Weekly Bake 02/11/20
Much improved this week. After last week I did some TLC to my starter. I had been using it and then feeding it and sticking right back into the fridge until the next bake. I wasn't giving it any feeding before I baked.
So I got some rye flour and several 50/50 rye/bread flour feedings to build it back up. I also experimented with different feeding ratios. I did a 1:1:1, then a 1:5:5, followed by a 1:3:3, before I settled on a 1:4:4. The last one gave me what I wanted, and that was the ability to feed once in the morning before I left for work. The starter would go through a complete cycle of rise and collapse in about 24 hours being left in room ambient temperature...about 62 to 68 degrees. Feeding it in the morning would put it near peak by 8 PM when I would use it in my bread. Still a young levain.
I increased my hydration from 65 to 67%, also my flour from 400 to 450 grams. Salt 2% and I increased my levain from 15 to 20%.
I noticed the dough felt much better. Last week it was stiff and hard to work with. This was more in line with my expectations. After mixing and a 30 minute autolyse I kneaded it doing a lot of stretch and folds for 15 to 20 minutes.
Then I let it do a bulk rise, long and slow...approximately 16 hours. The next evening after supper i shaped and put in my banaton basket for the final proof while I preheated my Dutch oven at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. Then I baked it at 500 for 30 minutes with the lid on. Then I removed the lid and baked another 15.