jackal10

Indeed. Fellows and their guests (who shoukd not normally be family or spouse)

My guess is that because you only have a single rise the dough is under-developed. Cakey would indicate the dough is too wet. Lets look at your formula (Ive converted to grams and bakers percentages) 1.5 cups Starter, equal volume flour and water If your starter is in fact equal weight of flour and water, then these calculations will need to be redone, and use 100g or about half a cup more water in the sponge step. 3/4 cup flour = 85 grams 3/4 cup water = 180 grams (very wet! - 211% hydration ) Dough 1.5 cup water = 360g 5 cups flour = 550g 1 T Olive Oil = 15g 2tsp salt = 14 g (say) Total flour = 635 g Total water = 540 g or 85% (wet) Salt =14g = 2.2% Some suggestions: 1. Introduce a sponge stage with about 1/3rd of the flour. The long fermentation will give you better flavour and texture. 2. Use half a cup less water 3. Omit the oil (you can use some on your hands and bench and basins to stop sticking) 4. Use a little less salt 5. Don't degas. About 2 hours after you have mixed the dough form it into boules, and put upside down into a floured cloth lined basket. (banneton) Actually if its easier use an oiled basin for each boule. When you come to bake 3 hours later just invert onto the peel, slash and put onto the hot stone in the oven. Sponge Take your 1.5 cups starter as before but add 1 cup of flour. Knead together and leave covered in a warm place for 12 -24 hours. You can do this in the KA mixer bowl and dump the rest in on top next day: Flour: 85 + 110 = 195 Water: 180 = about 93% hydration - still very wet Dough All the sponge Flour now 4 cups plus 3 Tbs /460g Water: 1 cup = 240g Salt: 1 3/4 tsp = 12g (assuming fine salt, about 12.5g or 0.18%) Total flour: 460+110+85 = 655 g Total water = 180+240 = 420g or 70% Continue as before...but form the boule after 3 hours and put into bannetons or oiled basins for the last 2 hours. Some more advanced options (try these later): 1. Retard the dough. When you form the boule, 2 hours after you mix the dough, put them into the fridge for anything from 4 to 24 hours. When you bake, bake from cold, or let warm up for an hour. This lets you bake at your convenience, 2, Weigh instead of using volume measures. Allows much more accuracy 3. Use all AP flour. Softer flour gives bigger holes, but slightly harder to work 4. Use a stiffer starter or sponge. I'm now using a 50% hydration sponge, and I think it give better flavour. You will need to adjust the water in the recipe. 5. Use much less starter. I use 1Tbs only, with corresponding changes in the sponge formula and fermentation times. Good luck. I'd try changing one thing at a time to see the effect. Please report here, preferably with pictures...

Tesll us what you do in detail, and what is wrong with the crumb at the moment

Yes, the crumb texture will be sensitive to the handling and the way the dough was stretched. Fashions change. 50 years ago a fine, even crumb and a soft crust was considered desirable, and bakers went to great lengths to achieve this. Recipes for home bakers included punching down and similar degassing steps to achieve this aim. Chorleywood and similar mass produced bread selected process parameters to give this result, hence Wonderbread, Mothers Pride etc. Nowadays, with the emphasis on rustic and artisanal bread we like big holes and a crisp crust, so need processes with less degassing and more of the fermentation in the final proof. There is no absolute, its up to your taste. Different breads have different uses. Fine crumbed bread, such as Pan de Mie might be better for delicate sandwiches or thin toast..Thick toast or a hefty hunk of bread with cheese might be better with a more rustic texture. YMMV.

Not sure you want to do much bashing if you want big holes.

College Guest Night (I ate rather than cooked. Matthew Carter is Head Chef. World class. How he produces such quality for 100 people is beyond me) Not mentioned is an amuse of pan fried scallops. Desert included perfectly ripe VAcherin Mont d'or, fruit, truffles and petit four

I'm sure the no-knead method will work fine with sourdough. I use it a lot. If you bulk ferment for 18-24 hours with sourdough the acid will make the dough very wet. Better to ferment the sponge for that long, then add the rest of the dough for only the last four hours or so, 80% will give an open texture, although I personally find the web a little course and pudding-like in very wet dough, and prefer the same method with slightly dryer dough.

