Alveoli Distribution and Size in Crumb - Questions
Hello all! Decided to stop lurking and finally post...
So I've been baking for about 6 months now with a starter that i made from scratch and I think I've made some decent progress with understanding degree of proof and fermentation- and I think I've gotten the hang or at least making sure that my dough is fully fermented before baking. Doing that though, I've found that while my crumb got more even and airier overall, the alveoli definitely got significantly smaller. While I'm not displeased with the texture of the crumb, I'm looking for some advice and thoughts on what one can do to make the holes that are already there a bit larger and open. My feeling is that I might be pushing the bulk just a bit too much towards overproofed, and I might just have to switch out the flour I'm using currently. Thanks!
Recipe:
Levain (11 hour maturity, 100% Hydration):
Fed 1:4:4 Mature starter:Flour (half dark rye, half AP):Water
Dough:
100% High Extraction Bread Flour from Farmer Ground Flour
78% Water
20% Levain
2% Salt
Mixed all at once (no autolyse), Rubaud kneaded to develop some gluten (5min mix, rest for 20 mins, 5 min mix)
Bulk ferment at 76F for 4 hours (stretch and folded at 30 mins, 60 mins, 120 mins, 180 mins)
Preshaped dough, bench rest 20 mins, final shape into a batard, and retarded in fridge for 18 hours.
Preheat oven and Dutch Oven to 550F, loaded dough, bake covered at 475F for 20 mins, remove lid bake at 465F for 20 mins.