Yeah good point. I’d had enough and he’s trying to catch up to some mates who are a bit better at rock climbing. He’s about 180-181 cm (17 yo) and has dropped from 80 kg or so to around 76 in isolation, running, weights and easing off the tucker. Daughter is a vego and missus eats small amounts of meat only. I’d bought a whole piece, cut and froze most in 2 or 3 steak packs, but had plenty!
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Sounds like you’re the winner in that scenario. Bread looks amazing too.
One thing we do as we eat a little less meat is rather than ‘everyone gets a steak’ I tend to cook them thick, let them rest and serve sliced strips. Portion sizes don’t depend on the size of the steak. It’s like this when you do Thai beef salad - a little good steak goes a long way I find.
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Looks as good as the last lot.
I made my third ever loaf yesterday, but it wasn’t as good as the first two. I made it the same shape as yours and simply sat it on a pizza stone in the oven (with steam at first). I hadn’t slashed the top deeply enough so it didn’t open up properly. Also there’s a small vein through the middle of the loaf that’s just not quite cooked fully, although it’s certainly edible and tastes good enough.
Is there some way of telling for sure when it’s properly done? I left it in for what I thought was plenty of time, but maybe I didn’t have the oven quite hot enough.
Great pics. How much starter do you use per loaf?
Well I like the oven and the stone smoking hot to start. Otherwise it can sag and set before risen fully so you get a flat loaf. But I turn down after 15-20 mins so it slows down enough to bake through. If I didn’t, it’d be very dark before cooking through the middle. Then if I get to the 40 min mark and I can see 5 more mins isn’t going to darken it, I’ll crank it back to max (240 for me). This does vary a bit with degree of fermentation (more means less sugar and difficult to get caramelisation.
Other thing is if it’s a little dense it might stay gluey, so make sure it’s fully risen, without getting collapsy. I can tell this peak Point by size in the banettons, as well as by the poke test. Once it’s past optimum, bigger isn’t better as it will sag on the stone no mater how hot.
It’s trial and error. Everyone bakes some dodgy loaves as they get familiar with it. Nowadays I don’t need to look up quantities and can judge how it’s going and where it needs heating or cooling to steer the process, and my worst efforts aren’t much different from my best. You’ll get there if you keep going…
Thanks. I think I didn’t have the oven hot enough. With the first two I had the oven at 220 fan forced for the whole bake and cooked the loaves in an enamel pot; this time I started at 230 but turned it down to 200 after 20 minutes.
I’ll keep going. And fairly soon I’ll be having a go at cooking one in an Aga oven, which will be interesting.
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Hmm how to answer.
I make it in stages, for 4 loaves:
Active starter 100 or so grams (more if not fully active or it’s cold in the house) in a ‘levain’ of about a kilo of levain (420 g water and 540 g flour, typically 150-200 g of this is rye).
Ferment about 12 hours.
Then add 1020g if water (it was 1000 but I was always adding a touch more by feel!). Stir With a whisk til well mixed slurry.
Add 1400 g bakers flour with 40 g salt and half a teaspoon of dilutedi-in-wheat-flour diastatic malt (ground sprouted barley which has an enzyme that helps convert damaged starch to maltose- note NOT brewing or other malt - it’s very specific).
Knead/Bulk ferment then scale/shape /prove bake…
I have notes and a spreadsheet if you pm me you email…
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I can recommend the notes. Extremely comprehensive and helpful.
It will be the best bread you’ve ever tasted.
You’re assuming I don’t stuff it up.
Lol perhaps I should have added… eventually 
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Aga will be interesting! I’ll be interested to hear about it!
With one backyard project nearly done (greenhouse), and another planned (north facing covered daybed, I’m also eyeing off the not-used-for years spot where the trampoline sits as a possible brick, wood-fired oven… I saw one deluxe home built model that had a separate fire-chamber to apply low heat from a smoky fire into the main chamber, when it wasn’t fired in the main chamber As a pizza oven. Be nice for Ribs etc but a ton of work Outside my comfort zone, for me. There’s quick cheap cheerful ones that won’t work so well and risk decay (regular bricks, non insulated etc). I reckon if I do it it’d be somewhere in between…
Only when bought in the 1.25 litre bottle and mixed with Lemonade.
(One of my clearest memories of my time spent in SA)
Evil memories of that fire water in my early 20’s
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I don’t mind Captain Morgan so on my last trip back from Manila I saw 2x1lt bottles on special for the equivalent of about $45. That stuff pictured is fire water, it’s the Over proof 57% stuff and man it knocks you around if you have a decent session on it 
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Time to put this in your mouth?
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Lol
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