May 6, 2020 - 10:30pm
An intermediate baker from the east coast
Hello all! I'm Amara. I began baking about 2 years ago for stress relief during my clinical rotations, and started a sourdough culture around that time (Pietro, I named it) which is still going strong today.
At this point I'm well known at both my work and my partner's for my baking, some of them paying me to make them things for fancy dinners or just relaxing weekends. :) Most recently I delved into making babkas, but sourdough is my favorite to work with. I have a 96% hydration loaf bulking right now, haha.
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Hi Amara, 96% hydration is impressive! I named my starter Gigi (a bubbly young thing is who is essentially high maintenance... Gigi was the first name to mind). Would you mind sharing your recipe you’ve got on the go?
Kate
Sure! It's less of a recipe and more of a technique, I think. It's just all about developing and strengthening gluten.
Feed your starter at the same time as you mix the flour and largest batch of water. My starter was fed with 100% whole wheat for this. Autolyse and let starter rise for ~4 hours or until doubled. Dimple in the starter and S&F until incorporated. Let rest 30 minutes, then S&F again. Let rest 30 minutes then add in 40g water and mix in with Rubaud method. Let rest 30 minutes, S&F, let rest another 30 minutes. Add in the salt water and Rubaud again. 30 minutes later, S&F.
Transfer to 9x9 baking dish, let rest for 30-45 minutes, then coil fold. 30-45 minutes later, laminate the dough. 30-45 later, coil fold again, then 30-45 minutes later do an optional second lamination. Coil fold every 30-45 minutes until gluten is sufficiently strong that dough more or less maintains its shape for the entire rest period. Bulk proof if needed, mine only needed about another hour.
Pre-shape, let bench rest smooth-side up for about 30 minutes, shape loaf and cold ferment overnight. Bake cold straight from the fridge.
I hope that's all clear! You're essentially working the dough in some form, whether stretching or working in more water, every 30-45 minutes with a rest in between, until it's strong enough to hold its shape.
You’ve written it out clearly and I’m keen to give it a go. One quick question though... I’m not sure what you mean by a coil fold.
Kate
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bju7aazn27T/?hl=en
Here's a great video example. :)
Thanks for the video demo. It wasn't quite what I was picturing so that cleared it up perfectly :)
Kate
HI Amara welcome to TFL. I too am a physician working in HIV primary care. You'll find a lot of friendly helpful people here. I've only been baking sourdough for a year and that 96% hydration loaf sound really impressive. It would be great to see photos of it and hear about your methods.
Clinical rotations must be crazy now with COVID-19.
Stay safe
Benny
Thank you for the welcome! My technique is posted above--no pictures because unfortunately I didn't trust my method and sabotaged the loaf's photogenic-ness! I scored too shallow because I was afraid of the dough spreading open and it didn't get nearly the vertical ovenspring it should have because of that. Still a wonderful texture, though.
I completed clinicals last year, but I'm currently furloughed, so lots of time to bake. :)