I'm beginning to think my yeast is on steroids...
Given my hectic schedule, what with work and home and hubby and 3 kids going at least 4 different places, I have often stowed dough in the fridge to buy some time...as well as develop the flavors. However, I've noticed a pattern that I haven't seen discussed on the forums yet:
hi, good morning. i just started baking bread again yesterday, cheated and bought a sourdough from our local organic bakery. it's very good and strong.
Do you use an oven? kitchen counter with a damp towel? Seran wrap? Olive oil or flour coating? What and how do you proof your dough?
I've noticed in Hamelman's book and a few other places that are geared more toward professionals, that in several formulas the proofing and fermentation times are the same. My experience is that in order for the dough to double at both stages, the fermentation time will be about twice as long as the proof. Can any knowledgable person here enlighten me?
SOL
I have a bid of problem with the final proofing.
How does everyone cover the dough for the final proofing? Usually plastic wrap or wet cloth or papertowl is used right?
I hate to cover them because it usualy sticks to it when trying to peel them off after the proofing.
Is it a bad idea to have hot water in the oven, kinda like a steamed oven, and put the uncovered dough in ? Or will that affect the dough when slashing(which Im also scared to do because it might deflate!)?
Hi,
My sourdough isn't turning out as a nice boule shape. It seems to flatten after it's long proof on the bench (it's still quite active, as it rises/ flattens out in the oven) into a flattish shape. Am I not developing enough gluten in the initial mix? Something to do with humidity or temperature of proof? Starter activity? Old flour?
The bread still tastes quite good,with nice crumb structure; but it'd be nice to have a good shape. Any advice would be appreciated. I am using Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Bread Bible, basic soudough boule.
What the hey? The plan was to make a batch of ciabatta bread but even though the bag of yeast from Costco had an expiration date six months from now, when I proofed it, it showed no signs of life. The yeast dissolved just fine but all I got was cloudy water - no "blooms" floating to the surface like I'm used to seeing. I made a poolish from it anyway.
I am trying to properly proof a nice super fluffy white loaf (Hensperger's White Mountain Loaf) and my gear nerve is twitching. I had jury rigged a warmer that works fine for initial fermentation (http://bakeyourown.blogspot.com/2007/03/few-new-things-this-week.html) but it doesn't work for proofing. I have a gas oven, so I can't do the pilot light trick, and my steaming methods seem to break the light fixture, so that doesn't work either. I have seen some neat arrangements for proofing at home, but I need something that is especially (1) cheap (2) compact (3) works wi
Hi newbiebaker,
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with a very wet dough, how do you get it to hold its shape during the second rising period? because, while letting a loaf do its second rise, it turned into like a giant pancake almost... or was this too wet?
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