We’re having a small dinner party this evening, and James is the main chef, but I’m the baker for the do, so I had to post a picture of these glorious loaves. I’ve been working on perfecting my method for three months now, and I think I’m finally just about there.

I made a white baguette, a whole wheat baguette (topped with pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, and poppy seeds), and a garlic-olive-jalapeno-cheddar round loaf (yeah, yeah, I know–the last one’s not vegan, but we’d never deprive our guests of cheese and cream!).

The one thing I remain a bit confused about is the tear on the white baguette. I scored the loaf, but it broke open anyway. I don’t actually mind because I think the tear makes the loaf look more rustic; however, I would like to know why this occurs even when the bread is scored.

I guess I’ll just have to do more research!