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

[The laird]

Damp mdorning here at present

 

[Wooie1958]

Fog, fog, fog and more fog

 

[Full Member]

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

 

[Lorraine]

Well it is very foggy and has been since I got up at 7.30am, always is after bonefires. Roxy has been barking and pulling for home (think it because of last night) its drizzly and still

 

[Val54]

Back home in Cheshire it’s mild, murky and damp ...... time to sort the van out after last week‘s trip ...

 

[mariesnowgoose]

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!

 

[Full Member]

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

 

[Pauljenny]

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.

 

[trixie88]

spells of bright watery sunshine....still mighty cold tho......

 

[Val54]

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.

Don’t forget the wellies Paul .........

 

[Full Member]

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:



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



I enjoyed that!

Colin

 

[2cv]

The clocks changed last night so it’s a not too cool 18 degrees as we go outside for breakfast. Forecast is 31 later, and getting a little warmer as the week goes on.

 

[Full Member]

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

 

[2cv]

Dry and sunny, 31 degrees to come today.

 

[trixie88]

wet, windy cold........been out to get supplies in for the remainer of the week.........just in case weather gets worse........
oh to be in the land of sunshine......not too hot mind......

feet up by the fire now..me thinks...............

 

[Val54]

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 ........

 

[Pauljenny]

It's not as grim Oop Norph as we expected.
It wern't over bonny in Faro, this lunchtime, either.

 

[Pauljenny]

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 ........

Thanks Dave, You've done a good job.

From a thousand feet, once we'd got under the cloud , Cheshire looked pristine.. so green and scrubbed clean.
It's a little parky, but so long as it doesn't get worse,
We'll not complain, ( too loudly ).
We'll stay in bed till 9 am, to miss the early rain and allow the streets to warm up.

 

[Val54]

No prizes this morning for guessing the weather in Cheshire ️️️️️ Clearly Paul failed to bring any with him .....

 

[Full Member]

Hertfordshire is calm.
And damp.
And grey.
I feel a holiday coming on.

Colin