It’s going to be a tough few weeks, financially.
As with all old houses, maintenance issues crop up from time to time, and this month we’ve had major problems with the sewer line (I can hear some of you groaning from here). It’s not resolved yet, so a bill hasn’t arrived, but I’ll make sure I’m sitting down when it does. There have been a few other expenses as well, but they’re pretty trivial compared to the plumbing.
So…in the midst of trying to finesse our cashflow, I was delighted to uncover a lost bag of high protein wholemeal spelt flour in the freezer…
I fed up Priscilla (my sourdough starter) and that night, made a ciabatta-style dough…
- 600g ripe starter (166% hydration – more info on feeding it here)
- 2kg wholemeal spelt flour
- 1300g cold water
- 36g fine sea salt
It’s always worth cutting the water back a little for spelt (I probably should have used less), but I was hoping to make holey loaves. I squelched everything together, gave it a couple of folds twenty minutes later, then left it in a large plastic tub and went to bed.
The next morning, the dough poured out of the container like a thick, gluggy soup. I dusted the bench with fine semolina, gave the dough a couple of folds, then cut it into loaves. These were plonked onto parchment paper and baked on stones in a preheated oven for 45 minutes (in total). There are more detailed instructions here. Spelt always bakes to the most glorious golden brown…
The wonkiness of the loaves is a testament to how wet and fiddly the dough was. At our house, we refer to it as “rustic”…
The finished ciabattas had a dark, holey crumb with a distinctive nutty flavour…
There’s something almost magical about baking bread.
We’re expecting a bill for (possibly) thousands of dollars worth of plumbing, yet somehow, being able to bake eight “free” loaves of sourdough eased the pain just a little. Best of all, there was plenty to go around – we ate two loaves; one went to our neighbour Mark, another to Dredgey and a third to Liz, who ate it with her mulberry jam. That left three loaves for the freezer. Not a bad result from a “found” bag of flour!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Celia, we went through this problem in 2002 when we were living in France and rented our home then in Oklahoma. The huge problem happened right when we came back to the US for a short visit, and it was a major headache and major expenses, not to mention the revolution in the backyard because they had to dig from the house to the street. As the years go by, we forget and can even laugh about it, but as it is happening, NOT FUN.
Thinking of you!
Thanks hon. I think we’re lucky we caught it when we did, but still trying to figure out how to solve the issue – it’s in a tricky spot! It’ll be fine though, just going to take a bit of time and money.
I love found anything- especially dollars in my jacket or jeans pockets! ( I found $8 in the washing machine last night!) Found flour is a wonderful bonus- and the bread is rustically beautiful.
Sorry to hear about the plumbing bill- here we just get done paying off one big bill and another pops up to take its place. :(
Heidi, it never really ends, does it? Our house is over a hundred years old, so there’s always stuff to fix. I’m with you though, found anything is always a treat! :)
Oh, I feel your pain! Those types of things do tend to run on the pricey side! But the ciabatta looks amazing. I have been wanting to make ciabatta for a while now and yours looks wonderful. I even have some dried starter in the freezer and in my cupboard. Glad you found the “free” bag of spelt. :)
Laila, most of the bread we make these days is ciabatta, purely from a logistical angle, as my hands can get sore with kneading the really heavy doughs, and ciabatta needs so little handling. If you wanted to try a yeasted version, I wrote a long tutorial here…
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2011/06/22/pane-de-casa-a-tutorial/
Or the Sourdough version here…
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2011/03/23/ciabatta-con-semola-rimacinata-di-grano-duro/
It’s worth mentioning that if you can’t get remilled semolina flour, it works well with 100% regular bakers flour, providing your decrease the water quantity by 5%. My friend Claire has had great success with an all bakers flour version of the yeasted ciabatta…
http://clairekcreations.com/2013/07/ciabatta-rolls/
Thanks for the links…it just might be that I will be baking bread today!
Hi Celia, Shit news about the plumbing – have a glass of wine, that will cheer you up! It is horrible to have to spend money on things like plumbing when there are kitchen gadgets to buy. But alas there is always something boring to take your money. Your bread, as always looks absolutely delightful. That surely would cheer you up – wine or no wine.
Glenda, so long as we can keep baking bread, everything will be fine, or at least that’s what Pete told me! :)
Celia, Pete is dead right. He is a very wise man. Like one of your other commenter’s said, in a few months you would have forgotten the stress created by the plumbing bill.
