Everything had been going so well this month, I had been posting regularly with some seasonal recipes. I got my Daring Cooks post up on time, made mincemeat and all manner of other interesting recipes that I have yet to share with you all.
However November has suddenly vanished from underneath me. I missed the Daring Bakers deadline yesterday, and have no time (nor any real wish) to make the Cannoli next week. I am off work for three days next week and have barely planned anything to do. More importantly however at the start of November I signed up for the Fresh from the oven Challenge, posts are meant to go up today. Have I started? Barely. My plan is to update this post during the day as I finish off my challenge bread.
Update: I have now finished my loaf, but you can read my updated commentary below.
This months challenge comes from Linda from With Knife & Fork who chose a White Tin Loaf using Dan Lepard’s technique.
Lepard says he developed this when he was working full time in commercial kitchens (that made artisan hand kneaded bread) because there wasn’t time for full 10 minute knead of all the different bread batches so he switched to short kneads spaced out and found it works just as well, part of the development of a good gluten structure is dependent on the time elapsed not the vigorous kneading.
After hearing a lot of discussion on this method I was really pleased to have to give at a go. It would be interesting to compare it to the Bread Baker’s Apprentice method, my one worry is that while you don’t have to knead for 12 minutes solid, it does sound like it will make the whole process longer with a twelve second knead every 10 – 20 minutes.
So the interesting part about this recipe is the kneading process.
09:54 After mixing the ingredients and forming a soft dough leave for 10 minutes.
10:04 Do a 12 second fast knead. This is where you bring the outer edges into the center of the roll. It seems to be rather like when you are shaping a boule. Leave for 10 minutes.
10:19 Another 12 second knead, this time left for around 20 -30 minutes. This is the bread 10 minutes in, after second knead.
10:40 Another 12 second knead. You have to leave it till it increases 50%.
11:10 Has it increased by 50% yet?
11:20 It’s so damn cold in this house, how is bread supposed to rise! Normally I would be happy that it would definitely have risen 50% by now…
11:34 After heating the house a little (it was probably a good idea anyway) I think it’s finally risen to around 50%. Speaking to Linda on Twitter seems this should take around an hour (obviously depending on the heat of your room etc), I guess I am used to around 30 minutes from previous bread recipes.
Once you are happy that it has increased in size by 50%, turn the bread out on to an oiled surface, and do your final fast 12 second knead. I really like the idea of kneading with oil rather than flour – it’s so much easier to clean up, and you don’t get flour dust all over you!
Since all my previous kneading pictures were too blurry (to even show on my blog) I decided to post one now. (I am not sure why my hand looks so purple in this photo – rest assured it doesn’t look that colour in real life).
To shape the dough, press it out into a square and roll it ensuring that you nip the ends together.
Add the shaped dough to the tin.
Leave it in a warm place for it’s final rise, it should rise at least another 50% but hopefully double and crest the pan before it goes in the oven.
Preheat the oven to the hottest temperature it will go (with mine 250 oC). Add the loaf to the oven for 10 minutes, after that time check the colour of the crust. Mine was barely coloured which meant I turned down the temperature to 200 oC, then leaving it to cook for a further 40 – 50 minutes. (If yours is browning quickly, turn it down to 170 oC, or if only slightly browning turn down to 180 oC).
You can see the full recipe for White Tin Loaf here.
I love this bread! It’s amazingly good, and so moreish, I had a couple of slices straight out of the oven, and some later on. I was intending to keep some for tomorrow’s breakfast but I am not sure there will be any left!
As for the different technique, I liked it, I think I would have liked it more if I hadn’t been a little pressed for time. My main problem is that sticking to time deadlines, and long processes is something I find difficult. I will most likely miss steps, or put extra ones in. For example this morning when I started I read the recipe technique through a few times and wrote down the different steps with approximate timings. However when I checked it over I had added in an extra kneading step with a 15 – 20 minute break which is present at no point in the recipe. Don’t ask me how, I have no clue, but it was weird.
While my normal kneading process is more involved it is slightly simpler, but I can’t deny that this was a fantastic loaf, and probably the best I have ever made!
Thanks Linda for a great challenge!