Week Two with the Pico – continuing the search for serious results.
Nina’s Bread with Dark Beer (940g dough weight, strong bread 63%, rye 31%, spelt 6%, hydration 66% (Guinness 52%/Water 14%)) https://thepartisanbaker.com/ninas-bread-with-dark-beer/ – the rye and spelt %’s are swapped in the original formula.
At last, a loaf that’s starting to look like my idea of bread – 250C top, 210C bottom, 15 minutes steam, 50 minutes bake.
Then a comic interlude – baguettes. Totally unknown territory in this oven from having to peel them in to guessing the settings.
I’ve only ever made small 200g baguettes using my Campagne dough. I peeled them in two at a time using a narrow cheese board and the first two didn’t go completely onto the stone and needed a bit of poking about resulting the the wonky shapes.
250C top, 300C bottom, 7 minutes steam, 15 minutes bake.
Suffered a touch of burnt bottom but for a first bash I was well pleased.
Couldn’t have achieved such light, crisp baguettes in my convection oven.
Back to a 940g Campagne in the search for the perfect settings. Top 250C, bottom 200C, 15 minutes steam, 50 minutes bake.
Almost there – just needs more bottom.
Yesterday I baked another with the bottom up to 220C and I was actually pleased with the result. Can’t show you a photo because it’s gone to live in South Wales with Rick & Maggie (Mair’s Bakehouse).
Rick thinks the Pico is sweet. The Pico’s sole is 46 x 38 cm, Rick’s masonry oven 213 x 152 cm …
So. until I change my mind again, the standard is 250C top, 220C bottom, 15 minutes steam, 50 minutes bake
