The Fresh Loaf

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split cycle bread

Tommy gram's picture
Tommy gram

split cycle bread

I Had a dilemma about what to do with an approx 400 gram dough ball which was part of a batch 5 or six days old. The dough had served well -as usual-and was getting on the sour side. No problem except that its too small amount to warm up the oven. I have this situation when I interrupt the second half of my two loaf weekly cycle and make pizza. Three pizzas leave me that extra lump from what would have gone in as a loaf.

So I tried something. I mixed this 400g with the first half of my new cycle. I rolled it into the nearly fully proofed fresh dough ball before the fresh loaf final shape/rise of I thnk it was an hour and half before it went into the oven via fully heated Dutch oven. 

Some old dough and some new dough gave me end result a dense loaf, very nice. I'm very happy with the result.

 

Comments

KathyF's picture
KathyF

I bet the old dough had developed some very nice flavor.

Tommy gram's picture
Tommy gram

Without fail it will taste good, Thank you!

I find the situation with my second part of the batch is always gauging the best way to get some decent oven spring. When the clock ticks the fourth day on the dough ball the poor lump is running low on fuel - starting to yeah, get sour.  If I have room in the fridge and the time on my hands I will sometimes shape the loaf and set it in my transfer linen and basket and put that back into the fridge. Then when I'm ready maybe a day later, I'll heat up the oven and Dutch oven, and when I get 530 degrees i tip in the cold dough. Somehow this method gave my old dough some new life and the young dough some character. 

Colin_Sutton's picture
Colin_Sutton

That's an interesting post. Thanks for sharing it.  Were the doughs easy to handle together?

Tommy gram's picture
Tommy gram

Hello, thank you For your commen. it really couldn't have been easier. 

I will tell you I was scared to do it, but I have been on the same basic bread routine for a couple years now and I was ready to experiment Again. In the old days every batch I had to tweak this or that but now im a subsistence baker and why mess with success, every batch is like clockwork So good and delicious. But this style, I am most def going to reflect on how to replicate.

Tommy gram's picture
Tommy gram

Hello, thank you For your commen. it really couldn't have been easier. 

I will tell you I was scared to do it, but I have been on the same basic bread routine for a couple years now and I was ready to experiment Again. In the old days every batch I had to tweak this or that but now im a subsistence baker and why mess with success, every batch is like clockwork So good and delicious. But this style, I am most def going to reflect on how to replicate.