Here's an interesting twist on the need (or not) for
thermometer-accurate bread baking. Last Friday I had prepared Challah
as usual, only to discover that the oven at the cottage would not
heat past 150 F. (It turned out that one of the fuses had blown, but
I only discovered that the next day). The chicken was slow-cooking
on the barbecue, the next door neighbour was not home and the
microwave was not convection, so I was at a loss. The balls of dough
were rising nicely in the pan and had got half way to the top, but
what to do? I noticed that a certain setting of the barbecue knobs
gave a lid thermometer reading of 350 F, so when the chicken came out
the bread pan went in on the right side, with the flame on the left
to avoid burning the bottom. The bread rose slowly until it was a
good 4 inched above the top of the pan and baked thoroughly to a
crisp golden brown with no light spots and no burning in about 50
minutes. In fact, I have never gotten loft like that!
I think I came as close to hearth baked quality as I am ever likely
to do, and next week I think I'll try it again with a different kind of loaf.
Roel