Sunday, September 3, 2023

Exhausted Sunflower*

The sunflower looks exhausted.  This holiday weekend is the second heatwave since it was at peak bloom, here, and still not much for rain chances in the extended forecast.

I haven't mowed the front in a month, since August 4, but I have mowed the back since then, on the 17th.  There is still green in the lawn, though starting to tend brown in areas.

Otherwise, I worked a 12 hour day on Thursday to get some mandated overtime hours in so I didn't have to work on Saturday, only to have overtime canceled on Friday.  I still hate my job - my employer, to be accurate.  But, it is what it is for now.

I made baguette yesterday but inadvertently preheated the wrong oven, top instead of bottom, so it didn't turn out quite the same due to the missing steam.  Instead of 3 baguettes I made 6 demi baguettes to give some away, but we'll keep these.  They're still real good and I'll give it another go tomorrow morning.  It's hard to keep them short, and short enough for two per row on the tray, so the practice will be good for me.

Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone.



*Update, Monday.  I made the same recipe but in the correct oven this time.  The only difference was the steam and that I made them in two separate batches so they wouldn't meet in the middle like above.


7 comments:

Blue Witch said...

I like when bread inadvertently sticks together.
We call it 'batch rolls' over here.

We had the second day of summer today. Presumably because it is now officially meteorological autumn. At last!

Hope you are enjoying your long weekend.

Scoakat said...

I wouldn't mind the bread touching so much for us, but I wanted a few that were as good as I could get to give away to a few people who were interested.

Good luck with your weather, I hope it moderates.

Thank you, just a few more days until my vacation!

delcatto said...

I am salivating looking at those rolls and the second lot certainly look better than the first.

As BW said, it is currently hot and sunny over here although we had fog this morning but that gradually burned off.

Scoakat said...

Thank you, delcatto, they are very good, mostly just the color is different. The diastatic malt powder and steam have really upped my baguette baking game. I really just need to find a blade that works optimally for me to slice them.

A spot of mostly unexpected rain here today, hard at moments. And the first since the morning of the last day I mowed the back yard, August 17. Probably not enough to do much, but the last drought rating was up to D2-Severe Drought.

Blue Witch said...

Your weather this summer made our media yesterday. A current affairs TV programme mentioned the 'heat dome' laying over the top of you all summer. I'd not heard that expression before.

Hope all is well?

Scoakat said...

Hi BW. We're good, thank you. I know it's been awhile since I posted. I had a vacation last week and have just taken my time, I guess.

delcatto said...

Best thing to do Scott, have a complete break and enjoy yourselves.