Into the bread bin – Loaf 1

Plain White Loaf

Here’s the first loaf which I’ve baked since starting this blog.
I was aiming for a simple, unpretentious white loaf using only flour, yeast, salt and water. The recipe was taken from ‘Confessions of a French Baker’ by Peter Mayle, though given my lousy attempt, I’m not sure he will be grateful for the referral.

My Review
Appearance: Decent. The crust has a nice, golden brown sheen with some darkening on top. The slits on the top opened up just as I had hoped. However my crappy shaping technique is obvious from the pock marked surface on the sides of the loaf. Note also the lopsidedness of the loaf. Much like myself, it’s got an ass and it ain’t pretty to look at. My dusting technique is even worse. Instead of a fine, ethereal layer of white dust, I’ve created mottled, splodges of plain flour that resemble the first onset of mold.
Crust: Miserable. There’s no structure to this pathetic crust what so ever. I was hoping for a resilient layer of chestnut and instead achieved the insipid skin of a peanut.
Texture: Somehow the final rising in the oven never really took off. The loaf has a pleasant, medium density but is far from the light airy texture that I was hoping for.
Taste: Not bad. It tasted exactly like a loaf that you would buy from an unambitious town bakery.

Wife’s review:
Appearance: “It looks very big.” (How much of this am I going to have to eat?)
Crust: Yum. (Just as soft as her favorite supermarket breads.)
Texture: “I’d prefer it lighter.”
Taste: “It tastes like bread.”