Sorry to hear re the plumbing woes – that kind of hole in the pocket is always a pain. But happy that Priscilla did her bit and your loaves look wonderful and also it was a treat to read about the process.
Azita, I find sourdough baking really grounding – when everything else is in chaos, I find it slows me down. I really should write a post about the Mindfulness of Bread.. ;-)
I still haven’t worked up the nerve to tackle such a wet dough. Yours looks gorgeous. I’m doing cookies as I write this. Another tweak, and I think we might have a good recipe. Added more marg, and less sweetener this time.
Misky, your cookies sound perfect! Loved the photo too! The wet dough is fine to work with if you’re not overly concerned with the final appearance! :)
Appearance is no problem. I’m just afraid I’ll have to chase it across the floor!
I feel for you. We had a serious blockage and collapse a few years ago but, luckily our insurance covered it. It was bad enough with a smelly basement and not using the kitchen sink or dishwasher till it was sorted out.!
That bread looks lovely. Rustic is good. It beats the machine processes hands down!
Pat, that’s the reason why we gave away our bread maker in the end – all the loaves ended up looking the same, and they were all light and fluffy. We like our bread chewy and I quite like that it’s solid enough to club someone with. ;-)
Awesome looking loaves, Celia! You have an amazing touch with your bread, and you make it sound so effortless! Would love to be able to actually watch you do this!
Getting busy creating in the kitchen often has a way of helping to ease the anxiety of life’s worries….
Debby, thank you! We’ve been baking our own bread for so long now that it really does feel effortless – I spend a lot of my time ignoring the dough! :)
There certainly is something magical about homemade bread. I’m sorry to hear about the plumbing issues but that’s nothing you can put off or pretend isn’t happening. I think our house parts all got together & decided “ok, we’re 24 year old – let’s all give out at the same time”… and, they did.
Di, you’re so right – some things you just can’t ignore, and unfortunately sewerage is one of them. It’s a right pain in the butt though (no pun intended :)).
Such lovely loaves! I’ve found making our bread has increased our consumption but decreased our food bill. Good luck with the bills.
Thanks Clare, that’s so true about bread and the food bills. I don’t know why it’s the case, but we’ve found it to be the case here as well!
I hear your pain Celia. Five and a half years ago we brought my firstborn home from hospital, elated as new parents. We then discovered our toilet, sink & vanity were acting strange in our old (1929) home. The upshot was a daily legion of plumbers for the following days, holes dug on our property deep in enough to swallow two men & a $10k bill. Thankfully I had stocked up freezer with meals & I could drink again to ease that shock!
Oh Kim, I can’t imagine coming home to that with a newborn! You poor thing! Hopefully ours won’t be that bad, but with all things plumbing and old houses, you never really know until they start digging! Ah well, we’ll have to wait and see…
And these big bills are always unexpected. It might have been a little better if you were able to factor it into your budget, rather than it jumping up and hitting you in the face. (Sorry, that is an awful image considering it’s the sewer!) your bread looks absolutely delicious, and I wish I had a few slices here for breakfast.
Anne, we’re *supposed* to be putting money aside every month for an emergency, but who does that? It will be ok though, it’s just a pain. Thank you – the bread has been going down well with the masses! :)
So sorry to hear of your plumbing dramas, I hope it’s not too painful when the bill comes. It seems there is always something lurking around the corner. I’m happy that you can cheer yourself up with such splendid baking though.
Amanda, thanks hon, it really is nice to have an economical hobby that cheers me up so much! I was baking cookies yesterday. Far more affordable than retail therapy! :D
I’m sorry to hear of your plumbing woes, Celia. Plumbing bills are up there with car repairs! Even in your times of being stretched financially, you’re still giving generously – I’m sure your friends were very blessed with your bread. I think I need to get one of Priscilla’s offspring so I can start baking my own bread. I love spelt bread and where I live it’s hard to source. For some reason the bakers only make it once or twice a week and when you turn up, it’s invariably all sold out. My naturopath says I have to avoid wheat but can have spelt! xx
I’ll give you some next time I see you, Charlie! Spelt flour is widely available these days, but it IS expensive – the flour we bought from our mate Kevin is no longer available, but you can buy it everywhere these days, even some of the supermarkets. You need to watch for protein content – it seems to vary widely amongst spelt flours.