There are a few things that do matter. a) Time and temperature. Sourdough is much slower than commercial yeast. For dough made from my starter I reckon on about 4 hours from mixing to baking, but overnight in a fridge can substitute for 2 hours of that. This has advantages and disadvantages. Its not nearly as time critical as commercial yeast, but more things happen over that time: the lacto bacteria generate acid and flavour, and the acid turns some of the starch to sugars, so the dough becomes slacker. The system is more temperature sensitive, You really need to be within a few degrees of 28C/85F for optimum results. b) Hydration In bakers percentages (relative to he weight of flour) this bread is total Flour: 600g 100% Water: 420g 70% Salt: 12g 2% This is a fairly typical formula. Changing the amount of water by more than a few percent will make the dough feel and behave differently. 1% is 6g or about a teaspoon of water, so small changes here have large effects; measure accurately. c) Salt and sugar (or chocolate) all slow down fermentation. d) I quoted a liquid starter sponge (poolish) because I think it is easier to work with, especially by hand. If you prefer a stiff sponge (biga) then take 100g of water from the sponge and add it to the dough, that is make the sponge 50% hydration - twice as much flour as water by weight, say 200g flour and 100g water, and add the 100g water to the dough. I think a stiffer sponge gives a slightly better flavour, but harder to work. I find its the long fermentation of the sponge step that gives the flavour, and the comparatively short fermentation of the dough that gives the texture.

Try here: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=27634 or lots of places on eG From your stock mother culture make a sponge Mix 200g/8oz flour 200g/8oz water 10g/tablespoon of mother culture Ferment covered for 12-24 hours at 28C/85F Mix 400g/1lb flour 220g/0.5 pints/1 cup water 12g/1 Tbs salt all the starter sponge mix roughly, then leave. Fold in 3 or knead for 10 secs every half hour for 2 hours. Keep warm. Shape, put in a cloth lined basket or basin or a loaf tin and leave in fridge overnight Heat a large casserole as hot as it will go (220c/425F) in the oven, Drop in the dough. Put the lid back on and put back in the oven for half an hour Remove the lid for another 15 mins Try and leave it to cool before slicing. Please post a picture

And in my foodblog http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...ndpost&p=715862 but with white fish

The Big Egg List http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=36904

Savoury puddings are the main course. Rare good ballast for an empty stomach. They usually contain the main protein, and the long boiling in an insulting jacket of suet pastry ensured slow gentle cooking with all the flavour sealed in. Use stewing meat with lots of connective tissue to melt into unctiousness Let me recycle this: Steak and Kidney Pudding. Pudding, not pie. Pie is just a stew with a pastry lid. In Steak and Kidney Pudding, the meat is sealed in a suet crust and boiled for six or more hours to melting, tasty, meaty loveliness. To quote Dr Marigold (one of Charles Dickens’ more obscure characters), describing his pudding; "A beefsteak-pudding, with two kidneys, a dozen oysters and a couple of mushrooms thrown in. It’s a pudding to put a man in a good humour with everything, except the two bottom buttons of his waistcoat." DR MARIGOLD'S PUDDING Serves 12. Good, cheap eating. For the pastry: 1lb/500g flour 8oz/250g shredded beef suet 1 tsp black treacle/molasses (gives the pastry a golden color and taste) Salt Cold water to mix Line a large (2pt) pudding basin ( or heat-resistant bowl). Reserve 1/3rd of the pastry for a lid. 2.5lbs/1Kg stewing beef cubed. Skirt steak is good. 1lb/500g chopped beef or veal kidney A dozen oysters, or a can or two of smoked oysters A couple of large Mushrooms cut up, or even better, dried morels 2 onions, chopped and softened 2 Tbs flour Salt and pepper; 1 Tbs Worcesteshire sauce Easy on the seasonings. Since everything is sealed in, the flavors intensify. You can, I suppose, omit the kidneys and the oysters, but it will not be as rich. You can use anchovies instead of oysters, but watch the salt level. Mix well and pack into the lined basin/bowl. Fill with a little stock or water, but there won’t be much room for liquid. Cover with the reserved pastry Tie a piece of greaseproof paper over, leaving a fold for expansion. Hint: easiest if you secure it with a large elastic band before tying with string. Don't forget to leave a loop of string over the top abd under the bottom, tied on both sides as a handle to help get it out of the hot pan after cooking. Put in a pan of water. Add a cut lemon to the water to protect the pan. Simmer (or rather not quite simmer) for 6 to 12 hours. Once simmering, it may be easier to put the whole pan in a low oven (90C/200F) for most of the cooking. Check the water level occasionally and if needed top it up to stop it boiling dry. Turn out into a deep dish, as there will be lots of gravy. Unfortunately I did not manage to snap this step before the hungry guests got at it. Serve with brussel sprouts, and mashed potatoes.

