So, last week I posted the first sourdough loaf that I wasn't too embarrassed to upload on here.
So far, my sourdough experiences, including today, have produced loaves which spread as much as they rise.
I would really like to produce something more like a recent posting by KathyF, who not only uploaded an inspiring photo of her variation of 1-2-3 Sourdough, but kindly provided her exact quantities and method in the thread on request.
I can cheerfully say that KathyF must have an amazing level of skill, which completely alludes me. I want beautiful boules like hers, not discs like mine :-(
Adapting KathyF's quantities, I came up with the following and made two loaves (quantities include the final build of the 58% hydration levain):
- All-purpose flour: 96%
- White wholemeal flour: 4%
- Water: 65%
- Salt: 2%
- Diastatic malt: 1%
- Seed starter: 7%
Anyway, it was Friday evening, I’d had a horrible week and the thing that was keeping me going was the thought of some weekend baking.
Everything was mixed, some stretch & folds done and bulk fermentation was almost finished by midnight… and then I fell asleep, only to wake up 4 hours later to bubbling dough resembling the moster from The Quatermass Experiment in my Brød & Taylor folding proofer.
That dough ended up in the trash.
I didn't have enough spare levain from the previous build, so mixed some more (in a sleepy 4am haze), left it to ferment and started over the following morning. Next time I think I will just have to retard the bulk dough overnight, as this isn't the first time this has happened.
Here's some notes on the second attempt, including variations from KathyF's version:
Method followed [updated since original post]:
- Autolyse for 30 minutes;
- 10 minutes in the KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook on a low speed;
- Bulk fermentation at 27°C (80°F) for 3.5 hours (approximately 37% increase in volume);
- Two sets of stretch and folds at 45 minute intervals in the early stages;
- Pre-shape, 20 minute bench-rest, form into two boules, place in bannetons sprinkled with brown rice flour, proved as follows:
- Prove 1st loaf at 27°C (80°F) for 3 hours;
- Prove 2nd loaf for 1 hour at 27°C (80°F) then retard for 4 hours at 4°C (40°F);
- Place each loaf in a La Couche, pre-heated to 260°C (500°F);
- Dropped the oven temperature to 230°C (445°F);
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes covered, and then 25-30 minutes uncovered.
I'm still finding dough at these hydrations tricky to handle, though my shaping of the final loaves was a bit more confident than last week, and I could feel the skin round the dough tightening during the final shape.
The loaf proved at room temperature was rather badly scored and didn't produce a mass of oven spring. The loaf retarded in the fridge was easier to score, and I baked it at a slightly lower temperature and a little less time, with a fraction more spring.
Instead of the lofty boules I had hoped for, I still produced proved - but fairly flat loaves - though they are risen and taste great, have have a slightly glossy crumb.
When will I come close to the beautiful round boule I was aiming for?
- Is the hydration far too high for European flours?
- Am I proving too long?
- Have I just not learned to create enough tension when shaping?
Comments and suggestions from readers last week were really helpful, so please don’t hesitate to chime-in - you guys are very generous with your advice.
Happy baking! Colin.
PS: I've started also been Tweeting some of my bakes from @ctwangel - I'll follow back bakers from here who also Tweet.
