Bread bowl

This is my first loaf in the bread bowl that Mike and Carrie gave me for Christmas. I love the way it looks, and how it helps the bread to rise vertically rather than laying down flat.

This is a sourdough batch, made with a starter that needed refreshing after sitting inactive for several weeks. I usually measure flour down to the gram - it makes breadmaking a lot more consistent. On this batch, though, I measured nothing, adding water, flour and salt on a 'feel' basis as I mixed the dough.

And yes, it tastes even better than it looks.