The Fresh Loaf

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The Cowpat

Salilah's picture
Salilah

The Cowpat

Wanted to share a sonewhat strange experiment with you!

I was refreshing my rye starter from the fridge, so kept 75g and refreshed (back in the fridge after a while) and decided to boost what was left with some white flour and water to build into a baking levain.  I knew I could only do one small loaf, but the starter seemed so lively, I thought "Why not use all of this?"

Dubious recipe:
53og rye & white starter 100% hydration (roughly)
200g flour
50g warm water
8g salt
(to get to around 68% hydration I think)

Mixed up fine without the salt - autolyse for around 45m then S&F in the bowl.  Getting late so it went into the fridge for around 14 hours

Out again this morning, S&F, added salt, S&F.  It appeared to be getting more rather than less sticky with the S&F in the bowl, and I had a reasonably good windowpane.  Turned out onto a floured board and shaped roughly then one formal S&F and covered for 30m.  Repeated again and waited 30m.  Rough shape and waited 30m.  Final shape - it seemed fine, quite firm, getting a reasonable shape (though I am not very good yet).

Floured very lightly, then covered with oiled clingfilm to proof.  After about an hour and a half, I checked and saw - the cowpat!

 

The skin was tearing all across the loaf - in some places just gently folding away from the inside!  Finger-poking felt normal (some spring back) but I thought I ought to bake ASAP!

Oven 230, didn't bother to slash as it was splitting anyway - just a little bit of steam at 5m and 10m

It came out looking almost reasonable (if a bit still cow-patty):

    

It tastes quite nice!  Quite sour - which I guess comes from teh long retarding and the really high %age of sourdough starter.

I'm guessing the tearing of the skin comes from being well over-proofed?  It wasn't particularly long, but I assume the low amount of flour compared to the amount of starter meant the yeast ran out of food too early?  Any other thoughts?

Sali

Comments

AnnaInNC's picture
AnnaInNC

but it just tastes so good !  Your loaf looks great !

Salilah's picture
Salilah

I've 2 starters on the go (one at home, one for where we stay during the week) and decided to keep one rye-based, and the other wheat-based

I agree the taste of rye is lovely - I need to do more experimenting (not quite as soggy as the Cowpat!) and add a bit more rye in to work out what works best.  This is such fun! 

Sali (baking sourdough that is more or less edible since 11 April, when I went on a course!)

wassisname's picture
wassisname

Nice experiment.  And nice to see that it worked out pretty well, too.  This is just the sort of unorthodox method that fires my imagination.  I would think that skipping the refrigeration might help preserve some dough-strength and reduce the sour, but the refrigeration followed by a fairly speedy proof is what intrigues me most so... hmmm...

Marcus

Salilah's picture
Salilah

Thanks Marcus

I like using the refrigeration as I typically plan badly, and end up at 8pm wanting to eat dinner, and stuck with a partly-proofed lump of dough - so into the fridge it goes!

I think I might try the high percentage starter again, with refrigeration, but use much quicker proofing once out, as I did like the taste

S

Syd's picture
Syd

It rose nice and high despite the tearing.  I have done similar experiments: not wanting to waste anything, I have just mixed it up into a dough like you and, more often than not, have been pleasantly surprised.  I like your affectionate term for your loaf! :)

Syd

Salilah's picture
Salilah

thanks re the rising - yes, it's not bad, is it? <grin>

I had to call it something, it was just so weird-looking, I'm not good at shaping yet, but at least my previous loaves had some sort of surface tension, but this one!!

Sali (whose previous attempts at sourdough before my course were unaffectionately known by my other half as either "bricks" or "frisbees"!)