Banneton Wholegrain Spelt loaf

I did it.  I gave into my bread vanity and bought a banneton.
 
 I have been quietly coveting one for over 2 years now.  I was making do with plastic baskets and cotton cleaning cloths, which do an amazingly awesome job (not quite as pretty and the loaf size is really just a little too small)  for a total investment of $4 but generally making humungo loaves in my metal bread loaf tins.  The problem with humungo loaves is it often takes us over a fortnight to get through one (sourdough keeps but this is a little excessive an expectation even of that).  Thus I tended to make a loaf and once cool immediately cut and freeze.

It worked.  The challenge being of course is existing as an on the fly single mumma who on most days has her organisational braincells, and honestly I didn't have a lot of those to spare to start with, scattered to the wind by 9 am meant defrosting aint an option.  In my case, at least, there are only so many toasted sandwiches I can stand in any given week thus I gave in and bought the 800g banneton. 

Some love to decorate their homes with flowers to wrap visitors in welcome.  I would love it if every guest was enveloped in the sensations of a fresh loaf just coming out of the oven .  As that just isn't going to happen in my lifetime, being able to present beautiful bread to those in hunger is a balm to my soul.

There is likely to be much tinkering with this loaf as I get more used to the needs of the banneton but overall this produced a loaf that I would be proud to share on any table.

Banneton Wholegrain Spelt (1 loaf)

200g starter (I mantain my starter at 1:1 by weight, flour component aprox 50% white + 50% whole grain)
250g White Spelt
200g Wholegrain Spelt
250g Water
 6g Salt