My First Sourdough!
After weeks of nurturing and babying my homemade starter (christened "Wilson") I finally got up the courage to put him to the test and bake some loaves. I decided on dmsnyder's San Joaquin Sourdough for my first attempt, and my results made my jump for joy! I was sooo afraid my starter wouldn't be up to the task of raising bread, even though he did a fine job doubling himself between feedings. I keep my starter a a fairly low hydration, maybe around 60% so it needed very little alteration for this recipe, which calls for a firm starter. I had never made bread at such a high hydration before (about 72%) so the handling was tricky at first, but I now know how to develop gluten in a slack dough. Stretch and folds are marvelous! Here is some photographic evidence, and please excuse my poor shaping and scoring skills...they need a lot of work...
Looking now at the grigne I got at both ends of the batard, I think I could have scored a bit deeper in the middle. But the taste was outstanding! I have never had authentic sourdough before, and I was surprised by the taste...it was much sweeter than I expected with a slight tang at the finish. I powered through 3/4 of a loaf by myself!
I'm so proud of my baby starter :-)
Yum!!!! I'm excited to make my pet's into bread looking at that picture!
Sourdough is amazing, the taste is so complex. I love the smell too. You sound like your hooked - happy baking!
Marni
Very nice crumb and color. I have just now started on my 3rd attempt at a starter and am loking forward to the day I can celebrate a successful bake.
Congratulations!
Wow, that's far, far better than my first sourdough looked. I'm always excited when I slice open a loaf and see something like that.
Homemade sourdough can be quite addicting, once you start you can't go back. Storebough bread and even straigh dough loaves just can't compare.
Way to go!
dmsynder (David) will be delighted his San Jouquin SD is yet another hit. You nailed the crumb, and your starter is wonderfully active to give you that oven-spring.
Shaping and Slashing? your 100th loaf will be perfect ;-)
David G.
Gee, I wish I was that good! What delicious looking loaves! Keep up the good work!
Al
I bet it taste as good as it looks, congratulations!
Sylvia
That's a WOW of a loaf, especially for your first. Great job and thanks to all the wonderful teachers on this site who are forever experimenting.
Salma
Well done. Very nice crumb.
Greg R
Wow, the slashes and crumb on your loaf are outstanding. Great work!
very pretty loaves!