The Leaf Plate

Found this plate at Wal-Mart during Thanksgiving and waited and waited until it would go on clearance. It didn't so I bought it for the $5 and finally got around to using it. It has ridges and I thought I could make a nice loaf of sourdough bread with it. (I can't afford a bannton yet, so I thought this might work.)

I made the French Country Boule from the book, "Local Breads", by Danile Leader. The ingredients I changed were the whole wheat and rye flours, I used some spelt. I didn't want to take the time and grind up some more wheat and the spelt was already done. 

With a bannton, you use a linen tea cloth and dust with flour, so I did with the plate. Problem was that the ridges didn't show through, so next time I will just grease the leaf plate and put the dough on to see if I get the design I want. It is such a pretty plate. I had extra dough so just made a long slim rope and let it bake. The two doughs were too close on the baking pan, so they fused together. End results was still delicous bread! Crust was hard on the outside and soft on the inside, just the way I like it. Another thing is that I didn't put the doughs on a baking stone, as I just finished baking the cheese and date bread, so by letting them bake on a baking sheet the bottoms baked a little browner than usual.

Did love the bread and I love baking from this book, as you can tell.

Also because of so much baking, my neighbors got the rewards and said they loved the different breads. Yeah!!!

Enough baking for 2 days, but still want to try my new friend, Elizabeth's date bread and cheese crackers. Then I will decide what recipe will go on to the BBD#16.