Ann_T

I think your loaves look perfect. I love a rustic look and it looks like you have achieved the crumb that you are looking for. I bet it makes great toast.

@PatrickT you can't be looking at the same loaf I am looking at. I love that look of that loaf. And great crumb. I need to start adding adding toppings to my loaves. Really makes a difference. I have often said, especially to anyone that wants to get into baking bread and is afraid of it, that it is very difficult to screw up. Even it if doesn’t come out looking perfect, it will still taste good. That said, last night’s bake, should not have turned out at all. I started a batch of dough before bed Thursday night. My intention was to leave it out on the counter overnight like I usually do and it would be ready to go between 3:00 and 4:00 AM. I’m always awake at the time so it is a good time to bake. This batch was 1000g of flour, 50g of starter that had been in the fridge since the last time it was fed, so for a week, 1 ½ g of yeast and 650g of water. I got up at midnight and noticed that the dough was ready to blow the top off of the 6 qt container. Apparently I didn’t need that little bit of yeast. The starter would have been sufficient. Since I wasn’t going to start baking at midnight, I put it in the fridge and went back to bed. I was working yesterday so I had Matt take the dough out of the fridge at 2:00PM thinking it would be warmed up and I could bake after we had dinner. The fermentation really had been too long and the dough did not look promising. Very soft. It wasn’t until I was shaping the loaves, that I started to think that I didn’t remembering adding salt to the dough. Wasn't sure so would have to wait to see. I debated just tossing the batch, but decided what did I have to lose. Shaped three smaller boules and three baguettes. Wasn’t looking good. The loaves were not holding their shape well and were spreading out rather than rising. Went ahead anyway and started the three boules under the iron cloche. Was pleasantly surprised when I lifted the cloche to find that they had great oven spring . As for forgetting the salt I wasn’t too concerned. My grandparents lived next door. My grandfather was on a salt free diet in his older years and my grandmother would order special salt free white loaves from a local bakery. As a kid, I loved that bread, sliced, buttered and sprinkled with salt. So I did definitely forgot the salt, but as you can see the bread turned out well, great shine on the crumb, the taste is wonderful , just a nice hint of sourdough and when buttered and sprinkled with salt, brings back wonderful memories of my beloved grandparents. So see, it really is difficult to screw up bread.

I usually only make Tourtiere on Christmas Eve. But decided to make a meat pie and since Moe loves tourtiere that is what I made. I made the filling yesterday. Made the pastry this morning before leaving for work. Instead of a pie I made Tourtiere Puff Pastry turnovers for dinner tonight. Served with a salad and some of the Chile sauce that Moe likes with his tourtiere. I still had a jar in the pantry from the batch I made last Christmas. I have the other half of the pastry left and some filling so I might make a few more in the morning for the freezer.

I'm not big on leftovers and there was leftover tomahawk steak from last night's dinner. So I repurposed it this morning in the Breville PC with onions and beef broth turning it into a pot roast. I often do this with leftover rare roasts. Made Moe a sandwich on baguette for breakfast.

@heidih, I find it amusing that the minute the temperature gets over 22°C people here complain about the heat. The one thing I actually miss about living in Toronto is a hot summer. So I'm enjoying the hot days. I seasoned the olive oil with fresh garlic and toss all the vegetables with it. The potatoes are so good done on the grill.

Beautiful 90° F summer day and the air conditioner was keeping the house comfortable so I didn't want to cook inside. So everything was done on the grill. Presalted a 1.500 K Tomahawk steak on Monday and grilled it tonight along with russet potatoes, green and yellow peppers and green beans.

@Duvel, I love your posts. Roast Chicken. Last night's dinner.

Sangria is a favourite summer drink. Easy worknight dinner. Sangria and grilled European hot dogs. And rhubarb pie for dessert.

Just out of the oven. Pulled some rhubarb from the garden and made a rhubarb pie. Not sure if this will be dessert tonight or dinner.

