BREAD baking

[papaver]

my second attempt...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

my second attempt...

Beautiful!

Susan- here is what i do for my olive loaves:
http://strumelia.blogspot.com/2009/05/olive-bread.html

[Biciclista]

my third (and last from that batch) loaf looks like papaver's first loaf. I think next time i will make a 4 cup batch instead of a 6 cup batch, we would be more likely to use it all up in time.

[hoffsquared]

So how do I get my boule's to expand evenly along the X mark I make. My loaf this morning came out all lopsided. Only part of the cut expanded? This has happened a few times.

[tulip]

So how do I get my boule's to expand evenly along the X mark I make. My loaf this morning came out all lopsided. Only part of the cut expanded? This has happened a few times.

sprinkle some flour on the top, spread it around, and slash with a SHARP knife, a bit deeper than you think you should. I prefer three parallel slashes to the X.

[Susan Otcenas]

Thanks for the link, Lisa. Your olive bread looks fantastic.

I have enough dough for one more loaf, so I think I will try this.

I need to send my broken pizza stone back to Pampered Chef, and I don't own a dutch oven, so this loaf will probably just get done on a cookie sheet. Unless someone has a better idea....

[hoffsquared]

sprinkle some flour on the top, spread it around, and slash with a SHARP knife, a bit deeper than you think you should. I prefer three parallel slashes to the X.

Thanks I will try the three slashes next time. Also go a bit deeper.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I usually do six or eight slashes in a star pattern as opposed to a four-slash star- it gives more places to expand.
Or I slash in a diagonal 'wheat' pattern, a slash every inch and a half or so.
Or diagonal parallel slashes, 4 or 5 slashes.
Like some of these.