Avanti – sessantadue notti
Reflections on cultivating Robespierre and making bread, gathered every thirty one nights
- if the oven has a bottom-only setting, use that
- hydration at 60% is a sweet spot, as the dough consistency is manageable even when starting out
- if missing a scoring blade, a serrated blade and a clean cut will do the job
- the most effective time for Robespierre to be used is when he is about to peak, however i had success with making dough even as he was collapsing
- don't overdo the proving times, it takes really nothing to transition from a correctly proved dough to an over-proved one
- proving in the fridge helps a lot with dough consistency
- if the dough you are kneading is too sticky, no need for oil, just wet the countertop and hands with cold water
- wetting the loaf surface with a brush and water before it goes into the oven is good enough, ideally a spray bottles might speed things up
- after the initial month, Robespierre is much more forgiving about feeding times
- preserve made bread in paper as it slows down the hardening time