I am no expert. However, I hear tell.
It is a well known fact in physical resistance training that varinng the types of stress muscles are exposed to accelerate muscle growth.
For today's laboratory practice exercise, the afternoon session at the
East Valley Sourdough Foundation will switch gears to unfed discard. The previous experiment featured highly ripe starter. This should be interesting.
03/11/2024
Hypothesis
Can an unfed starter be used for a long room temperature overnight bulk ferment?
Aim:
To investigate the effect of or using an unfed (discard) in a long room temperature fermentation.
The formula
Bread flour 900 g
Einkorn WW 75 g
Purple Barly 25 g
Total Flour - 1000 g
Water (80 DEG,) 800 G
Unfed discard starter 65 G
Salt 20 g
Procedure.
03/11/2024
7:00 PM
10 hr. room temperature bulk fermentation. including 3 stretch and folds during the first 45 minutes.
The unexpected % volume increase to near triple in the ten-hour bulk is evidence that the unfed started had much more strength than the initial hypothesis accounted for. This exponential growth made it necessary to end with a relatively short cold proof of three hours. further investigation into the exponential growth characteristics of discard starter will be undertaken during future laboratory practice.
I submit that, I don't know shit from shineola.
Possible points of discussion
New shaping technique
New size and shape.
Changes in ingredients
Unexpected results.
Crumb shot to follow directly.
1. I've had results like that from long-unfed starter. I always wonder if it's too acidic. When that happens, the taste has been somewhat unpleasant, too.
2. Looks rather under baked to me. Not that more baking would help the slashes get cleaner-looking.
A lot depends on how long the starter has gone unfed. If it's just one or two cycles, then my attitude is that adding that starter to the rest of the flour is not much different than feeding it. It will have that lag to wake up and get going, then develop into a normal strength starter, then go on to leaven the dough. IOW, the time to the end of bulk ferment will be some hours longer but otherwise everything should be normal.
Now if the starter has been neglected for so long that it's gotten very soupy and has a strong acrid smell, that's when I've gotten results like yours.
Five days ago. The temperature out of the oven was above 200 F
Five days in the refrigerator or out on the counter?
They sure do look like ones I mentioned I made with old starter. OTOH, The frozen loaves I just posted about were made with starter that had been on the counter with just one missed feeding. 5 unfed days on the counter with a starter like mine and I'd worry.
Five days refrigerated. Flavor is as good or better than last week's burned, ripe levian bake.
Well, congratulations! Looks are good but flavor counts for more, in my book.
That I have stumbled on the exact balance of fermentation to achieve both oven spring, ear and gringe coupled with a beautiful open crumb. It only goes to prove, even a broken clock is correct twice a day.
Now, the flavor?