Just been trying out new sourdough process. Generally I have liquid mother in fridge. When I make Bread I use a few grams do a 1:3:3 build let rise, remove half and do that 3 Times before making final started for levain. This time I tried doing Bread builders 3 stage pain au levain as seen on sourdough.com. All good except I can’t figure out why there is no obvious bulk ferment before shaping, there’s a slow build over approx 12 hours before final addition of flour and water, a 30 minute rest and then a shape and 4+ hour proof. Can someone enlighten me. The link is https://www.sourdoughhome.com/index.php?content=threestagefrench
This is interesting. My guess is that the procedure results in a combination of the effects of autolyse and stretch-and-fold. The presence of salt early on might control some of the fermentation pace, and the need to work the stiff dough with each new addition of flour likely distributes the yeast. If it works, then it's hard to argue with the overall approach.
still strange as the final dough mix only sits for an hour or so before being shaped and proofed. Having said that the preferment is 54% of final dough. In a way its similar to @abelbreadgallery 90% biga bread which is delicious. It only has a bulk for an hour before being shaped and proofed however that has a 90% preferment so that i undestand...its worth making @ http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/54556/90-biga-loaf-italian-method
There's a nice Pane Cafone recipe that I've done before with a 3 stage build, the final one being the main dough with the bulk ferment seemingly too short.
Starter is a piece of "dough" that's added to the next batch of dough as a raising agent. Basically a dough is one big starter with added salt and made to the correct hydration.
In this recipe instead of adding a bit of starter to the recipe it's built up in stages with each stage the starter is fully fermented and at the final build it's at a good stage for a quick bulk ferment and straight into the final proof.
From what I can see perhaps the bulk ferment can be stretched out more so, as not every recipe ferments the dough at the bulk ferment stage to the same limit, but the yeasts and flavour has all been built up over the 3 stages. After all the bulk ferment is done as an added step for these reasons. So while these steps aren't called a bulk ferment in the recipe they'll shorten the bulk ferment in the final step. In short the starter % is high.
This is just my own logical conclusion so perhaps someone can confirm this.
P.s. important to note that while this is a method I've seen before and it will shorten the bulk ferment, as in Abel's 90% biga, I do think the recipe shown could have benefitted from a longer bulk ferment even if it will be faster moving. The crumb is not great.
thats clarified it. I was looking at it logically and trying to determine the amount of dough prefermented by the time final stage came along....what i may do next time is extend the final stage. It was a heavier dough in the proof but got a great spring which i found a bit jarring as there was no real sense of it rising in the banneton (excepting some bubbles and a concave shape around the perimeter) having said ti think youre right. Longer bulk it is. Ac good lesson. Going to try rubauds 3 stage version this time around...see the difference...
If people want SD and you have no time - a huge levain is the answer. You already have bulk fermented more than half the dough to develop some flavor and gluten. All it really needs is a final proof. It won't make best SD but it won't be anywhere the worst either. You can get some sour breads this way especially if you retard for the final proof