Celia, is it the time of year or what! The septic system has just failed inspection…….need a new system…….which one to choose! Oh the quote for a new system was a bit more than my feeble brain could cope with.
The decision is on hold until the present emergency passes.
Making rye bread, yoghurt and Pete’s slice today; the stress levels are ramping up…….next week will be better, my partner returns from visiting the matriarch!
When in doubt, bake Elaine! :) I’m sorry you’re stressed, hope all is still ok in your neck of the woods. xx
What a bugger Celia! You are amazing though, still showing such generosity when things are tight for you. I hope it resolves quickly- and cheaply without disturbing your garden too much. Your bread has such personality, so much nicer than generic loaves, I just wish I could eat spelt :) xox
Hon, it wasn’t really generosity, I couldn’t get it all in the freezer. ;-) But thank you, you’re always so willing to believe the best of me :) xx
Darn those household expenses, especially when things break down in threes! Perhaps a market stall on your front porch selling packets of your awesome chocolate and amazing bread…. both artisan… I certainly pay good $$$$ for them!
But Lizzy, if I did that and you came along, I’d have to just give them to you.. ;-)
Oh Celia, sewage problems are soo pongy as well as expensive. I met a really nice young man recently who started his working life as a plumber and I asked him if he was married because my youngest daughter is unattached and a plumber in the family is greatly to be desired:) :). I fed Patsy last night and she was ready to go this morning but it was a couple of hours before I could get round to it and the dough seems to be spreading rather than rising. I do find it incredibly satisfying to look into a bowl of bubbling, lively starter and contemplate that it is just flour, water and wild yeasts – and a bit of magic.
Princess Patsy sounds like she’s going gangbusters, Jan! I’m so happy to hear that! :)
Sorry, Celia, to hear that your home’s plumbing has issues. It’s always something when you own a home, no matter its age. Let’s hope this is the last major “something” for quite some time. Meanwhile, I like your response: bake bread! Those are some pretty loaves you created. Just look at that crumb! Now that cool weather is here, I need to get a sourdough starter going. It’s been too long since I baked bread. I miss that aroma in my kitchen.
Baking bread always makes me feel better, John! I sometimes think it’s just that I can see something tangible and feel a sense of accomplishment when everything else seems to be in chaos! xx
That bread looks divine! I love freshly cooked bread…..ciabattas are probably my favorite. Nice post Celia
Thanks for stopping by, Karl! :)
I must still try spelt. Sorry to hear about the plumbing woes xxx
Thanks Tandy, them’s the breaks, I guess. Old terracotta pipes…they had to give out some day.
We always console ourselves with ‘life costs money’ but sometimes it’s the way that it costs that is annoying. It’s fantastic to save and spend for eg $10k on something new and fabulous but to involuntarily part with the same for something that was working fine, sucks big time.
It’s wonderful though how well an unexpected find, woo hoo a bag of flour, can offset the negative. It’s that positive energy, such as to bake and share, that gets us through the tough times.
ED, we had friends over for dinner last night, and their hot water system blew yesterday afternoon, so on Monday they’re going to be out of pocket $4K. Sometimes things just come charging out of the blue. Such is life, but it’s ok, we had a wonderful night and ate bread and tray baked chicken and played cards, and all was right with the world again. :)
We have a palm tree, one of those silver gray ones, whose roots have crawled under the fence and attacked our neighbour’s stormwater drain. That’s not going to be cheap but probably not as much as yours. Poor thing. I’d feel like a queen with that much fantastic bread.
Maureen, thank you, that’s probably what it is. When I have a bench overflowing with hot fresh loaves, I feel rich! :)
Patsy rose to the occasion and I’m just about to put my bread in the oven and smiled at how you met the call to arms and manned the battlements with bread!
Well done Celia.
Patsy is a star, Jan! Hope the loaves were magnificent! xx
Erk, plumbing! Good luck with the bill and do sit down — maybe offer the plumber some spelt bread before he gets the calculator out.
We’ve been using the same plumbers for over a decade, they’re look after us, but they’re not cheap! Maybe a food bribe IS in order.. :)
Priscilla has done a wonderful job, as have you! These loaves look amazing, it was a very handy and timely “find”.
