My first Vermont Sourdough
Before I joined this site, I didn't realize how behind the curve I was as I had never made a Vermont Sourdough. I decided to get with it and make one today. I have been schooled by the many wonderful bakers on this site and encouraged to try, so I did. I used David's Hamelman's recipe, but altered it a bit by adding a bit more rye. I was finishing a bag of bread flour and didn't have quite enough, and I thought the additional rye would add some nice flavor. Lately, I have been making lots of David's recipes, but the next one I would like to make is one of Khalid's....looking forward to trying that.
I was so impressed with this dough throughout the process. It proofed beautifully, the oven spring was really terrific, and the crumb was nice.
I am sure I will make some variations of this in the future. I followed the recipe pretty closely, but probably added a tad more water than called for in the recipe.
Here is the recipe I used (I made two changes to the original recipe, which I noted):
Vermont Sourdough with Increased Whole Grain, from Hamelman's "Bread”
By dmsnyder
OVERALL FORMULA |
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Bread flour | 1 lb 11.2 oz. | 85.00% |
Whole Rye | 4.8 oz | 15.00% |
Water | 1 lb 4.8oz | 65.00% |
Salt | .6 oz | 1.90% |
TOTAL YIELD | 3 lbs 5.4 oz | 169.90% |
LIQUID LEVAIN BUILD |
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Bread flour | 6.4 oz | 100.00% |
Water | 8 oz | 125.00% |
Mature culture (liquid) | 1.3 oz | 20.00% |
TOTAL | 15.7 oz. |
|
FINAL DOUGH | |
Bread flour (I used 1.55) | 1lb 8 oz |
Whole Rye (I used 6.8) | 4.8 oz |
Water | 12.8 oz |
Liquid levain | 14.4 oz (all less 3 T) |
Salt | .6 oz |
TOTAL | 3 lbs 5.4 oz |
METHOD
- The night before mixing the final dough, feed the liquid levain as above. Ferment at room temperature overnight.
- Mix the final dough. Place all ingredients except the salt in the bowl and mix to a shaggy mass.
- Cover the bowl and autolyse for 20-60 minutes.
- Sprinkle the salt over the dough and mix using the paddle of a stand mixer for 2 minutes at Speed 1. Add small amounts of water or flour as needed to achieve a medium consistency dough.
- Switch to the dough hook and mix at Speed 2 for 6-8 minutes. There should be a coarse window pane.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and ferment for 2.5 hours with one stretch and fold at 1.25 hours.
- Divide the dough into two equal parts and form into rounds. Place seam side up on the board.
- Cover with plastic and allow the dough to rest for 20-30 minutes.
- Form into boules or bâtards and place in bannetons or en couch. Cover well with plasti-crap or place in food safe plastic bags.
- Refrigerate for 12-18 hours.
- The next day, remove the loaves from the refrigerator.
- Pre-heat the oven at 500ºF with a baking stone and steaming apparatus in place.
- After 45-60 minutes, pre-steam the oven. Transfer the loaves to a peel. Score them.
- Load the loaves onto the stone and pour ½ cup boiling water into the steaming apparatus. Turn the oven down to 460ºF.
- After 15 minutes, if you have a convection oven, turn it to convection bake at 435ºF. If you don't, leave the oven at 460ºF. Bake for another 25 minutes.
- Remove the loaves to a cooling rack.
- Cool completely before slicing.