This week we couldn't resist the technical bake, Paul's eight-strand plaited loaf. Who could? Auntie Beeb has obliged with a good selection of recipes from each episode on the GBBO microsite and the ingredients couldn't be simpler so...we immediately made the dough and left it to rise. Which it did very quickly. I wasn't surprised, the kitchen was really warm and there was 14g of yeast to half a kilo of flour. The rising period was considerably longer than the recommended 60 minutes as we had to squeeze in a trampolining lesson post-kneading! I bet Hollywood can't do a seat drop with half turn.
On return, I divided the dough into eight and weighed each dollop to check they were roughly even. Then we had to make the eight octopus legs that form the plait. Tricky stuff. Each tentacle was supposed to be 40cm long but it was hard stretching the dough and keeping an consistent width.
Indie overworked her tentacle. It was short and a bit dry. Our official GBBO photographer had to get involved, luckily he happens to be a bit of an artisan baker and the go to guy for anything involving large hands. Does this count as cheating? I am sure Mel Giedroyc (ha! didn't even Google it) helps out with a fishslice now and then.
Then we had to lay out the legs and start the plait. Indigo was convinced I was getting it wrong and kept up a chorus of unhelpful disapproving noises throughout. I think it went quite well, reasonably neat if a touch intestinal looking. As there was to be another hour of proving, Indigo retired for the night leaving me to eggwash and bake. And wash-up.
Look at that crust! Bread baked beautifully and was delicious, but perhaps not perfect. There was the odd tiny fold inside the loaf where the tentacles hadn't fully merged. So what we want to know is where did we come? Did we threaten John's Star Baker of the Week status?
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