Recently our toaster oven died. Looking to replace it, my wife looked at several brands,including Cuisinart. I just couldn't resist talking her into getting me the Cuisinart baker's model. My argument was that it had all the basic functions, but it also would allow me to bake all 12 months, even during the intolerably humid NYC summers, something which I would still do, no matter. I mean you need a good loaf, right?
Upon bringing it home, I started up my starters, crunched my numbers and began to bake. First it was pizza. Then I did some loaves of bread. None of them were winners. As a matter of fact, I was disappointed. First I blamed the oven. But in truth I knew it was either lack of crunching the right numbers or my skills were really going south! Where was my mojo? So this weekend, while nursing my wife with a cold, I had all the excuses to bake. And so I finally figured out the proper settings for the oven, after crying to Susan at Wild Yeast about my less than cooked pizza and scorched loaves.
As I slowly adjusted and tweaked I found my baker's touch come back. All to say I spent lots of hours converting bread formulas. Voila, do the homework and it pays off in the end. Wish I had done that in high school. I might have made it to Wall Street. On second thought, I think my timing is just right. My home is the kitchen.
Nothing better than to see a clam shell grigne so lovely! Onwards and upwards!
Happy Baking
Ridiculously gorgeous! God I wish mine came out looking like that with any regularity. I just throw my dough in my pre-heated dutch oven (my subsitute for spraying my oven to make it temporarily humid) and hope for the best. More often than not the best does not occur. But for those times that it does, the process is worth it.
Thanks Laura,
It’s weird, I usually have trouble with retarded breads and started to go creuset pot for baking, but this oven is just right, I’m not baking 50 loaves. Au contrair I try to limit my output to what I eat, economics and a nagging wife, “What another bread!”
The smile on this loaf surely lifted my spirits, I am conspiring for some more crunched formulas as soon as I can. Looks like a snowy weekend, good excuse to bake a loaf, or two!
Cheers,
Jeremy
GORGEOUS!!!! I wanna a new oven!!
Everything looks fantastic and delicious…yum! I need a new oven too! LOL 🙂
TP, Thanks, didn’t hubby get you that pro oven yet??? Loved the pictures of your CNY, to die for!
Melissa,
Thank you too, we have to do that interview, yet? Donde estas escondida? The bread looks so good I don’t want to cut it! Probably with some breakfast coffee it will taste good!
Jeremy
Oh yeah! Nice. Did you spray the loaf with water after baking? It looks rather shiny.
Nils, no I didn’t but the latest loaf of rye I did, will post about it later a delicatessen rye.