My first attempt using Reinhard's "epoxy" method in Whole Grain Breads.  

Yesterday, I took my San Francisco liquid sourdough (started from a small crock with yeast package I purhased over 12 years ago, and have transported across the continent twice) and made it the core leven in his more dough-like mother starter.  It went in to the fridge last night and 14 oz came out before breakfast today.  I also made the soaker.

This morning I made the dough (his standard whole wheat) and used a basket with foured dishcloth successfully toi make a Banneton (my first attempt at that technique).

Baked in my terracotta plant-pot cloche (preheated with the oven, so I could not soak the top in water, to make steam.  It seems to have jumped quite well in the oven.(I did not know how to create steam inside the cloche, otherwise).  I also forgot to reduce the heat mid-way through baking, so the crust is really dark.  I brushed the crust with melted butter to soften it a little.

I'll post a crumb shot when it has cooled.

So: how can I create steam inside a terracotta cloche without just misting the dough, which negates the flour dusting from the banneton?

Now the question: If you bake one pound sourdough whole wheat boule let's say one hour at 450F, what time or temperature will be if boule is 5 pounds????

                     Saintdennis

Early (really early)this morning I mixed up a big batch of Susan's SD. I planned to bake this 3 pound batch as a single boule under cover with steam which is what I do when I know Susan will be grading how I did on her recipe.

This turned out wonderfully IMHO. The oven spring is about all I could expect and the color is perfect for my tastes. It took 33 minutes at 450F (I lowered the heat to 400F at 28 minutes). At the end I followed my friend David's advice and left the bread in the oven with the oven off and the door cracked, to crisp up the crust. And, I added 1% diastatic malt (8g) to the final dough in hopes of enhancing the color just a bit.

The crumb isn't as open as Davids but then I didn't give it any retarded ferment time. The flavor is a mild sour and a great wholesome flavor. I wouldn't say that I can taste the malt but this is the best sourdough I have made-ever. That's saying something considering the many varieties I have tried. We like a mild sour and I like it a little more so but some people cringe when you get a full sour that turns your toes up. I have no doubt this would be really sour with an overnight retarded ferment .

I get the sense that there is something going on with the total mass of the loaf. This might not make any logical sense but all of the aspects of tastes I look at and can judge seem better in a larger loaf. It is just dawning on me that maybe this is a SD Miche. Any thoughts on that?

Eric 

Susan's Giant Boule

Giant Boule-Crumb