The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Tartine Country - retard before shaping?

pizza fool's picture
pizza fool

Tartine Country - retard before shaping?

Howdy!  i took my dough over to my in-laws and finished the S&fs here.  I won't be home for hours, so I can't do the bench shape and final shaping and then retard until later.  I refrigerated the dough... should I shape in a few hours when I get home or tomorrow morning before baking?

golgi70's picture
golgi70

You might as well go with the cold bulk ferment and then finish at room temp tomorrow (just pull and shape cold then do final proof at room temp). Should make for a great loaf.  I've only done it the other way with this formula but cold bulk fermentation makes of the finest loaves.  

Happy Baking

 

Josh

pizza fool's picture
pizza fool

Thanks, Josh. That's how I've baked Reinhart's loaves from ABED, with a 2 hr proof in the container at room temp after days of retard, and then a 1-2 proof room temp shaped in banneton.

pizza fool's picture
pizza fool

Tried a slightly higher heat - for loaf 1 I tried a 25 minute preheat at 500, then 475 for the remainder.  After 20+25 minutes the loaf registered 211F. Loaf 2 I tried 500 for 12 minutes, then 475 for the remainder.  After 20+20 total it registered 210F.  Not dark enough.

Also, the flavor was much milder than I had hoped for, despite the 12 hour retard.  I wonder if I didn't let the leaven sit long enough.  I mixed the leaven at 6:30 am and it sat in a coldish room (62-65F) until 3 pm.  It passed the float test, but maybe with another hour or two the flavor would've developed further.  I don't like a strong sour, but these loaves were a bit bland.  I know a darker crust would've helped a lot.

The first two times I baked the Tartine Country Bread I was keeping a 75% hydration ww starter in the fridge and refreshing that to 50/50 at 100% the night before and using that to make the leaven.  This time I was using my leftover 100% hydration 50/50 starter that had been refrigerated (and refreshed the night before).  I wonder if that made a lot of difference, considering how far removed my starter is now from when it was stiffer and more lactic.