Training Wheels Off! Sourdough!
I've now made this twice with consistency...along with the helpful, kindly advice from this forum... I hopefully am taking the training wheels off. Started yesterday with a small preferment begun with my rye starter and assembled into a sloppy, doughy mess to bulk ferment in the proofing box.
Four hours later and the dough had almost doubled in bulk, ready for the baskets.
The dough is getting a little easier each time to handle. After shaping and placing in the bannetons, it was into the fridge for an overnight retardation....this method works very well for me.
Baking was early the next day...I had promised hubby fresh bread for breakfast...I had to leave the house early for my monthly breakfast with my former co-workers.... hubby finished the final baking and then texted me a picture when the loaves came out to quote "baked to a golden perfection." He was instructed to take its temperature...lol!
The loaf on the left went in a little crooked but recovered quite well. On the right is the signature t-rex slash that when turned upside is a "W." Below is my recipe I developed for these loaves...with a little help from my friends.
Sourdough Rye (Makes two loaves)
Build #1:
10 gr. Rye
10 gr. Bread Flour
5 gr. Whole Wheat Flour
20 gr. Water
Mix together and leave in a warm spot to ferment for 12 hours. It should almost double in bulk. I will note here that I have Rodney, my rye sour, so instead of Build #1, I use my already active sour, Rodney. I take 100 grams and mix with 100 grams each of whole wheat flour and and water instead of Build #2.
Build #2
All of Build #1
50 gr. Bread Flour
50 gr. Whole Wheat Flour
50 gr. Warm Water
Mix together and leave in a warm spot to ferment for 12+/- hours till almost double.
Final Dough
All of Build #2 (or 200 gr Rodney mix)
650 gr. Bread Flour
150 gr. Rye Flour
50 gr. Whole Wheat
600 gr. Warm Water
21 gr. Kosher or Sea Salt
Mix all the flours with 600 gr. of very (about 90 dF) warm water. Autolyse 20-30 minutes. Sprinkle the salt and add 50 gr. of water. Mix well and stretch and fold.
Put in a warm place (I use my microwave with a measuring cup full of boiled water to get it toasty) and perform stretch and folds every 30 minutes for the first two hours. Bulk rise 6-12 hours or at least until double in volume. This time it only took about 4-5 hours...Rodney was very frisky.
Divide the dough and pre-shape....easier said than done but I keep practicing.
Lightly dust the top of the dough, cover with a towel and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
Final shape the dough and put into well floured bannetons or towel lined bowls. Place in plastic bags after lightly flouring the tops of the loaves and refrigerate for 6 – 12 hours.
Pre-heat oven to 500 dF with the dutch oven inside. Remove the bannetons from the refrigerator, turn over the bannetons over the pre-heated dutch oven and let gravity do its thing. I'm still trying to get them perfectly centered over the dutch ovens. Slash the loaves, cover and reduce the heat to 475 dF.
Bake 20 minutes at 475 dF. Uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes until golden brown. The loaves are done when they reach an internal temperature of 200 dF plus/minus.
Enjoy!
Wendy
Your Adventuress-in-Baking