Weather Report..................

Well it started wet so I watched the rugby 😬 then after the second try I thought fishing would be better and the weather had cleared. However the fish were obviously oblivious to my presence for the first hour or so, but came round in the end 😂 Just enjoying a very late full English in the fishing cafe before heading back to Cheshire where apparently it is still raining 🤔😬
 
Only 10 degrees as we sat down to breakfast at 8 this morning, but 20 an hour later. Clocks go back here tonight so breakfast should be nice and warm tomorrow.
A few passing clouds but mainly sunny and 31 degrees this afternoon.
The Dakota is out and about again.

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Well it started wet so I watched the rugby 😬 then after the second try I thought fishing would be better and the weather had cleared. However the fish were obviously oblivious to my presence for the first hour or so, but came round in the end 😂 Just enjoying a very late full English in the fishing cafe before heading back to Cheshire where apparently it is still raining 🤔😬
Ok, Dave.. you have done a wonderful job , using up all the bad weather.. Surely there will be none left for the next couple of weeks ?
We don't possess Clothing to cope with foul weather and are only bringing cabin baggage.
We might have to trawl around the posh charity shops in Altrincham, buy some rainwear and return it before flying back.
Mean while....
We have some rain about, but nothing to get excited about.
It's 23 outdoors and very humid.
 
Hertfordshire is damp underfoot but dry above head. The air is absolutely still and we have patches of blue up there.
So I'll attempt to get my very first sourdough loaf out of it's banneton (this is the step I'm most apprehensive about) and do a bake.
Then, of course, it's a bike ride!

Colin 🙂🙂🙂
 
Hertfordshire is damp underfoot but dry above head. The air is absolutely still and we have patches of blue up there.
So I'll attempt to get my very first sourdough loaf out of it's banneton (this is the step I'm most apprehensive about) and do a bake.
Then, of course, it's a bike ride!

Colin 🙂🙂🙂

I had to look up that word banneton! :)
So, basically it's a round mold for the bread dough to cook in? Produces a 'boule' I guess?
Never even knew they existed and never knew you could get bread dough that was too wet to hold it's shape as it rises.

Summary: a banneton stops your bread dough spreading around in the oven like an amoeba! ;) 😁
 
I had to look up that word banneton! :)
So, basically it's a round mold for the bread dough to cook in? Produces a 'boule' I guess?
Never even knew they existed and never knew you could get bread dough that was too wet to hold it's shape as it rises.

Summary: a banneton stops your bread dough spreading around in the oven like an amoeba! ;) 😁

A banneton is made of cane and mustn't be put in an oven, Marie! It's generally used at the proving stage to give a pretty pattern to the loaf, though certainly isn't essential. The proved sourdough is gently tipped out of the banneton onto a baking sheet and should, as you suggest, hold it's shape. Baking in a covered dish (casserole or anything heatproof - I plan to use a non-stick pan with a domed stainless cover I happen to have already) for the first half of the bake then removing the cover to finish the bake is generally recommended. This traps steam around the loaf and apparently improves the crust.
I'll let you know in this thread how things go - I'm still apprehensive about getting the sourdough out of the banneton, though have pretreated it with flour and semolina.

Colin 🙂🙂🙂
 
Wonderful start to the day . Full sunshine at breakfast, at the crack of 9.30.
It's clouding over, from the West, no rain is forecast, but we're having to come indoors because the Angels must be crying. 🌦️ This time tomorrow, we'll be at the airport, wearing socks and carying raincoats.
 
It's drizzling here in Hertfordshire so a bike ride may have to wait until tomorrow.
On a positive note, the sourdough loaf came out of the banneton and into the baking (frying!) pan without difficulty:

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....... and an hour later after basking in temperatures somewhat higher than found in Herts right now ................. bingo, a sourdough loaf:

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I enjoyed that!

Colin 🙂🙂🙂
 
The air is still in Hertfordshire.
The air doesn't contain precipitation.
The air is at a temperature of about 9⁰C.
The air has patches of blue within it.
So I've put wet clothing out in the air to see how it copes with that challenge.

Colin :):):)
 
Been an ok day in Cheshire, a couple of showers and some sunshine mixed in. However everything is still absolutely sodden, I did some more hedge cutting and turned the annual brash heap in the field, it’ll be a while before I can think of burning it ........
 
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