I hate it when you have those unexpected disasters, and plumbing ones are a bugger, they have to be deal with immediately and they are always expensive :0
Jules, I remember doing work experience in a hospital when I was 15, and all the doctors there said to me, “don’t do medicine, do plumbing. There’s more money in it, and the hours are better”. :D
Ugh… I hear you! It never seems to end with house projects, right? I agree with Rose- maybe some bribing IS in order. Throw in some chocolate too ;) Hopefully making these loaves was at least a little therapeutic! xx
Thanks Em, they really were! Baked new cookies yesterday too! :)
Oh dear Celia! Not great about the plumbing but WOW! That bread! I so just want to do what you can do!!! I’m 40 so if I start now do you think I’ll have your expertise by the time I’m 80?!!! I can only dream! (With all the fab baking you do I’ve wondered if you are home full time or do you juggle an outside job too?)
Thanks for stopping by! You’re very kind, but it’s really not that hard to make! And how I wish…it would be lovely to be home full time! :)
Oh! I meant to say too…it sounds like its time to unleash the chocolate!!!
I keep offering, but the plumber keeps turning me down.. ;-)
After reading your tutorial I am inspired to make Pane de Casa but haven’t been able to find semolina flour, would OO Farina di grano tenero do? I have been a follower of your posts for years. We got 2 Barter Browns after you had your chickens and I can see why you can sit and watch them for hours, they are fascinating and so much part of the family now! I am 89 – love cooking – just changed to a gas stove, which I love and bought a new food mixer yesterday so I’m raring to go! Thank you for your lovely, inspiring posts.
Pat
Pat, how lovely to get your comment, thank you! The chookies are wonderful aren’t they? They have so much personality! Re the Pane de Casa – you can use half bakers flour and half 00 flour, but cut the water back by about 5% (the semolina absorbs more water than the other flours). So for the Pane de Casa recipe, use about 710 – 715g water instead of 750g. Same goes for making the loaves from 100% bakers flour.
My lovely friend Claire baked some yeasted ciabatta (the pane de casa loaves) using 100% bakers flour and reducing the water accordingly, you might enjoy reading about her adventure! :)
http://clairekcreations.com/2013/07/ciabatta-rolls/
Thanks again for reading! Celia x
Ah, the joys of sewage! We had to rebuild our septic system–ouch! Glad to see you can bake bread through it all. Do you know what brand of spelt it is? I find spelt so variable and your bread looks so good for 100% spelt.
Ouch indeed Liz, we just need to fix a small section and I’m already cringing! The spelt flour was originally milled by my friend Kevin and it was a one-off from memory. In the past though, I have bought quite good spelt flour from Santos Trading – don’t know what their current batch is like though. I know what you mean – it’s incredibly unpredictable!
Celia – Thank you so much for all your tips! I will definitely ‘have a go” this week and will let you know how it went!
Pat
Have fun Pat! :)
Oh dear, it’s those bills that you never quite know where they will end up that cause the problems. And it’s sometimes good news but often not. I hope that it’s reasonable!
Fingers crossed, Lorraine!
yikes Celia, lets hope the bill is a surprise in a good way, like that bag of spelt flour! xx
I hope so too, Lisa! That would be such a nice outcome! :)
Those look absolutely stunning, Celia. Very impressive! I know what you mean about it being tough financially – my job contract ended on Friday. Still, I have savings and I want to do something new :D
I hope something comes along really soon, Nick! In the meantime, it’s good that you’re already so wise at stretching the dollar! :)
Sorry to hear about the problems with the house Celia. I hope the bill won’t be too bad.
I have bought a bag of spelt flakes the other day. I have never eaten it before and I am looking forward to experimenting with spelt and baking with it
Bookmarking these stunning loaves to try soon, hopefully!
Sawsan, thank you! I was inspired by a couple of your posts to try a new cookie recipe! :)
I am always inspired when I visit your wonderful blog. I hope the cookies turned out well :)
Hope all works out ok – these things happen when you least expect them.
Thanks Sally, still trying to figure out access. Not an easy one. xx
Celia – i made the Pane de Casa today, it turned out well, not good enough to photograph but it tasted great! Have to work on the shape now .
Thanks for your encouragement.
Bella and Donna laying well!
Pat, that’s wonderful news, thanks for letting me know! The next batch will look even better – the dough is quite sticky, so it takes some getting used to – a bit like learning to use a light touch on scones! :)