August 4, 2019 - 10:04pm
Tartine Bread Recipe Crumb Issue
I've followed the Tartine Country Bread recipe closely, but something is going awry and I'm not sure what it is. As you can see from the picture, I have a very open crumb in the center, but the top, bottom and sides is quite closed and dense. Does anybody have any thoughts about what I should adjust?
Here's the process, timing and temperature I followed:
Saturday Aug 39:15pm Started leaven69 degrees ambient temp Sunday Aug 48:20am - ripe 8:42am Rest/Autolyse 9:20am added salt and water 9:24 finished mix. Dough temp: 78 degrees 9:25 Bulk Fermentation beginsProofer set at 78 degrees 10am First turn. Raised proofer to 79 degrees 10:30am Second turn. Dough temp: 78 degrees 11:02am Third turn. Dough temp: 79 degrees 11:34am Fourth turn. Dough temp: 80 degrees. Turned proofer down to 78 degrees. 2pm Divided and shaped 2:12pm Bench Rest 2:35pm Final Shaping 2:47pm Final riseProofer at 75 degrees 6:15pm Baked
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You've got a good temperature for the dough but was your starter/levain firing on cylinders? I'm thinking if it was then the dough stage should have gone ok and yet it's under fermented. So i'm thinking it's down to your starter and perhaps if given given more time in the dough (here's where you watch the dough and not the clock) this could have turned out better.
What is the recommended levain build and at what temperature?
Thank you Abe for the rapid response.
The night before I mixed the dough (approx. 9:15pm) I took 1 tbs of starter and fed it with 200g 78degree water, 100g All purpose white flour, 100g wheat flour. It sat at until 8:20 am at a 69 degree ambient temperature. It appeared active and passed the float test.
After the autolyse I did a four and a half our bulk fermentation at 78-79 degrees. I gave it folds every half hour for the first two hours and then left it alone. At that point, there were a few large bubbles on top and I could see some smaller bubbles along the sides. Do you think I should have let it the bulk fermentation go longer?
it's underfermented but just where it went wrong is more difficult to pinpoint. So i'll throw out some thoughts and somewhere in your method you are underestimating the doneness of the starter/dough.
69°F is quite cool. For 1 tbsp starter fed with 200g water + 200g flour I would expect it to take longer at that temperature. But you say it appeared active and passed the float test. Question is - could it have done with more time? Does the recipe recommend a temperature and a timescale?
Something to look at for next time. Still, let's say it was a tad under it wouldn't have been too bad as long as it was given enough time within the dough.
It's very important to watch the dough and not the clock. If my memory serves me correct it's 20% leaven to fresh flour. So while 4 hours can be within range of getting a good ferment, if your leaven was off it could very well need longer. And even if the leaven was ok it wouldn't be unusual for 4 - 6 hours being a guide. What you're looking for is a nice billowy dough with a good matrix of bubbles. It looks like your dough showed some large bubbles on top but on the side it didn't look as well developed - just some smaller bubbles. This we can see in your final loaf. Big gaping holes and encased in a dense crumb. This points to under fermented.
I think a tad more adventurous in both the leaven, in which case the bulk ferment might correct itself but you didn't read the bulk ferment correctly in anycase which might have saved the day, and more in the bulk ferment too.
This is incredibly helpful! As you can tell, I'm an enthusiastic, but novice baker. I can follow directions precisely and record my steps, but sometimes without deep experience it's difficult to judge stages.
The recipe doesn't suggest a time (simply overnight) or temperature for the starter. Though it does suggest 3-4 hours for the bulk ferment which is why I was getting anxious at 4 1/2.
Everything you say makes sense. This weekend I'll put my starter in a proofer overnight so the temp is in the mid to high 70s. I'll also be more courageous with the bulk ferment and push it past the stage it was at this time looking for a matrix of bubbles that corresponds more closely with the final outcome I hope for.
Thank you!
Jeff
That should bring you more in time with the recipe. But as always watch the dough. Like your idea of using the proofer for the leaven as well and pushing the bulk ferment a bit further than this last bake however long it takes, be it 3-4 hours this time or longer. with these tweaks it will come.
Keep us updated and i'll be keeping my eye on this post.
Good Luck.
Much appreciated!
Abe: I followed your suggestions and they made a big difference. I especially embraced being adventurous with the bulk ferment. Emboldened, I was a bit too adventurous with the final rise and there was a bit of collapse, but that should be easy to adjust. The bread tastes delicious, has a better crumb and texture and next weekend I'll time that final rise correctly.