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my first SD loaf is a failure... but tastes great

pcake's picture
pcake

my first SD loaf is a failure... but tastes great

i hadn't baked my first sourdough yet, but i've been feeding my starter and using discards for pancakes and scones.  and i found a recipe for discarded starter on KA that i decided to go for.  since i'm new to sourdough, i failed to register that the recipe didn't include hydration, and it only occurred to me after even after adding a little extra flour the dough stayed fairly slack and sticky.  i added enough flour (white spelt, btw) that i got nervous and decided loaf 1 would probably just be a failure.

it didn't rise much overnight or while proofing - hardly at all - and there was less of it because it was so sticky that i couldn't get it off my hands or the bowl.  i put it in a small loaf pan (it's supposed to be a boule, but there wasn't enough), and it didn't fill it to the bottom.  since it was so short, i didn't think of slashing it.

it smelled delicious while cooking, and when i got it to 190 on one side and 205 on the other side (it wasn't even after it spread) and took it out.  it didn't brown, and the "crust" isn't very crusty - it's a little like harder bread - but surprisingly to me, the inside is very good with a decent crumb (not as dense as it looks in the pic), and the taste is wonderful.  nice and sour and full.  after sneaking a corner, i couldn't wait till it was cool - i cut a piece and had it with extra sharp cheddar.

DanAyo's picture
DanAyo

I searched the KA site for “discarded starter” and didn’t find your bake. Please send link. I’d like to take a look.

Dan

DanAyo's picture
DanAyo

That’s a lot of starter and yeast.  The yeast alone is 1.7%. Even without the Levain, the bread should have risen. Is your yeast good? 

Spelt flour can be very tricky. It will make a very stretchy dough, but it can also make for an extremely weak dough. I recommend you stick to the AP flour on your initial attempts.

A few thoughts...

Dan

pcake's picture
pcake

thanks for the assessment - knowing nothing about making sourdough bread at this point, i didn't realize that's a lot of starter and yeast.  how can you tell if instant yeast is active?  i believe you put active yeast in water with some sugar.  btw, in case it matters, i halved all the ingredients, and i did use grams on a kitchen scale, not volume measurements.

i'm allergic to wheat, so AP wheat flour isn't an option for me.  i can eat spelt, rye or a variety of less fun to work with gluten-free flours.  in fact, i want to get into sourdough because my favorite bread, a VERY basic sourdough rye loaf has been discontinued, and some day i hope to replicate it.  

DanAyo's picture
DanAyo

Here is a link for testing yeast.  https://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2015/11/05/test-yeast-baking-powder-baking-soda-freshness/

Have you investigated extended fermentation using wheat flour and its affects on the gluten? There are articles claiming that the extended fermentation of wheat flour can break down the gluten in a dough to a significant degree. Celiacs have claimed the ability to completely tolerate the breads. I don’t have a problem with gluten (Thank, God!) so I can’t speak from experience.

Oh, if you use spelt, you might consider a shorter fermentation time, since it produces an extremely extensible dough. Hopefully others with hands on experience will reply.

Dan

pcake's picture
pcake

thanks for the link - i didn't know baking soda could lose it's zing!  they're testing active yeast - do you test instant yeast the same way?  i ask because most recipes that use it say to add it dry.  do you know if very very wet dough would still rise if the yeast was good?  i wonder if using baking soda and vinegar or citric acid causes rise...

i'm not gluten intolerant - i'm allergic to wheat.  i can eat gluten all day long, hence my eating of spelt. 

i'll try a shorter fermentation time.  thanks for the suggestion :)

 

 

pcake's picture
pcake

just re-read the page - it does mention instant yeast, too.  

pcake's picture
pcake

i was just thinking - why would one need yeast at all for a sourdough loaf, and especially why so much yeast?

DanAyo's picture
DanAyo

I thought the same thing. The only thing I could think was that they wanted to guarantee success even if the starter was weak or not active at all.

I’m a fan of King Arthur, but this recipe does not appeal to me. IMO, it’s way too much starter. It calls for 34.4% Levain!  AND 1.7% yeast...

Dan