Or maybe World Series Sourdough?!! [Go, Giants!!]
I have enjoyed Acme Bread’s Pain de Campagne a couple times recently. It’s a moderately sour boule with a thin toothsome crust and a somewhat fluffy, but chewy crumb. I think it has some whole rye flour and some whole wheat flour. It's about my favorite bread ever.
So, today I tried to bake something like it. I used the formula and procedure for Hamelman’s Vermont Sourdough as a starting point, but used KA European Style flour and some KA whole wheat flour and used a longer bulk ferment.
I studied dmsnyder’s boule-shaping tutorial and did my best to follow his tutelage and was very pleased with my shaping effort. I got good oven spring and a nice crust crackles. The crumb is just what I was going for--light but chewy. And the flavor is also pretty close to the Acme Pain de Campagne—nutty and complex and just a little sour. I think this is the best tasting Sourdough I’ve made.
Here’s the formula:
San Francisco Country Sourdough
Yield: Two 1.5 lb Loaves
Ingredients
LIQUID-LEVAIN BUILD
100 grams AP flour
24 grams Whole Wheat flour
12 grams Whole rye flour
170 grams Water, luke warm
28 grams Mature culture (75% hydration)
FINAL DOUGH (66% hydration, including levain)
680 grams KAF European-Style Artisan Bread flour (88%)
45 grams Whole wheat flour (6%)
45 grams Whole rye flour (6%)
425 grams Water at room temperature (55%)
17 grams Salt (2%)
306 Liquid levain (40%)
Directions
1. LIQUID LEVAIN: Make the final build 12 to 16 hours before the final mix, and let stand in a covered container at room temperature (about 70 F).
2. MIXING: Add all the ingredients to the mixing bowl, including the levain, but not the salt. Mix just until the ingredients are incorporated into a shaggy mass. Correct the hydration as necessary. Cover the bowl with plastic and let autolyse for 30 to 60 minutes. At the end of the autolyse, sprinkle the salt over the surface of the dough, and finish mixing 5-7 minutes.
3. BULK FERMENTATION WITH S&F: 3 hours. Stretch and fold the dough in the bowl twice 30-strokes at 45-minute intervals. Place dough ball in lightly oiled bowl, and stretch and fold on lightly floured board at 45 minutes.
4. RETARDED BULK FERMENTATION (optional): After second s&F on board, form dough into ball and then place again in lightly oiled bowl. Refrigerate 8-20 hours, depending on sourness desired and scheduling convenience. [I skipped this step this time].
5. DIVIDING AND SHAPING: Divide the dough into two pieces and pre-shape. Let sit on board for 30 minutes, and then shape into boules or batards.
6. PROOFING: Approximately 2 to 2 1/2 hours at room temperature (about 70° F). Ready when poke test dictates. Pre-heat oven to 500 F with steam apparatus in place.
7. BAKING: With steam, on stone. Turn oven to 460 °F after steaming. Remove steaming apparatus after 12 minutes. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes to
tal. Rotate loaves for evenness as necessary. When done (205 F internal temp), leave loaves on stone with oven door ajar 10 minutes.
I recommend this bread to anyone who likes sourdough with a moderate amount of whole grain.
Glenn