Boule (From Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day)

[DeejayDebi]

You could just add a bit of flour to what you have. 6.5 cups of flour to 3cups of water more or less. If it's to watery add more flour but just a few tablespoons at a time. It should be wet but not runny.


It should start out looking like the first picture and after rising over night - look like the second one.

Notice how high the dough rises in the deep dish?

[Stuart]

Should it shrink in the fridge after initially rising?

[DeejayDebi]

Maybe a little but not much. Dough will continue to rise unless it's really cold in the fridge.

[Tea]

Oh good, that's what mine looked like this morning.  I was afraid that I might have been a little too dry.

Rising beautifully as we speak, and I went out and purchased a stone this morning, so all set to go.

[DeejayDebi]

Tea -
I think you'll notice a big improvemet in the "Crustiness" of the bread. I could eat my weight in these rolls. Of course it has a major affect on my weight as well! 

Smear them with some olive oil with some chopped basil and a pinch roasted garlic paste ...  Ahhhh TO die for! I grew up eatting olive oil and basil on bread instead of butter. I guess it's an Italian thing my Mamas whole family did it.

[Tea]

I mix garlic and basil into butter and use that on bread.

I make an Anadama bread using molasses and polenta, and I love it with the garlic butter.  yumm

[Stuart]

I'm jealous of your successes. I'm going to mix a new batch of dough tomorrow after work. Hopefully it'll work. I'm pretty sure I just had too much water last time. 
I'm also eagerly awaiting some veal rennet to come that I ordered! Hopefully I'll make some tasty treats later this week.

[Tea]

Oh no Stuart, don't speak too early.  I haven't cooked any yet.  The dough has just gone into the fridge for safe keeping, and hopefully I will be cooking some tomorrow afternoon.

[DeejayDebi]

THat may be it Stuart. Hang in there!

[Tea]

I did it!  Finally got the chance to making one yesterday afternoon.  Put it on the tray to rest, and I doubted that it was going to rise properly, as like Stuart's, I thought that it had flattened out a little.  Anyway, I put in the oven, low and behold it rose like a beauty.  It started off about 1 - 1 1/2 inch high and rose to around 3 inched high.  Really impressed with these.
Many thanks for the recipe.

[DeejayDebi]

Did it come out feather light? That's my favorite part. You can eat a bunch of these they are so light.

[Tea]

Yes it was nice and light, and full of large air holes.  I'm about to go and make some more for breakfast.

[DeejayDebi]

Careful they are addictive.

[Stuart]

I'm going to try mine out later tonight! I mixed the dough yesterday and it rose nicely and didn't collapse in the fridge this time. Tea, your bread looks good!

[Tea]

I've got four more in the oven as I write.  I made this lot using a sourdough rye flour, so the sour flavour and smell has developed very quickly.
Next time I will try just ordinary plain flour.

Stuart, great to hear that things are looking better.  Let us know how everything works out.