Leaven the bread......

So after all your careful nuturing the final leaven should look something like this.....you can keep the leaven going now by just replacing whatever you use in a recipe with warm water & strong white flour......good luck with delicious bread!

And speaking of bread how could I not indulge you with a recipe given to me by the same source as the leaven instructions although my friens tells me that she got them from a Dan Lepard book so thanks Dan..

Simple Leaven Bread

This bread is a slow one to make but fits easily into a day spent doing other things at home but you will need to tend it to get the best results.......

Ingredients

200g of your leaven

325g water

500g white bread flour

1.5tsp sea salt

Directions

1. Add the leaven to the water and whisk well.  Place flour & salt in a large bowl and add water mixing with your hands...it should be very soft & sticky. Scrape dough from your hands and leave to rest for 10 mins.

2. After 10 mins knead the dough for 10 - 20 secs. Shape into a ball and leave covered on the working surface. Lighlty oil a bowl.

3. Knead the dough again for 10 - 20 secs then place dough in bowl for 10 mins.

4. Repeat step above but leave dough for 30mins

5. Repeat step 3 again but leave for 1hr

6. Repeat step 3 again but leave for 2 hr

7. Divide the dough into 2 pieces, shape into a ball and leave on the work surface for 15mins

8. Flour 2 bowls and shape the dough into balls and place them into the bowls, sprinkle with flour and cover with a teacloth and leave for 4.5hrs.

9. Pre heat the oven to 22o/425/7. Dust a baking tray with semolina/flour, upturn bowls onto tray and slash with a sharp knife.

10. Bake for 50 - 70mins  (less for fan assisted) cool on a wire rack and enjoy........