The New York Times - A New way to make bread?

[jenny_haddow]

That sounds like the way to go Dave. I'll go along with that method. However, all the pictures I've seen so far look like fantastic bread, but you don't need gloopy dough sticking to every surface to achieve it. Will you chuck some flour into the pot before you pour in the dough and then some over the top of the dough once it's in there?

Jen

[saucisson]

That was the plan, such as it is

I'm not sure how well coated my gloop was with flour by the time it flowed into the pan so I'm not sure how necessary the flour is, however I'll pop some in anyway.

I get a lot of satisfaction from re-inventing the wheel

Edit: here's one example, a garlic and herb wheel:



Dave

[vinner]

I like Oddley's idea to use clingfilm. Must be easer to slide into the pot.

[Oddley]

vinner, I didn't use the clingfilm to slide the dough into the pot. I just turned the dough onto my hand and put the dough into the pot, well Pyrex dish in my case.

The thing is if you use clingfilm to slide the dough into a piping hot pot and any of it catches the hot surface I think it will melt to it immediately. It could all turn into some kind of slapstick comedy quite quickly.

[saucisson]

Don't mention cling film and ovens, I will die laughing. When it was first launched in the UK it was advertised as a replacement for, and a better seal than old fashioned aluminium foil. So my Mum bought some and covered a casserole dish with it in the oven...

Dave

[vinner]

.......... and it became hermetically sealed??

[saucisson]

All the way to the garbage I think she salvaged the casserole dish, but not sunday lunch.

Dave

[jenny_haddow]

I asked for some bakers yeast in Asda today and was told they have stopped giving it out.

There's a shame.

[saucisson]

That'll save me a trip to Wheatley then, thanks!!

[porker]

Well as I just love good bread and I've never managed to make one that I would repeat, I just had to try this one!

After leaving the mix sitting for 20 hours or so, I had a look and decided that there was no way it was going on a teatowel or even the bench, so I floured the iron pot and poured it in, left for a further hour and into the oven for half an hour lid on and 5 min lid off.

It wouldn't come out....Ahhh! I scraped what I could out and that part was the best looking bread I've ever made, pot is now soaking in the sink and remainder of bread cooling, tried a little when it was hot, not bad at all. If only it hadn't stuck, perhaps next time I will grease the pot, it was a very easy and quick bread, in that the total time working at it was only minutes. If it tastes good when it cools I will try it again.

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m82/ ... en2006.jpg

[saucisson]

Porker, I have just done the same, only mine is still in the oven I left mine 24hrs, but I preheated my pot in the hot oven, opened the door, sprinkled the hot pot with flour and sesame seeds, poured in the mix and sprinkled more seeds on top. The first half hour is up in a few minutes, I wonder what awaits me! Ah there goes the timer, lid off now.

Well it's shrunk back a tad from the sides so I think the preheated pot is the key, I'll let you know in a few minutes.

Dave

[Oddley]

We all learn by our mistakes. It normally takes me 3 or 4 times to get a recipe anywhere near right.

[Fricandeau]

I can't remember the exact proportions, but Bakers Paste is a mixture of flour and melted butter, and you paint it on the inside of tins and crocks. NOTHING will stick to it, I'll see if I can dig out the method (but I think it's just a couple of ounces of butter with an ounce of flour warmed together and applied thinly with a pastry brush.)

[porker]

saucisson I didn't miss the point about hot pot, but my mix was too soft and I thought giving it a chance to rise again was the way to go...hopefully yours will be better!

Oddley I have to get it fairly close first time or I just find I've too much learning to do and give up!

Fricandeau I normally just use the butter, but will surely try this Bakers Paste, I would have been well pleased with my bread only for my own stupidity, and it did cross my mind about the posibility of it sticking, but I was too eager!

[saucisson]

Cooked at 240 C rather than 250 (I didn't like the look of the phenolic knob on the lid after yesterday) for 30 minutes lid on, then only 6 minutes lid off. The crust is lighter in colour but the shape and rise are identical to yesterday.


So water first and Allison dried active yeast to rehydrate for a minute or so, add flour ( I used Tesco strong white bread flour) and salt, 30 seconds mixing with a silicon spoon, just enough to get it mixed, leave 24 hours and pour/scrape into a preheated pan.

Dave

Edit: My next test was to have done the 24hrs in a cooking vessel and just bung that in the oven, Porker, you have saved me that experiment! so it was worth it, really!