BREAD baking

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

your bread loaves are works of art! they are truly lovely. Do you get the stripes just from cutting slits in the bread before it rises?

Hey thanks, Mimi!

After the loaf is formed, it's allowed to 'rest' for 40 minutes and it puffs up part way. Then you either: dust with flour and slash, or paint with cornstarch wash and sprinkle with seeds and slash....then they go in the hot oven and will rise and expand a bit more while baking. (that's called 'oven spring') The slashes are then seen as bare spots with no flour dusting or seeds.
I want to do some onion garlic bread topped with poppy seeds soon too.

[Tuckervill]

I turned a good friend on to this book and they tried the pita recipe and LOVED it.

Karen

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I tried this technique today with sourdough bread, and it came out wonderfully! The truly PERFECT crust!
Here are some pix, but I described it in detail in my home blog, here:
http://strumelia.blogspot.com/2009/0...utch-oven.html
I'll definitely be making this again!! Mmmmmmm.....

[tulip]

Beautiful! You are truly the Bread Queen! I've been making my own bread for at least a month now-- haven't bought any. It's so easy and delicious. I might have to spring for that book so that I can expand my technique horizons a bit.

Too bad you can't put tastes on your blog!

[Tuckervill]

That is just gorgeous, Lisa!

I'll try it soon.

Karen

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

That is just gorgeous, Lisa!

I'll try it soon.

Karen

Thanks you guys!

The recipe I used is found here:
http://mysisterskitchen.wordpress.co...irs-sourdough/

[bmccasland]

Pass the butter and jam.

I even have some fresh blueberry jam to smear on those loaves BleekerSt. Sigh