We called the "rissoles" in my family. Good also with any firm white fish. Equal quantities of lightly cooked fish, mashed potato (cooked), onions lightly softened in oil and lots of parsley. Season quite heavily, bind with an egg, and if too moist add matzo meal. Form into balls and roll in matzo meal. (no need for extra egg or batter) Preferably deep fry to golden brown. Warning: These evaporate if left accessible.

Pix...we need snaps....

Is this just sweet puddings? Don't forget savoury ones: steak and kidney, leek and bacon (boiled leg), Dr Marigold etc etc

Just thsi weekend I helped with the last of a neighbors pigs. Legs to ham Belly to bacon and ribs Head to brawn (headcheese) Liver to pate and liver sausages Rest ground for sausages

Its not too late. Next weekend is "Stir Up Sunday", the traditional last date; (STIR UP our hearts, we beseech they O Lord that they may PLENTIFULY BRING FORTH THE FRUIT of our labours...) Recipes for Christmas pud and for Mincemeat tarts are in Autumn and Festive preserves http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=30785 Its also just time to salt a ham for Xmas..

Elderflower cordial Apple juice Mulled red grape juice

Too kind. Two quince trees will give you more than enough unless you plan to go into commercial production. One is more than enough for me. I don't flavour my Membrillo at all, but I guess you could. Wrapping in bay leaves is an old tradition Keeping it is like jam. It keeps OK in a tin in a dry dark cupboard.

Spotted dog with raisins was originally Plum Duff. In some versions (see for example the NYT of 1898)http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9803E0DD1139E433A25751C2A9639C94699ED7CF&oref=slogin Plum Duff is not plums but a name for raisin However Alan Davidson in the Oxford Companion to food mentions raisins in conjunction with spotted dick, and points out that spotted dick is rolled with the dried fruit in layers, like a roly poly, whereas spotted dog the dried fruit is mixed with the dough and the pudding moulded in a basin or pudding cloth...

Spotted dick (currants not raisins) is one of a vast family of suet puddings.

Poor dentistry make people afraid of crust

If there is a pie challenge, then I will try and make a better one...Fatmat's is really good, but TP will win since she is much neater and her pastrywork is really good. Dickinson and Morris is about the only piemaker left in Melton. Who else has the tradition of Pork Pie for breakfast on Christmas day? Jellied stock: ideally from boiling bones, but otherwise stock plus gelatine. You can leave it out..

Chop into short pieces, braise in chicken stock with chopped bacon and onion or stifry Otherwise treat as celery.

I thought in the US tipping was mandatory. Personally I think tipping is demeaning. The restaurant should charge the right amount, and pay decent wages, not make the staff beg. If the service is poor, that is an issue for management to resolve, not the customer.