Sunday, April 21, 2013

Fooling Around

A few weeks ago I threw a bunch of small cruet/ tiny teapot forms to alter and in general mess with.  So far this is the only survivor.  It's not by any means done.....I want to add more slip on the other side and incorporate the slip with the handle, lid and spout. 

 I think I will return to hand building the next bunch.  When I work with slabs I don't have to wait for the clay to set up enough to begin altering the form.  The piece becomes one gesture that way.


 I did another slow rise bread experiment.  This time I let the initial mix bubble and proof for thirty-six hours.  I also added about two-thirds of a cup of whole milk greek yogurt which helped the process and gives it a nice flavor.  After I added the rest of the flour I folded and kneaded with the aid of my bench scraper (Yes, I do keep one for the kitchen and one for the studio.) for about ten minutes.  I then let it rise and folded it down in the rising bowl another four times and let it spend about eighteen hours (overnight +++) in the refrigerator.  I folded one more time, let it rise wrapped in a cornmealed napkin and baked it in a preheated cast iron dutch oven.  This time we managed to let it sit for a good six hours before slicing.

I think it's one of my better efforts.  In the meantime we had cuban bread calzones and a loaf to tide us over.


I took this pictures last night.  I love the way fish look when they are swimming in the dark.....like they are flying through the night.


I also put up a new set of shelves.  They are stable and will work fine for my storage which is fairly light weight.  I would not use them for the canned foods and equipment that is pictured on the carton.

What state do I live in?  CONFUSION!  I just realized that it's Sunday not Saturday, so I'm going to rush over to Mud Colony to post this.  You should take a look too.

Enjoy the day and as always, thanks for stopping by...........*s*

8 comments:

  1. nothing better than fooling around with clay, 36 hours, is it sour dough?

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  2. I make a bread with yogurt and the texture is so nice. I will be back to bread next week when the control panel comes home.
    I would like some time away from clay....

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  3. Hi Linda...Playing with clay is fun and a necessary part of creativity. The bread is sort of a sour dough. I don't have a real starter; instead I use about one quarter dry yeast and let it go through a slow fermentation and rise.

    Hi Meredith.....Yogurt gives a special flavor and quality to bread. I hope your oven gets back soon. I had to replace a thermostat once....not fun.

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  4. Wow, you are busy bee! I had been busy during the week, but made an effort to rest over the weekend. (Doctor's order) I was also confused with the days this morning! : D

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  5. Dearest Suzi,
    Oh, the time catches up with us all the time isn't that the truth?
    Funny teapot and it is nice to play with it.
    Your bread looks like artisan bread and guess it was worth all the time it took for becoming what it is.
    Hugs to you with sunshine,
    Mariette

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  6. Hi Midori....Staying busy in the face of last week's disasters was the best cure. I hope you feel better soon.

    Hi Mariette...The teapots are a fun study. The bread takes many hours, but very little physical time.

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  7. Whether throwing or handbuilding we always seem at the mercy of time and humidity.

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