San Joaquin Sourdough with liquid levain and longer retardation
I made my San Joaquin Sourdough today with a couple of modifications.
The last few bakes, I have substituted a liquid levain for the the firmer levain and also have used a higher percentage of levain, although, since I've used a liquid levain, the percentage of pre-fermented flour in the dough is actually lower. Also, note that, while the “final dough” hydration is 72%, the total dough hydration is actually closer to 78% because of the high-hydration levain. This is actually a somewhat higher hydration than my original formula for San Joaquin Sourdough.
The second modification was to cold retard the dough for a longer time – 36 hours as opposed to the 16-20 hours I have generally used. This was for my convenience, but I've also been curious about the effects of longer cold retardation on this dough.
Liquid Levain: |
Baker's % |
Weight (g) |
Flour |
100 |
60 |
Water |
125 |
75 |
Starter |
25 |
15 |
Total |
|
150 |
Final Dough: |
Baker's % |
Weight (g) |
AP Flour |
90 |
450 |
Whole Rye Flour |
10 |
50 |
Water |
72 |
360 |
Salt |
2 |
10 |
Pre-Ferment |
30 |
150 |
Total |
|
1020 |
Procedure
-
Mix the liquid levain (1:5:4 – Starter:Water:Flour). Let it ferment at room temperature for 12 hours.
-
Pour the water into a large mixing bowl. Add the starter and dissolve it in the water.
-
Add the flours and mix to a shaggy mass. Cover tightly and let it sit for 20-60 minutes.
-
Sprinkle the salt over the dough and mix thoroughly using the “stretch and fold in the bowl” technique. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
-
Repeat the “stretch and fold in the bowl” for 30 strokes 2 more times at 30 minute intervals.
-
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured board, and do a stretch and fold.
-
Return the dough to the bowl and cover.
-
After 45 minutes, repeat the stretch and fold on the board.
-
Reform the dough into a ball and replace it in the bowl.
-
Allow the dough to continue fermenting until the volume has increased 25%.
-
Cold retard the dough for about 36 hours.
-
Take the dough out of the refrigerator and immediately transfer it to a lightly floured board.
-
Divide the dough into two equal pieces and pre-shape them into logs or rounds, depending on whether you want to make boules or bâtards. Cover the pieces with plasti-crap and let them rest for 60 minutes. (Give them a shorter rest if the kitchen is very warm. You don't want them to expand very much, if any.)
-
Pre-heat the oven to 500ºF with a baking stone and your steaming method of choice in place.
-
Shape the pieces and place them in bannetons or on a couche. Cover the loaves and proof them until they have expanded by 50-70%. (30-45 minutes)
-
Pre-steam the oven. The transfer the loaves to a peel (or equivalent). Score them, and load them onto your baking stone.
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Steam the oven. Turn the oven down to 460ºF.
-
After 12 minutes, remove your steaming apparatus. Turn the loaves 180º, if necessary for even browning.
-
Continue to bake the loaves for another 15-18 minutes or until their internal temperature is 205ºF.
-
Transfer the loaves to a cooling rack.
-
Cool the loaves completely before slicing.
Because I was planning on a longer cold fermentation, I refrigerated the dough sooner than I would have otherwise – when it had expanded about 25%. In the refrigerator, the dough continued to expand, but very slowly. At 24 hours, it had expanded to 150% its original volume. At 36 hours, it had doubled in volume.
The dough was of about the same consistency as usual. This is a sticky dough, at 78% hydration, but it was easy to handle with lightly floured hands. The dough had nice extensibility but excellent strength. The pre-shaped pieces and shaped loaves held their shapes very well. I could not say that the longer cold retardation resulted in any problematic gluten degradation.
The crumb was as expected with this bread. There was no evident effect from the longer retardation. The flavor, on the other hand, was distinctly tangier. The initial flavor was the lovely, complex flavor of the San Joaquin Sourdough. The moderate sourness came through a bit later, and the flavor lingered on the palate for an exceptionally long time.
I would certainly recommend trying this version to any who have enjoyed the San Joaquin Sourdough before and favor a more assertive sourdough tang to their bread.
David
Submitted to YeastSpotting [1]