Monday, November 26, 2007

Tender Potato Bread Fiasco



Well, the Daring Bakers Challenge this month was to make this lovely bread, as proposed by Tanna. Since I baked and sold bread ALL SUMMER LONG, I was extremely confident in this challenge. Although I had never made a potato bread, the recipe looked easy enough.

On the day of baking, I excitedly gather all my ingredients and squealing with joy I proceed. The dough looked wonderful, it rose brilliantly and I am just about singing and dancing in the kitchen. I decided on making just the plain bread with no added frills (and am I ever glad).

Into the oven it goes - birds are singing, the sky is blue (you get the picture).

After about 30 minutes I wonder why I don't smell bread baking. I take a peek into the oven (through the window of course) and can see that half of the bread has risen in a drunken sort of way and the other half looks raw. I open the door and wonder why I don't feel heat gushing out. That's right. My oven element had blown out. Since it was evening and nothing was open - I panicked.

I pulled the bread out of the pan, flipped the slightly cooked top into the bottom and threw the raw dough on top of that - put the oven on 500 degrees and hoped that there was a little more juice in the element. Sure enough - about 4 hours later, it was baked. It looked horrible but tasted wonderful. I sliced it up in pretty pieces and made everyone taste it - with butter slathered on it and toasted it was really good.




So all in all - it was a wonderful challenge and I am so happy it worked out. I don't really advise baking bread for 4 hours in a wonky oven - but it worked. Check out the other Daring Bakers for what the bread could have looked like:)

16 comments:

breadchick said...

Way to show the Daring Baker spirit by sticking to it for the baking part. Hope your oven is feeling better soon!

Julius said...

I love how you said it, "it looked horrible but tasted wonderful."

:)

Julius from Occasional Baker

Peabody said...

Oh my, four hours...glad it turned out though. Way to hang in there.

Deborah said...

Oh my goodness!! I think I would have given up - good for you for persevering!!

KPB said...

Nothing like the onset of the festive season to ensure your oven will cark it. So glad it worked out i the end. I loved this bread too, very comforting in its chewy satisfying texture.

Gretchen Noelle said...

Congrats on your first DB challenge! What a trooper to last thru the extra hours of baking! Great job!

Anonymous said...

I feel your pain. I've had the oven go on the blitz in the middle of baking. Not fun! But you perservered and kudos to you!

Helene said...

Now that's a story to make you remember your first challenge. There was the no-knead and you came up with the 4-hour! Welcome to the DBs and I hope the next challenge won't be as "challenging" oven wise!

Princess of the kitchen said...

Looks fluffy and ummy! GOod job!

Anonymous said...

Bravo! What determination! And such lovely bread :) Welcome to the Daring Bakers :)

April said...

At least you didn't give up!! I would have thrown a *small* temper tantrum and threw it in the trash! :)
Well done!

Jen Yu said...

Wow, you did a great job salvaging the bread! Also good that you were paying attention. Sorry about the oven, but you pulled it through wonderfully! Good on ya!

-jen at use real butter

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Well done! I'm happy to hear that it worked out...

Cheers,

Rosa

Julie said...

Ah, for pete's sake, are all the ovens in town going on strike? Yours is the third oven I've heard of that's taken a holiday, with mine being the first. Needless to say, you learn quick that you really can broil a tarte tatin if the broil element's all you've got! Brilliant save, you! I'm glad your bread turned out!

Fruit tart said...

What an infuriating time for the oven to die! Good for you to make it work for you, though. Warm bread slathered with butter is always tasty!

Dolores said...

Now THAT is the story of a daring baker! I think your bread turned out beautiful, all things considered. Good luck with the oven!