November 13, 2017 - 3:53pm
Sourdough Tartine bread
Oh! This Sourdough Tartine bread tastes AMAZING! Thanks for the recipe, Lechem. I made this last night. This time I made the sponge as directed and prayed it won't overflow onto my counter overnight. Haha! By morning, it smelled great. I knew it would produce a good tasting loaf. You are right about the holes being less important than the taste because, man alive, it tasted absolutely A-MA-ZING! I'd be proud to give it as a gift.
For those interested, here are the links to the recipes :
http://www.weekendbakery.com/posts/our-version-of-tartine-style-bread/
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And the crumb looks great too. I agree with you 100%. The smell of the starter is a good indicator of how the bread will turn out. If I build a levain according to a recipe but after the giving timing it's bubbly but doesn't have that lovely aroma, I wait! until it does.
Lovely bake.
Thanks for the great tip. I will be sure to gauge my sponge's readiness every time I make it.
I just had a lightbulb moment. Your comment made me realise that sourdough bread making is far more engaging than any other breadmaking that involves the use of store bought yeast. It's actually therapeutic.
I have another question. I read somewhere that I should feed my starter before making the sponge. How close/far from feeding should the starter be when I use it to make the sponge? I keep my starter in the fridge and feed it once a week using 1 part starter and 2 parts each flour and water. When I used it to make the bread it was 3 days after feeding. It was still bubbly and passed the float test but well past its peak.
Thanks in advance.
~Snowpeaks
If it's been a while in the fridge then your starter would benefit from a feed before making the levain. If your starter has been fed within a week then no harm in going straight into a levain build. Or for assurance purposes you could do two builds for the levain. Up to you! Getting to know your starter by using it is the best way. Mine is quite strong and wakes up quickly after being in the fridge for a week or two.
Me too. Making sourdough is therapeutic and a labour of love. Some people want to make bread as quick as possible. I love taking my time working towards a special loaf.
Thank you very much for thoroughly answering my questions. Have a great day.
~Snowpeaks