Cold and flat
I made up a simple dough last night and planned to leave the bowl by the woodstove, which actually went cold a lot sooner than I was hoping for, so the dough tried to rise in a 60* house. I turned my oven on this am, and let it warm up for a minute before turning it back off and setting the bread bowl inside. I'm not sure if I can expect my dough to rise any more, and that's fine. I'll punch it down soon and then get it ready for 2nd rising prior to baking.
It looks like it's going to be a rather dinky round, and I have no idea what to expect flavor-wise. The last two days I fed my starter with rye flour and water. I might use up that flour and switch back to whole-wheat for the feedings, because I'm not so impressed by what I feel is a milder sour scent from the rye. Then again, it could be because it's been a bit colder in the house the last few days and the starter might just be sluggish. On the third hand, wait, there is no third hand.
Reading all about percentages and weights and measures is rather flummoxing to me, to be honest. Back in the days of early sourdough, I think people just put stuff together and baked it! Like any kind of baking, just doing it on a different day can change the final result, so as a person who pretty much flies by the seat of her pants, I'll evolve slowly but surely.
Happy Easter to one and all. I'm a heathen, but I can appreciate the beauty of rituals where springtime and the renewing of life and the earth's life forces are concerned. It's the season of sourdough! Huzzah!
Comments
Am I right thinking you're baking in a wood burning stove?
If yes, I'd love to know more about it.
I have an ancient gas stove that's very poorly insulated. Getting good bread from my oven is a challenge.
I can only surmise that working with a wood burning stove would be a super-extra challenge.
best - SF
Hi SF,
Unfortunately, I can not at this time bake in my woodstove. It's for heating, and I need a chimneysweep desperately to clean out the pipe.
I would prefer a bad gas stove to the best electric one any day.
Maybe next winter, I can get a clay baking pot that would survive woodstove temps, and try baking bread in it. If it works, I think I'd get some wicked awesome bread that way!! Aside from the variable temperature, I think once it gets going, it should stay hot enough to bake a nice loaf. Even if the stove itself isn't radiating heat, I imagine that inside it would be fairly constant from the coals. At that heat level, the challenge would be timing it just right.
My main issue these days is that I keep the house fairly cool, around 60*, which is not a happy temperature for starter to become fruitful and multiply. I discovered that I can solve that issue by putting the jar in a sunny window, it seems to love that.
In about a week I'll be ready to bake again, but it's too warm now to use the woodstove.
Robyn