Recent Bakes: San Francisco Country Sourdough and Glezer’s Challah
Since my Danish pastry adventure last week, I’ve been keeping it simple. Last Sunday I baked some of my San Francisco Country Sourdough (8.5% whole wheat, 6% whole rye, 40% liquid levain, 75% hydration). I’ve reported variations on this formula before, for instance here (http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/22679/spring-air [1]…and-oven). Last week I used bread flour in the levain instead of all purpose, to get a bit chewier crumb.
It rose mightily and had good oven spring. And the crumb was a bit denser than usual due to the higher-protein flour in the levain. It had a nice, mildly sour flavor.
Then today, I baked Maggie Glezer’s “My Challah”, with shaping assistance from my live-in semi-professional braiding advisor.
We did have a wide variety of previously frozen baked goods this weekend. Brother David and his wife Susan were visiting, and we had some baguettes and some Tartine BCB and some of the gooey delicious Pecan Rolls I baked last week. I heard no complaints (not that I was listening).
I also understand that David and Susan stopped for lunch today at Della Fattoria in Petaluma on their way back to Fresno. Perhaps we’ll get a report on that nearly legendary bakery (maybe there are legends about it; I’ve just never heard them).
In addition to good eating, we enjoyed the cool North Coast weather and our late Summer garden, with its multi-colored Heathers.
Glenn