I'm having problems with Peter Reinart's whole wheat sandwich and hearth breads. The bigas and soakers are too dry and the dough doesn't rise much when proofing or in the oven. I'm weighing the ingredients and using a new package of instant yeast. Any ideas would be welcome.
I have been working with the Cook's Magazine "Almost No Knead" recipe, which seems pretty slick to me. Trouble is, after baking the recipe a number of times, I feel there is an either/or issue resolving hydration vs rise and shape stability. I do my second rise on a parchment sheet lowered into a bowl (boule?) shaped like the rounded loaf I hope for. When the second rise is complete, I remove the parchment sling, slash the loaf, then lower it into the 6 quart dutch oven for baking. The loaf is about an inch less in diameter than the pot.
