A Proper Loaf

Day 7: As much as I prefer the convenience and end-product quality in baking bread in a Dutch oven, it has had one drawback: it's hard to cut a round or oval loaf into same-size pieces for your breakfast toast. I was bemoaning the fact that I had never seen a loaf-shaped Dutch oven to my weaving friend Ed, whereupon he sent me a photo of one which put me on a new search. And I found scores of them! After several hours of comparison shopping I opted for an enameled one (lidded) which weighs almost 10 pounds, and this morning, I turned out my first loaf of sourdough after having adjusted my customary recipe to make it just a little smaller. In hindsight, I think I could have used the full recipe, but I like the height of this loaf. The sides got a little wrinkled as I dropped it into the pre-heated Dutch oven because my banneton is just a little too long and wide for a 9" x 5" pan.

Loaf Pan

Day 228: All too often, I have found that my computer has been put in airplane mode, or that the sound has been turned off, or that someone has been trying to send encrypted messages with my email or relaying secret instructions to my Facebook friends, so I had taken to covering it with the clear plastic lid to a seed-starting tray. When planting time arrived, the lid was required for the job it was meant to do, and I had to find some other way to protect the keyboard from mischievous pussy-paws. My 12" x 9" cake pan was a perfect fit. When not employed as a security device, the pan is put on top of the printer, but when I need to use the printer in conjunction with the computer, I put it on the floor for the interim. That was when I discovered that its true designation was not "cake pan" or "brownie pan." There is no mistaking it for anything else. It is definitely a Loaf Pan.