Artisan sourdough boule cooling on the step

My latest cookbook arrived yesterday: Gluten-free Artisan bread in 5 minutes. So I got up early, aided by my alarm-cat, Bomble, who seems to be making a good recovery, to mix the dought and leave it to rise. (These steps are not included in the five minutes)!

Town was warm and bustling: a real bank holiday atmosphere, with plenty of street musicians and entertainers doing their stuff. I bought some clothes and books from the cheap shops/charity shops. Had intended to treat myself to a coffee somewhere, but on finding that £196 has been lost in the changeover of my bank accounts, I decided to go home, as the drinks are cheaper and the sunshine stronger.

I shaped some of the enormously risen dough into a boule, as above, and let it rest, then baked it while sitting on the back step in the baking heat. finishing my book The Girl with No Name by Marina Chapman. Incredible story of a girl who was kidnapped and abandoned, then grew up in the jungle in Colombia, with capuchin monkeys as her family.

Eventually the kitchen filled with delicious smells and I took out the bread. We couldn't try it itill it had cooled, (it's a rule with gluten-free bread, because the law of thermodynamics applied) but when we did, we both approved, though the crust is a little too crusty. I am going to try some variations in shape with the next three batches of dough, which are still in the fridge (they can stay there for up to ten days, developing a sourdough flavour).

Now it's the Eurovision Song Contest, and I've got a home made rhubarb crumble to look forward to, if the songs fail to please.