@PatrickT lovely Brioche loaf. Love all your seeds. I know this is something that both Moe and Matt would enjoy. This dough had been in the fridge since Tuesday morning. It was started with just 60g of discard and less than 1 g of yeast. It was in the fridge until Friday at 11:30 AM and left out on the counter until 4:00 AM this morning. So for about 16 1/2 hours. Based on the other dough that was started the same time on Tuesday but left out rather than refrigerated, that took 17 hours to more than double, I knew that this one was going to be slow as well. So I planned accordingly. Shaped four small batards. Started each one under the Spun Iron Cloche for 20 minutes and then finished uncovered. Last one was out of the oven before 7:30 AM.

I do them on the grill from start to finish.

Sliced a batard this morning and made Moe Bunny French Toast.

Last night's dinner. Grilled Greek Baby Back Ribs with roasted potatoes and another Greek Salad.

I grew it this year.

This was an interesting bake. Yesterday morning I fed both of my starters. Rather than start a preferment, I just tossed 60g of discard into each of two - 1000g batches of flour along with less than 1g of yeast (1/4 tsp). Finished the last stretch and fold before 10AM and assumed that the dough would be a slow rise but should be ready to start shaping around 4 or 5 PM. It was not. At 6:00 PM, I cut off a 500g piece for Matt because he had been planning to make a pizza for dinner. Reshaped the remaining dough and put it back into the container. It still wasn't ready by 10 and besides, since I'm up usually before 3:00 AM, I wasn't going to start baking at 10 anyway so I just left if on the counter and assumed, either it would be good to go by 2 or 3 AM, after a 17 hour counter fermentation or it would be a dud and I would just toss it. Checked it at 2:15 and it had risen to more than double and looked good. So I divided it into five pieces, preshaped it, left it for 20 minutes and then finished shaping and then let it proof for 90 minutes. Baked 5 baguettes. Sliced one while still slightly warm and the other half is now in the toaster oven. The second batch went into the fridge to be baked sometime in the next couple of days.

Greek tonight. Moe actually mentioned that we hadn't had Chicken Souvlaki recently so tonight was the night. Served with rice and a Greek Salad.

Grilled burgers with Kettle Brand potato chips. Enjoyed while watching Miami beat Boston.

Great looking pizzas @Duvel. Today is Moe's birthday. For dinner we had Green Peppercorn Steak with Parisienne potatoes. And Strawberry Shortcake for dessert. It is tradition that we always have something with strawberries.

Hard fried egg sandwich on a toasted baguette.

Baked eight baguettes this morning. Dough started last night and left out on the counter from 9:00 PM until 4:00 Am this morning for a seven hour fermentation. Sliced one while still slight warm for Moe's breakfast.

Stir fries make the best worknight dinners. Quick and easy. Got home at 5:35 and we were eating at 6:17. Chicken and Green bean stir fry in a black bean sauce. Served over rice.

@ElsieD, @PatrickT, yes that is the same recipe. Elise, I just added a tablespoon of some whole wheat that I had on hand. Not sure the wheat bran or otherwise is necessary. And no, I just used a regular bread pan. The Pullman pan I have is more like a cocktail bread size pan.

I wanted to use the Pane al Latte bread to make hot chicken sandwiches for dinner. Got home from work just before 5:30. Moe had the oven preheated to 500°F for me. Put two chicken breasts in the oven to roast. Potatoes were cut using the Breville Sous Chef 16 Pro French Fry blade which took less than 30 seconds to cut 3 russet potatoes. Left to soaked in salted water. When chicken was half cooked, I did the first fry on the fries. Chicken came out of the oven after about 35 minutes and rested while I made the gravy. Just had to slice the chicken, do the second fry on the potatoes , heat the canned peas and serve. We were eating in an hour after I walked in the door.

Moe wanted an egg salad sandwich on the Pane al Latte bread I baked yesterday.

Baked a loaf of Jim Lahey's Pane al Latte (Milk Bread) yesterday. His recipe is a no knead recipe, but I did a number of stretch and folds with autolyze in between. Very soft bread, perfect for sandwiches. I think we will have hot chicken sandwiches on this bread for dinner.