Because they are bloody hard work! No, I’m pulling my own leg…. I LOVE them. This is the fourth week of having Monday off since I cut back my hours at work and it’s taking a bit of time to adjust. I’ve had this all consuming feeling that I have to pack as much into my Monday as possible to justify why I made the choice. Thankfully that’s diminishing somewhat, but I am I; I do like to make sure I get as much value as I can from any day. It did cross my mind once today that I could actually sit down and read a book but that just isn’t me unless the weather is foul and I can do it with a nice bottle of something while sitting in front of the fire. That’s probably overkill at 9.30m!
So here is the outline of what I did today, Monday mine number 4!
I baked 2 loaves of sourdough that had been bulk fermenting in the fridge since Saturday night.
Pretty happy with these. I rarely get to taste them fresh from the ‘Toy Oven”, but I could today. Wish I’d had some smoked salmon in the fridge, beautiful.
I ripped out a bit more of the kitchen. That is so satisfying!
For lunch I had a leftover pastie that I made last night. If anyone remembers an IMK post I did a couple of months ago, I bought an amazing rolling pin that measures 750ml end to end (I didn’t really take note of the size when ordering), I’ve named her Big Bertha. Well Bertha got her first workout last night making the lard pastry that the pasties were wrapped in. I’m in love with Big Bertha! My god, how much better is it working with a tool that is brilliant? I can see why massive rollers are used on roads, a pissy little one just wouldn’t work!
The pasties were lovely, standard filling of mince (just corrected auto spell of mice), carrot, turnip, swede, potato, onion etc and I added a couple of teaspoons of my Middle Eastern Spice Blend.
I started reno work on some of the beautiful cedar (Australian Red) door architrave. This poor old timber is a bit sad and sorry but it is amazing what a sand, some metho and a steel wool scrub can do. Followed by the first coat of Feast & Watson Tung oil to rejuvenate it. Pictures to follow!
Spice Queen!
When we went to Sydney a couple of months ago so I could participate in one of Herbies spice appreciation and blending classes, towards the end of the day we had to create a spice blend of our own. I quickly scribbled down what I included as I mixed my blend, (I’m impressed I found this scribble),
and have been waiting for a reason/opportunity to use it. I had defrosted a small pork shoulder at the weekend so I used the blend as a spice rub on the pork and thrown it into the slow cooker with a stubby of passata plus a sliced onion and 1/2 a teaspoon of smoked paprika. Smells wonderful, I’m not sure when we will eat it but I can’t wait. I’m hoping to make some flatbread from the Indian atta flour I bought last week at the Dandenong Market.

I really don’t not like Mondays, I think I had better start not liking Tuesdays too!
Have you cut back work hours? How have you changed what you do?
I think your family would love Monday’s!! You and I are like minded I too and a fellow baker of good sourdough and pastries, yesterday I made croissants and being a home baker also have a hefty rolling pin mine is aluminium 670mm, there is no other way I could roll the pastry thin enough by hand
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Nice! I’m waiting until I get a real oven to do croissants!I’m champing at the bit 🙂
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don’t wait start now so you have something to compare them to
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Ha ha, I’m surviving using a Sunbeam Pizza Bake N Grill. Could only do 2 at a time!
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that made me laugh 🙂
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A strong sense of work ethic is kicking in your Mondays off. ‘Thou shalt not waste your time off!!!’ One day it might happen- in the middle of summer when the lid comes off a crisp white bottle at 11 am and that bread, maybe made on a Sunday, arrives grilled with fresh tomatoes from the backyard vine with a few basil leaves. Summer is coming.
I love your bread, so slowly risen.
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Oh Francesca, I love your poetic responses. 11.00 is quite acceptable indeed! Bread tastes great I must admit. Thanks, Maree.
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Seems you got a lot done. My Monday is less productive as we just drove home from out of town. I’ll spend mine doing laundry, unpacking and the. Taking the boys to school to meet their teachers for the new school year. Those sourdough loaves look gorgeous!
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You are certainly productive! I have the luxury of no longer having kids at home.As much as I miss them it is an extremely important thing you are doing. Enjoy it! Cheers, Maree.
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Oh Maree…that sourdough!!!!!! So do you just make the dough up and give it a rough knead and leave it in the fridge for a few days? and do you bake it in a campoven/casserole dish – how great is it still warm – I love it with butter and Vegemite 🙂 Your kitchen is coming along – ours is all but finished – waiting on doors, tiles and dishwasher – the boys worked hard all weekend – I’ll post some pics soon 🙂 Jan x
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Thanks Jan. With this batch I mixed the dough, did stretch & fold 1/2 hourly for 3 hours then stuck it in the fridge for 2 days until I was ready (had time) to finish. Took bucket out from fridge, put bucket on table for a couple of hours until I could see rising movement then shaped and put into banettons for final proof. I bake in a cast iron dutch oven (Classica brand) that I have had to remove the knob from so it fits in the ‘toy’ oven. I plug that hole with dough so steam stays in the pot. I must say that I am so happy with the way my tiny little bench top Sunbeam oven performs, I’m nervous about a ‘real’ oven. Yes, vegemite rules as does quince jelly. Can’t wait to see your pics! M
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Maree, wait until you have everyday off. It is fantastic. I have a wonderful birch rolling pin. I saw Maggie Beer posing in one of her books with a big one so I had to have one. It is gorgeous. It has stainless steel ball bearings that it rolls on. If you let go it can keeps rolling 🙂 Your bread is to die for.
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Thanks Glenda. This one has balls too!
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Big Bertha IS brilliant! (Glad you enjoyed the result of her/your labors.) Today is Thursday but it feels like “Monday”… and I was inspired to get a bit more done in the remaining hours as a result of reading your post. 🙂
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Love Bertha! Glad to have motivated you althoughI sense you don’t need much input from others 🙂
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Au contraire, my lovely friend. 🙂 Input is inspiring and I love getting yours! Thank you, xo.
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🙂 Ditto!
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