Thegreenbaker's blog

I wasnt to make a Rustic loaf, but my dough is always too runny.  Runny in the way that its like normal bread dough, but it spreads out no up. It rises, but not high. I tend to end up with a loaf 30cm in diameter and spreading.

I am guessing it has something to do with the spelt flour I am using.

Maybe it is my technique. By the time I decide it chould be in a loaf tin and I put it in there ti proof a bit, it doesnt want to rise.

So I mix the douch, knead it for about 5-6mins as it is Spelt not Wheat. It gets to a nice elastic stage then I put it in an oiled bowl and leave it.  It grows huge.

Last time I rose then I punched it down and it rose well again. Then I chaped it and left it to rise again............but it didnt.

This time I punched it down gently, then put it on a tray to rise again-hoping I could just put it in the oven but is just spread out again. I didnt want flat bread. So I put it in a loaf pan and it hardly rose. I put it in a preheated pre humidified oven with a tray of hot bubbling water. There wasnt any oven spring what so ever, in fact the little bit of rise I did get in the tin, flattened out. :(

 So I have theories.

I handle it too much. Maybe one rise a punch down and then put it in its mould/loaf pan to rise again. Then put it in the oven.

I'm out of Spelt flour now, and we have decided to go to wheat flour as it is soooooo much cheaper.  We have been paying almost 10 australian dollars for 1kg of spelt flour. Organic yes, but goodness. So I will have to start again.

It might be easier with Wheat. But I still wont handle it much. It might even hold its shape so that I can have a Rustic loaf!

Well I tried the Bagel recipe, and they flopped. Big time. :(

I use spelt flour so I already know that it alters the breads texture.

I think the dough was too wet. The recipe said that the dough will be stiff, but mine was wetter than normal dough. The bagels also didnt cook well.  Even after they had cooled they were very moist and even uncooked in some places. :(  Thats what makes me think the dough was too wet.  I am determined to try again and again until I get them right! Next time with more flour or less water.

I am going to do the lesons.

I am not very experienced with Bread baking but I am great in the kitchen, so doing the lessons will be good for me.  I am looking forward to the time when I make a great Sourdough loaf-and bagels that look like bagels.

back to the drawing board :)

Its fun learning though :)