[compostqueen]

Ta for the links. I shall get one!  I am undecided about the banneton at the mo.

I did make Dan's slow loaf which gets proved in cloth lined bowl or banneton and then flipped out onto a board, stone or hot tray in my case. It collapsed, so I think it would have been better off in a tin.  The slow loaf (which is pictured early on in the book with a blob of mayo and red sauce on it).  It was sour, the sourest yet, but it was very tasty. I turned it into bruscetta with a rub of garlic and some olive oil and onto a hot griddle. We had it with our casserole and it went down very well.

I made another loaf last night with your bog standard recipe (which is very good isn't it) So thanks very much. I am really pleased with progress so far and am producing some really tasty loaves. I'm doing all our daily bread now but I dare say that will tail off once the weather improves and the plot calls me 

[Scribbler]

Got a jar of spelt starter on the go now, to add to the rye and the white. They're all very different. Can be difficult fitting work in between loaves!

[Debz]

My lovely husband has got a walnut loaf in the oven for me just now.  I bought him a baneton as part of his Christmas but he hasn't used it yet.  He has been following weight watchers too so hasn't been making as much bread as he used to because he finds it far too tempting.

[compostqueen]

I love walnut bread. Walnut, orange spelt loaf is particularly fab 

I'm on WW too and am in trouble for eating too much bread. I have to curb my enthusiasm

What a drag having to fit work in around your breadmaking. Perhaps you should take up baking and give up the day job 

[New shoot]

I'm making the River Cottage sourdough loaves today with the 50/50 rye and white sponge and the white flour to make the loaf 

Sometimes I do the more faffy version where you re-knead the dough several times over a few hours, but today is the lazy one.  Mixed the sponge last night, made the dough and shaped the loaves this morning and will bake this evening.

Augustus, my spelt starter, has a lovely flavour now.  Tangy, tasty bread every time and it freezes beautifully 

I find sourdough bread much more filling and satisfying.  Trouble is it tastes too nice so that doesn't really help with weight watching 

[Scribbler]

Work is such a hassle today it's great to talk about bread instead.

My last loaf was 300g white flour, 200g wholemeal and 300g rye starter (plus 200ml water, salt and sugar). I might doing the faffy version, but, as the kids delight me is saying constantly, I CBA...

You just can't beat the taste. And it smells so lovely too.

Salivating badly now...

[Scribbler]

Now you're scaring me 

In trouble at Weight Watchers AND physically violent 

And lever her pappy white bloomers out of it!!!

TGIF. 

[compostqueen]

The bread just ran out. My husband ate quite a lot last night, saying he was loving it    My son had some this morning with his bacon and egg and I had the last slice toasted with a grilled mackerel on top.

So, off to make a soda bread now.

What have you/anyone else got on the go breadwise? 

[Scribbler]

I'm concentrating on eating it and working at the moment.

In the past I've looked at the index and chosen something. But last night I was looking at the first recipes in the book like the white leaven bread and the mill loaf. These look interesting, but latter one would be huge.

I'm afraid I would still just throw it together and cut out all the faff.

BTW have a look at this link. Looks like a lovely book, complete with DVD.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crust-Sourdough-Ciabatta-Bagels-Brioche/dp/0857831089/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1349448742&sr=1-2-fkmr0

[Scribbler]

He's also got another book out maybe more for beginners

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dough-Richard-Bertinet/dp/1856267628/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361551149&sr=1-1

And a place down in Bath if you're that way CQ.

Just don't get in a fight with him. 

[Scribbler]

Talking of Mr Bertinet, just pulled this off t' internet...

Richard Bertinet’s Ciabatta Bread Recipe

Yields: 4 loaves

Ingredients for the Ferment (to be prepared 24 hours in advance):

350g (12 1/2 ounces or 2 2/3 cup) white bread flour
190g (7 fluid ounces) water
2.5g (1/2 teaspoon) fresh yeast
Ingredients for the Bread:
450g ( one pound) Italian bread flour (I used unbleached white)
20g (1/3 ounce) fresh yeast
340g (13 fluid ounces) water
75g (5 tablespoons) olive oil or avocado oil
1 tablespoon fine grain salt
oil for oiling
flour for dusting

Instructions for the Ferment:

Mix all ingredients together in a mixer, or by hand, for about 5 minutes until you have a rough dough

Place in bowl covered loosely with plastic wrap and a lint free dishtowel

Rest in a draft free place 17 – 24 hours

Instructions for the Bread:

Put the flour in a mixing bowl and rub in the yeast with your fingertips as if you were making a crumble

Scoop the ferment into the bowl

Add the water, oil, and salt mixing well until all are combined in the bowl

Transfer to the counter with the help of the rounder end of your scraper and work the dough as demonstrated in the Sweet Dough video, below (on original web site)

Mold dough into a ball; lightly oil a bowl with EVOO or avocado oil and place the dough in the bowl covering with a lint free towel and rest in a warm place for 90 minutes, or until bubbly and light

Flour your work surface generously with white flour or cornmeal; with the help of the rounded end of your scraper, turn the dough out onto the counter in one piece

Flour the top; press the dough lightly and gently dimpling it gently with your fingers and divide it into four equal strips

Fold into three: fold one part of one strip over the middle third of the dough gently pressing to seal; bring the other side back over that middle third gently pressing to seal
Finally, fold in half lengthwise, and seal the edges

Preheat the oven to 475°F with a cookie sheet or upside down jelly roll pan on the rack in the oven to be used to bake the bread on

Place the pieces of dough onto well floured lint free dishtowels; cover and proof for 45 minutes

Flour a wooden peel; picking up one ciabatta at a time, turn it over and stretch it lengthwise a little at the same time and lay it on the peel

Spray the inside off your oven with water (I throw in 4-5 ice cubes) and then quickly slide the ciabatta onto the baking stone or tray

Turn the oven down to 435°F and set the timer for 20 minutes: if you are par-baking your bread, set the timer for 15 minutes, cool loaves completely, wrap well, and freeze (Bake from frozen for 12 minutes at 400°F)

For the Thermomix:

Scale the flour and yeast into the TM bowl, and combine for 10 second at speed 4

Add the ferment; scale in the water, oil, and salt and mix to combine for 30 second at speed 4-5

Knead for 3 minutes and follow the instructions above from #5 on.

Note: Plain ciabatta is as common in Italian supermarkets as white sandwich bread is in the United States. Other ingredients are often baked into ciabatta such as chopped olives or sun-dried tomatoes. Ciabatta is often served with soups and salads and is excellent for sandwiches, grilling, or for dipping into olive oil.

[Aunt Sally]

I've edited it a bit.

Can you give me a  citation for it, please  (plagiarism not allowed)  

[Scribbler]

Oh you are nice Auntie. Thanks.

It's from Valerie Lugonja's Canadian Foodie website. Would have been easier for me just to post a link...

http://www.acanadianfoodie.com/2011/01/28/ciabatta-bread-richard-bertinets-ultimate-crunchy-crust-white-fluffy-puffy-interior/

Thanks again. Running out of brain cells - Friday etc.

[Aunt Sally]

Thanks, me dear

[New shoot]

Sourdough loaves baking and smelling wonderful 

Had just had to have a slice off the current loaf with butter