Sourdough crumb
Hey there
I was wondering if someone could offer me some pointers please as my bread seems to have gone awry somehow.
I've recently returned to sourdough baking after a year or so's break (pregnant wife went off sourdough taste). I remember making chewy flavoursome bread with a softish crumb before I stopped last year.
My bread now has a great taste but has a very springy texture and is moist, sometimes almost tacky to the touch.
Here's a picture - in many respects I'm happy with the loaf, the holes in the crumb are OK, not too big or too small.
There was decent oven spring too and the bread was proved properly - I always do the finger poke test. The dough's not roughly handled.
This is the formula;
250g 100% hydration starter (per Reinhart's formula in BBA).
350g stoneground white flour
100g stoneground wholemeal flour
50g dark rye (pumpernickel grind)
350g water
10g sea salt
- mix followed by 30 mins autolysis
- Short periods of kneading over 4 hour period.
- Stretch and fold, then 20 mins rest
- Shape then proving till dough passes finger test.
- Bake in La Cloche for 40 mins - finish for 15 mins-20 mins.
I don't want to add anything like butter or potato flour to my sourdough breads, so is it true to say that my choices are to swap flour and/or vary hydration levels. I'll get some lower protein flour this week but I'm wondering if there's something obvious I'm missing.
Any pointers or advice would be really appreciated.
Thanks for any help