Baking with whole wheat

A wet dough is harder to shape, but it forgives a lot once it is in the oven. The dough tells you more than the clock does, and it took me a long time to believe that. Half of the loaf went to the neighbours, as usual.

The second loaf of the day is always better than the first, because the oven is properly hot. Cold flour and a cold kitchen slow everything down, so in winter I start a day earlier. A cast iron pot does most of what a professional oven does, for a fraction of the trouble. Nothing here is exact, and that is rather the point.

I used to score too timidly; a quick, confident cut opens far better. The crust sang as it cooled on the rack, which is still my favourite part. This time I let the bulk rise go an hour longer, and the crumb was noticeably more open. I fed the starter in the evening and by morning it had doubled and smelled faintly of apples.

Whole grain flour drinks more water than you expect, so I add it in small steps. Salt goes in after the rest, a habit I picked up from an old bakery book.