Batch 324

Waitrose shelf stackers are falling down on the job, with the result that their own brand white bread flour is often not available. A pity as it worked and it was cheap.

So the 324th batch of bread was made entirely with Canadian flour and, by means of the expedient of cutting the first rise time from something over five hours to something over four hours, got the result illustrated. With each loaf being approximately 10 inches wide and 5 inches high. Good crackle developed as the loaves cooled, crackle being for me a good marker of quality, something the now defunct baker at Crouch End, Hales I think, possibly now the Golden Sand Cake Shop, say gmaps 51.579824, -0.123899, used to manage a lot of with its excellent small white bloomers.

On this occasion I did not try my loaves really fresh, but first thing this morning instead. When they had the advantage of having developed a bit more flavour. Freshest is not bestest, something it took me a lot of time, money and bother to learn with roast meat. It remains a mystery to this day why I did not read, understand and apply the instructions about resting.

And it is taking a while to learn that mostest rising is not bestest either. Two much rising before the oven and the bread seems to run out of puff.

PS: picture taken hot, so no crackle at that point.