dense bottom of the loaf.
This is not such an issue with commercial yeasted doughs.
The bottom of my SD boules tends to be denser than the rest of the loaf.
I have observed this across a wide spectrum of hydrations from 65% to 86%. I bake on a thick (3/8") piece of jig plate aluminum that fills the rack. I start at 450 F and turn down adding water when I put the loaves in.
One thing I've tried to eliminate it has been the final rise on heating pad. It sort of works. Maybe I'm not using enough heat.
I used to do an over night ferment with half my flour and all of my wet ( Heavy innoculation) then in the AM I'd add the rest of the flor and salt.
I went through a phase where I was striving for more open crumb and working higher hydrations.
Now I ferment over-night at 86 F with a tiny innoculation of maybe 10% at 68% hydration.
Here is an image https://the-axlotal-tank.smugmug.com/Culinary/i-5c5v5sv/A
What I didn't say was that in the past, I did my final rise on a cold granite counter. This produced a very dense bottom..
I am going to bake again tomorrow. I think I should try three things.
1) more heat from the bottom while doing the final proof.
2) This one is a real shot in the dark: I will sprinkle a very little finely ground sugar on the parchment before setting the boule in place to rise. What this might possibly do is use osmotic pressure to move the sugar through the bottom into the base of the loaf where it might supercharge the yeast.
Now about sugar. I know it'll tie up some water depriving the yeast of that water. How much, I don't know but the idea is to use very little sugar. The hope is that it will migrate up into the bottom of the loaf and be a little cheap easy food for the yeast cells.
and (3) Add another hour to the final rise.
I will only use sugar under one of the two loaves I'll be baking.
get you a burnt bottom. Oh, and I wouldnt rise much either if laid on cold granite.
Have you tried raising the loaf in a floured or cloth lined fermenting basket? Often the top of a loaf will have more air bubbles but if you use a basket, when proofed, you can invert the basket onto the parchment, baking surface or peel. The bottom is now the top and the more dense side (which is now the top) can rise in the oven heat. My loaves like to be coddled in a warm fluffy towel on all sides while proofing. A cold side will certainly slow down rise on that side and too much heat will do just the opposite, on that side. Gentle even heat might be key.
"Have you tried raising the loaf in a floured or cloth-lined fermenting basket? "
I've only use bannetons with very high hydration. But it's certainly worth a shot. What's the worst that could happen - - It might work?
I made wood bannetons from poplar, left them unfinished, and I line them with satin dusted lightly with rice flour, and no matter how wet the dough, nothing ever sticks to the satin, but it breaths just fine. I'd guess Silk would do as well but be stupid expensive for the purpose.
I have only used them in my mini fridge that I use for overnight retards set to 40 degrees F. .
I should try it. Thanks for the suggestion. It had not occurred to me to try that. And conveniently when I made them I made 'em to fit the mini fridge and the proofer I built is a little larger so it's a lovely serendipity.
BUT it's too late for this bake I've had 'em in the final rise since 10:00am and it's now almost 1:00 pm
Next time~!!
well I baked and cut it open and the result is not too shabby. I have only cut one loaf the one with the sugaredbottom so I haven't got a control . the sugar may have done nothing. But it did sit on it for hours so I am sure it was taken up into the dough. I didn't give it the whole extra hour of final proof. I poked it and 15 minutes later the poke was still indented so I figured I was pushing it.
This bake was a 30 gram innoculation.
it's still a little more dense at the bottom but it appears I'm getting somewhere.
Some pics
https://the-axlotal-tank.smugmug.com/Culinary/i-kp5zLxX/A
https://the-axlotal-tank.smugmug.com/Culinary/i-8RxhxXq/A
https://the-axlotal-tank.smugmug.com/Culinary/i-XHSMrwW/A