Trying to work sourdough into my busy week
Hello all fellow TFLers! I have a particular challenge that maybe you can help me with. I'm trying to figure out how to get my bread making time down by letting the sourdough do it's thing while I'm sleeping and while I'm at work. I figured if I can do it in 12 hour increments, then I can start in the evening of day zero, build it up again on the morning of day one, then bake in the evening of day one. I tried it with a 66.67% hydration starter and final dough. I took 30g of my starter from the fridge, added 72g flour and 48g water at about 4:30 PM. The next morning, at about 4:30 AM, I added 360g flour and 240g water. Then, at about 2:00 PM, I was going to add 450g flour and 300g water, but I got distracted while pouring the water in, and got way too much, so I added more flour as well, to keep it at 66.67% hydration, and I also then added 20g salt. At about 6:30 PM, I took it out of the bowl and tried to shape it, and it was already overproofed. I knew I wasn't using any rigorous scientific method or finely calculated mathematical formula, so overproofing was a known possibility. I was just trying to see if the process could be done this way at all. What I'd like is to fix my amounts, and maybe add the salt at the very beginning, so it slows the yeast growth. I'm looking for suggestions. I'd also like to get it to work out that it will be ready to mix in the last amounts of flour and water at 3:00 PM. Then, I'd like to start baking it by 8:00 PM at the latest.
I want to do bulk ferment at room temperature, versus refrigerated, so that my dough is active and ready. My house is refrigerated at 70F during the summer. But, summer just ended, and it is sometimes cooler outside than 70F, and yet not cold enough to need heat, so my house may be cooler inside than the set point of the thermostat at times, though not by much. Let me know if you need any more info, and please help me move in the right direction. I know you won't be able to tell me exactly precisely what to do to get it exactly perfectly timed, but maybe you have some general suggestions? For one, should I start with less sourdough starter? Should I feed less at a time, and put most of it in at the last, or feed more at a time, and not put as much in at the end? I'm aiming for around 1450g to 1550g total in the end. The reason for the range is because I'm using loaf pans, and I have three of slightly different sizes, so I can use whichever two will work for the amount of dough I end up with. I like easy math.