Changes and Challenges

I had a good laugh yesterday morning when the landlord came bouncing up the stairs, bouncing literally, socks in hand, well dressed, with combed hair.  I asked if he was going in to the  office.  He laughed and said he had to just so he knew what day it was. He was a bit surprised at how much he looked forward to going, but he said it felt like going to school in September and how exicted you were at the prospect of the first day.  Just like school, he went back today.

So that changes a few things.  I couldn't do a lot in my bedroom or study while he was here.  That giant space is right over his office downstairs and day time, it was best if I didn't make any real noise that his clients could hear.  Most of my time was in the kitchen and living room on the opposite side of the house.  But, now we are back to routine, and I can do anything I like. Bwhahahaha

Instead of doing what I like, I will be in the kitchen for a good part of the morning.  My adventures there, without an oven, have made the kitchen feel like a war zone to me and my side isn't doing very well.  Bread is my enemy.

Because of the yeast shortage here in my house and out in the local stores, I started a sourdough starter. It mad sense and I have been thinking about getting one going just for fun.  It is years since I made sour dough, but I have found that without an oven, sourdough can be a bit of a challenge.  There is no sourdough setting on the bread machine and sorting out what would make the nicest loaf of bread has been an adventure.  

I prefer to start with a sponge so that I have a nice lively bowl  of goo to properly recharge my starter.  It keeps your starter just a bit more peppy if you recharge it with sponge rather than just setting more flour and water for it.  But a sponge start is umm, a challenge with a bread machine.  They are not designed for a sponge start at all.

Yesterday, I started a loaf in the afternoon.  Everything was going along well. I decided to put the dough it into the breadmaker pan immediately after kneading in the rest of the flour.  This is a bit of a departure.  Usually, I was proofing the dough in a warmer place than the bread machine. Doing that was giving me heavy loaves because the yeast was pretty much tuckered out.  Putting the dough straight into the pan, without needing that final rise in the bread maker pan was my last option.  When it was risen enough, on went the bake only setting.    It turned out not too bad.

One of the things I can tell you about the bake only cycle is that it is meant to finish a product if your dough is not done.  It really isn't meant to be used like this.  What I find is that the top of the loaf stays very light on the bake only cycle. Still, perfectly acceptable.  I wrapped it up to cool and went off to rest the rest of the happy baker. 

And then in the middle of the night I awoke.

I realized that after the sponge, I forgot to add the salt and the shortening before kneading in the rest of the flour.  Shortening isn't really a problem.  French bread has no shortening but salt plays a role in the chemical process that is bread.  Oy vey.

The only way to know is to try.

It has a fantastically crisp crust.  That would be the no shortening in action.  And the inside is lovely and moist too. It is a little coarse looking, ie, the holes in the bread are a bit larger than they ought to be, which is the hallmark of no salt.  It tasted a little different with no salt but decent enough to be getting on with.  It is going to go nice with our supper tonight.

I will pronounce it artisanal and be happy with it.