HOL-E attempt #3

New year, new bake.. best wishes for happy loaves in 2018!

Trevor's book is gnawing on my brain and I'm thinking about making a very open crumb. Not there yet, but on the way.. This week I made a 70% hydration unbleached white loaf with 2% salt and a 10% levain that was fed 1:4:4 every twelve hours at 100% hydration and kept in a warm spot/cupboard above a heating vent in my kitchen (about 78 degrees). I fed the starter over the past week with 1:3:3 and 1:4:4 to figure out the most optimal timing on a twelve hour feeding schedule. I used it around peak - before it fell around 12 hours from the last feeding. It was definitely more sweet than sour - as expected. It was at about a triple increase in volume. I was feeding it with unbleached AP flour. One odd thing i noticed about the levain is I normally leave it on my counter-top, place it in a large glass and cover it with cling wrap. Normally I get a tight dome on the glass as the levain rises and becomes active. This entire week of warm spot feeding I didn't once get a tight dome. I'm not sure why that's the case.

I mixed the flour, water and salt Friday night, left it on the counter for a few hours, placed it in the fridge. Saturday morning I took it, added the levain, mixed it for ten minutes to incorporate and left it in my 'warm spot' cupboard (78 degrees). I folded it three times within the first two hours, then every hour until about 4pm. The dough started moving, I placed it in the fridge as I had to run an errand. At this point it had probably increased about 30/40% in volume - Trevor likes to get a 30% increase to this point if I read it correctly. An hour I was back, took it out of the fridge, and per-shaped and left it on the bench for about 20 minutes. It had very good structure and shape. I did a final shape, put it in the basket and let it proof in the warm spot. It went up about 30/40% in volume and then I baked it per his direction of 20 minutes at 550 and 20 uncovered at 425. I normally don't bake that high.  I bought a lodge combo cooker during the holidays so this was my first bake in it.

I'm trying to keep the variables constant. It's a basic and kind of boring bread - but I'm just working on technique before I bring the concepts to whole wheat and seeded loaves. I worked on my levain, and could probably have been gentler on the initial folds. I also shouldn't have gone with his higher bake temp - I'd normally bake at 500 an then 450 when uncovered. I'd also add more water. I think my flour needs more water as it felt "tight" when mixing after having added the levain and it was as if  I tared the  dough a bit even though it was early.. I think I got a lot of gluten developed overnight.

It's a fine tasting bread and is fine in many ways (ex the bottom burn). But It's not what I'm after.  I can't help but think I under proofed. Not yet the OPEN crumb I'm looking for.. will try again next week..

bread1965