It's baked with the lid on Annie. Usually a pre-determined time for the lid to come off and baked a bit longer to top brown. I believe that is what gives bread personality. With a bit of study, and knowing your own oven and its quirks, bread can be what you want. Nice to reach a point where it feels natural and 'understood'. I like the parchment 'dump' method ann-t. I just made #6 batch of my grain rye. For the ruis i've been lifting out of the pot by the parchment and sliding the loaf back in the oven nude. To brown and finish on the oven rack. DH finishes his boul in the dutch oven. What has surprised me and my recent baking attempts is getting a good feel for the dough. I'm just now starting to ask 'why'. What's all that crazy talk about strand and gluten, pre-fermentation bla bla bla. spounges and poolish and biga and starter. I think i got lucky that my first recipe included a sponge. Kept me focused and held my attention. At the point now where i don't need the recipe. Just a glance to check if i've forgotten something. This link has been helpful.... Here is a link that might be useful: poolish and biga

If you don't do enough baking to keep sourdough starter going in the refrigerator it can be frozen. Spread it out on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Let it air dry for a couple days...until it crumbles easily. Or, you can dry it in a dehydrator. Put it in a Zip-Lock or better still a Lock 'n Lock - type container & freeze crumbled. To use, add a tablespoon or two when making fresh dough. You can also freeze starter in liquid form. /tricia

Shanghaimom - thanks for the trip down memory lane! My husband and I were completely befuddled by the signs directing us to the "small careful animals club" at the Beijing Zoo on our first trip to China. It turned out to be a petting zoo. One of my favorites was a sign that said "Beware of your belongings." We took a picture of my husband being "attacked" by his camera case with the sign in the background. The menu ones were always priceless, but I don't think we saw any as odd as your "Russian/whistle" one above. ;o) That one just makes me scratch my head... I love Shanghai. One of our daughters is from Shanghai, and I could have spent weeks there. I loved The Bund, Nanjing Road, the museums, the restaurants - everything! If I were in your shoes and couldn't get a kitchen magazine there or had to spend hours making a couple dozen cookies, however, that would be BAD! I can understand why you're excited about your new kitchen-to-be! Sorry for the hi-jack. Trailrunner - I can't wait to be making my own dough again!

Aw, plllog. While I'm glad that you're "fine", I continue to think about you. Truly, I can only imagine ... just every single aspect of life would be impacted. I know that I had trouble not knowing when the polar vortexes would end -- not enduring them, just not knowing when it would be over. Not only has this been long term for you, it's so much more encompassing. I'm hoping for some (a lot actually- but no floods!!!!! or flooded garages!!!!) of "gentle, but measurable" rains and that life returns to at least a good new normal. And that you get back to enjoying baking (I know I would coping and not feel inspired right now-- just me.) Maybe it will brighten your day to know that I told my son you responded to his bagel pic. After a few seconds of reading your post, he smiled, and I knew that he came to the description "foundation bagel." More reading and the eyes widened with the real-deal smile erupting, accompanied by a loud "Ha!" I said, "What?" although I knew (and I know you know) what words he had read -- "flacid doughy rings!" A day-brightener! No need to respond to this, but maybe to lighten your day -- here's an excerpt that he had to write about a couple of years ago for rhetoric -- introduction paragraph to review Alton Brown -- Good Eats. Although he's ChemE (thinking about actuarial now, oh my) he loves to read, edit and write. And cook. "Some of my earliest and most powerful memories are of cooking with my mom. The crimson iridescence of a sliced strawberry, the sound of frying bacon (a standing ovation), the smell of proofing yeast…all are indelible sensations that permeate my childhood. And my culinary experiences weren’t just limited to the kitchen. The only TV stations I watched growing up were PBS and The Food Network (I wasn’t aware that others existed or that you could flip between them with a device called a “remote”). When I wasn’t tuning in to Kratts’ Creatures or Arthur and his anthropomorphic friends, I was learning how to flambé with Bobby Flay, filet halibut with Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, and make Coq au Vin with Julia Child. Only one host, however, continually captivated me with his wildly inventive, mad-scientist approach to food. His name? Alton Brown. His game? Good Eats." Continue to think about you! Cathy in SWPA