Paulchens FoodBlog?!

Aaaah yes, this bread really gave me a blast out of my comfort zone – though no sourdough was involved this time LOL

When I read the posts of several of the Babes talking about a very wet dough to work with and the bread should be baked without a pan I nearly panicked. You know bread without a pan never really works well with me… you’d say we are not made for each other.

But then… I WANTED to make this bread. Really! Badly!

So I kicked myself *youknowwhere* dragged myself into the kitchen and began to work  through Mary’s post (Karen was serving as the kitchen of the month in February 2008).

Surprisingly once I got used to work with the very wet dough it went not too bad. I only boobooed once ’cause I did not read Mary’s instructions right and only realized after about 2 hours of fermenting, that I was supposed to turn the dough DURING the fermenting time NOT after 4 hours… so I panicked a little, freaked out and then began to turn the dough like Mary described:

Let it ferment until doubled in bulk and filled with large air bubbles, about 4 hours. Using plenty of dusting flour, turn the dough 4 times in 20 minute intervals, that is, after 20, 40, 60, and 80 minutes of fermenting, the leave the dough undisturbed for the remaining time.

I was very happy to see that somehow despite of my booboo the dough behaved surprisingly well, considered that I was working with spelt flour again…

Even the shaping process worked well… I only cut the last proofing period after the sahping wich should have been another 1 1/2 hours. Knowing that the spelt dough would not like this anyway… So After shaping I gave it another 25 minutes and tested if it  “slowly springs back when lightly pressed” – it did so off into the oven it went. :)

What should I  say?
Like Mary said this bread has an incredible oven-spring! I never saw a bread proof that much in the oven. Oh and I only ended up with a belly-button too ;o)
Aaaand it tastes heavenly and even after three days it is very tasty and yummy to eat (made it on Saturday and had the last slices with butter and jam this morning).

On a side note:
My crumb does not have that big holes like the Babes described I guess it is due to my boobo-ing at the turning part… nevertheless I do not think it harmed the taste of the bread in any way…

Oh and of course I used spelt flour :)
I also found out that adding a potato to the dough helps a lot with the issues I’d normally have with spelt flour and shaping, I think I will investigate a little more on this …