Of course.

Not going to synagogue tonight and my wife’s out of town so she can’t make me. But it looks like I picked a bad time to call and wish her an easy fast.

Thank you for the update and advice. I would only add that this is also something that people should know:

I should mention that, although I’ve tried to make sourdough on & off for years, I’ve had nothing but disasters until 3 months ago. Using distilled water made a huge difference in flavor, then YouTube videos & my niece helped with the process steps. So I’m not an expert & anyone can do this!

I accidentally put the parchment paper across the length instead of lengthwise; as a result the edges folded in at the end and got caught in the bread, causing a bit of (temporary) sticking. 🤦‍♂️

Time for the second loaf. This is for the folks without a Benetton (or, like me, one Benetton but making two loaves.)

Home stretch!

Always have the warning label ready!

After preheating the oven & Dutch oven (I use 45 minutes including warmup) bake 20 minutes covered at 450F and 15 minutes (or a bit more, to taste) uncovered. The challenge is to remember that the lid is REALLY REALLY REALLY HOT and resist the automatic impulse to just pick it up.

Of course I could have taken ten seconds to search how to pronounce “lame” (which I’d only ever read) before taking 3 guesses in one video & just giving up on the next one, but that would require a level of planning I seem incapable of. It’s pronounced “la:m” like palm or arm. Silent e like forte.

As I mentioned, the dough stuck a bit to the bottom of the Benetton because there wasn't enough flour there; you can tell by the top of the loaf This video is one of two, after that they'll all be short.

Impressive casting indeed for the industry that gave us this.

Watching this bead pan loaf video before uploading it made me realize that I put the parchment paper across the length of the pan rather than lengthwise. This is probably why there were so many folds at the edges which I had to straighten out in the video, and trapped a bit of paper on the bake🤦‍♂️.

The second half of the olive loaf in a Benetton video. The loaf stuck a bit when I removed it later, so I should have added a bit more flour. I rushed that step while recording. A well seasoned older Benetton doesn’t stick, they say. But I’m just starting out so mine’s pretty new.

Resuming what’s become an instructional thread on my sourdough bread recipe and process. The shaping step video couldn’t be trimmed so I split it in two. Here’s the first loaf, shaped in the Benetton, then the second will rise in a bread pan.

There was more but I’ll post it tomorrow; editing the videos to under 2:20 takes too much time. But here’s how they turned out:

Our Golden Retriever once managed to eat a ball of bread dough resting on the counter (& survived only because we caught it right away) so a Dog Protector Cover[TM] is always used.

The first shaping step is to form a ball and create tension on the top surface. These two video clips give the idea. The first is a bit wordy but shows the process from the beginning. You could skip to the next one if you know how to get dough from the bowl.

I’m talking off the top of my head, and it shows. When I said “lightly floured bowl” I obviously meant “lightly oiled”, since I’d just wiped the inside with olive oil. (This is optional btw.) I use gloves when pumping gas, chopping onions or garlic, handling dough, scooping litter. Different pairs.

The third stretch/fold cycle, spaced 20-30 minutes apart, followed by the first rise "the proof." 1/2

I went to the Squirrel Hill farm market and discovered a local Trinidad Vegan restaurant 😀

First, I found that handling this mix, at 70% hydration, was a sticky mess and I had trouble making a smooth surface. I wore Nitrile gloves, which helped, but I went through four sets each time. Then I heard a baker say "why are you touching a sticky dough?"

It's been a while since I posted a cooking thread - so why not live-stream my sourdough bread? I might screw it up but so far it's off to a good start. I feed the starter the night before, then do the rest in one day. This usually fits well in my Saturday night/Sunday schedule. Prior loaves:

Me too! (One with olives.) It's like magic.

I’ve been haunted by this painting since I first saw it in the Met, and I probably visited a dozen times over the years mostly to see it again. The image on the screen honestly doesn’t do justice to the original.

…or just put the olives right into the bread from the start!

Nice to know we’re in the same club! (Just another way that we married up.)

I’m getting pretty good at this sourdough olive loaf thing! 😀

Our 100 pound golden retriever somehow stuffed himself with our 12 pound puppy INSIDE HIS CRATE for mutual cringing. Sadly there are no pictures 😢

Shabbat Shalom to those who partake.