couche board.
  • Less salt! Accidently added too much, though I’d taken out the excess, obviously not enough. Edible, for sure but just a touch too salty!
  • Find a “softer crust” recipe; Mark still wants his bread to be more like packaged white bread: soft center with tiny holes, and a non-crusty soft crust.
  • Still need a reliable oven thermometer.

So here’s our latest batch:

5-24-08: Almost a success

Nice crust colour, crumb is good although it could be a little fluffier, the crust isn’t too thick n’ chewy. Overall, not bad, and much much improved from any previous batches. Minor tweaks and it should improve considerably next time.

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