The Orphan Loaf

I started a rye boule last night. Between being tired and having a few other things on my mind, I made a number of mistakes. Corrected them as well as I could, but this effort probably won't be the kind of loaf I'd produce proudly for guests.

Luckily, I'm not having any guests. This is a study loaf that may end up as family sandwich bread or as croutons, depending on how good my saves were. It could be anywhere from barely passable to pretty good.

I'd be willing to bet, though, that my "orphan loaf" will be better than the sliced "rye" bread I could buy at the market, or even the "artisan" loaves at the upscale market. At least it's fresh and doesn't have anything unpronounceable in it. So if you're a beginning breadmaker, take heart. Experienced people mess up too. And the results, flawed as they are, are likely to be pretty good.

Later note:

Pictured below, the bread turned out fine. Probably a bit smaller than my usual boule, and with a bit softer crust. Not as well browned as most of my breads. But plenty good enough for sandwiches. The flavor is excellent and the texture is good.

The point being, handmade bread is very good, even when it isn't perfect. And even when everything goes right, your bread may not match the photos you see in magazines and cookbooks. Those loaves are produced in special ovens, and the pictures themselves are photoshopped to a fare-thee-well.

The photos in this blog are cropped, and the size is reduced from the originals from my camera, but I do not change the color, sheen, contrast, or do any other editing that would make the bread appear better than it is.