not.a.crumb.left's blog

I've found the more I bake the more I realise what I don't know - like with everything in life...

After a number of bakes where I lacked oven spring and experimented with different flours...I've been given some brilliant advice to  go back to lower hydration and see what happens....So I tried Trevor's 65% hydration loaf but WITHOUT THE OVERNIGHT premix as I know that this totally degrades my weak UK flour from the Champlain bakes.

http://www.breadwerx.com/how-to-get-open-crumb-from-stiff-dough-video/

I also used my 60% hydration stiff starter which I started to use in the now getting warmer spring weather on the counter and feed every 12 hours..

Overall, I am happy and it did not the quickly 'sagging' during scoring so I am hopeful and shall up hydration slowly and see at what hydration point the 'sagging' happens. Could of course be my 'bad' handling or 'overproofing' or 'scoring'...ha, ha...so many possibilities.....

I think, I might bake this more as a great day to day sandwich bread.....

If anybody else has the 'slightly sagging' dilemma combined with 'oven spring but not just enough syndrome' and their findings would be great? I think the result of this lower hydration loaves makes me feel it is the hydration that I need to watch and flours....

Kat

Hi Everyone,

I thought, I share what Trevor is posting on IG on 'Pioneer SD' bread...considering the thoughts we had here on 'open' crumb or not etc.  I find this inspiring stuff and there is a bread for everyone somewhere and they are all beautiful , I think....

https://www.instagram.com/trevorjaywilson/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgHRMahFs72/?hl=en&taken-by=trevorjaywilson

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgHpruLAQFl/?hl=en&taken-by=trevorjaywilson

Kat

Hi,

I have been baking the Champlain like mad and had so much starter that I thought I try a different loaf with different bread. This recipe is from Vanessa Kimbell in UK:

http://www.sourdough.co.uk/a-basic-sourdough-recipe/

I followed a recipe in her 'Food for thought' book which is essentially like the one in the link...

However, note the following differences:

1. She suggests in the book 30 min MIX  of ALL ingredients (salt and starter included) - I used a bit more water at 325g water @ 28C, 100g leaven, 400g white , 100g whole, 10g salt 

2. I used after this the Rubauld method to create gluten...rather than just S & F and not too difficult as dough was not too stiff to do this..

3. 2 X 30 min S & F

4. 1 hour rest after last S & F and then tension folds to create structure and tried to let dough proof under tension created

5. I think roughly after 45 min pre-shape - dough was bubbly but not proofy yet as this can be a problem for me...

6. 1 hour bench rest- and pre-shape was quite tight and the shape relaxed to a nice pancake shape for final shape

Straight into banneton after final shaping and then fridge, I tried this time floured towel in banneton and covered the dough with the towel in fridge.

Still not the open crumb I yearn for and a lower hydration loaf but family and I eat happily the bread and I learnt lots rather than going for much wetter doughs which are not (YET ) in my league.....

Kat