First Sourdough loaf.. What should I do differently next time?
Hi all.. Well my Carl's 1847 starter is off and running and growing like gangbusters.. I'm currently feeding it using bottled water (Arrowhead) and using KA Brad Flour. It's very happy with that combination at 100% hydration. I've also got I think a 50% hydration that is growing in the fridge now. So, I used http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/07/08/my-new-favorite-sourdough/ for my first Sourdough loaf.. It seemed to go OK for the mixing but I did have to add quite a bit of extra flour as it was just TOO sticky to do the windowpane test with. Anyway, I got past that OK and put it in a greased bowl in a warm spot and let it sit for several hours waiting for the double-up. It never really did -- it was 11:30pm so I plopped it in the fridge. The next morning it had more than doubled so I punched it down and transferred it to a Pampered Chef ceramic bowl I've got and put it back in the fridge.. When I came home at lunch time, I took it out of the fridge and sat it on the counter.. When I came home from work it had grown like crazy and was almost ready to burst at the seams (the bowl had a lid on it).. So, I cooked it at 450F until the internal temp was ~205F. This loaf is HUGE!! It tastes good for the most part (not very sour), the crumb is not very holy like I'd expect but very spongy (the opposite of Wonderbread) -- with a VERY thick crust. Anyway, next time I will make something that isn't so large or at least divide it up..
So.. With this behind me, a few questions..
- Should I no longer use my Pampered Chef covered ceramic for cooking bread? This seems to be the case as it's just way too big -- figure something out to make regular loafs,etc..
- While there was a little steam emitted from the ceramic, very few marks left on the bread like I was hoping for -- is that only going to happen if I use steam -- perhaps on a plate of hot rocks or similar in the bottom of my oven?
- Why was my texture so off? It was what I'd expect with regular yeast but more spongy.. It tastes just fine but a fairly tight crumb for sourdough.. Is this caused by too much retarded proofing or something else?
- Should I not use KA Bread flour -- perhaps just regular KA flour?
Here are a few pics.. First is when it was ready for baking..
The next is the cooled loaf.. Notice the lack of large holes like I'd expect..Looks kinda like a super large white loaf of bread.. for completness, the loaf is about 6" tall..
From your description of the proofing experience, I suspect your dough was over-proofed by the time it was loaded into the oven. Dividing the dough into two pieces prior to final proofing and allowing the final proof to take place in an unrestrained environment might have given you a more manageable dough that you could have deposited into a pre-heated ceramic vessel and, with it covered for the first 5 - 10 minutes, acquired an oven spring for a more open crumb. That said, it looks to me like a pretty good sandwich bread so nothing to complain about.
You mentioned is wasn't very "sour". The "sour" in sourdough doesn't necessarily translate directly into a sour tasting bread and a starter as well hydrated in the one you describe is less likely to give you and sour taste you're seeking. Try a firmer starter that has had a longer fermentation period.
From your description, after you mixed the dough you placed it in a bowl and waited a couple of hours for it to double.
If you reread Susan's instructions, you'll note that you missed steps 6 through 9 - the dough should have been folded twice, divided into two sections, shaped, and proofed. (Overnight retarding of the shaped loaves produces a lovely tangy taste).
Susan's recipe is a modification of Jeffrey Hamelman's Vermont sourdough, which is a fantastic bread - especially when it is retarded overnight in the refrigerator (after it has been shaped into two loaves). Bread flour is fine for the Hamelman sourdough.
You must have scaled the ingredients if you followed Susan's recipe - hopefully you also have a baking stone so you can get away from the ceramic pan and bake your breads on the (preheated) stone. You'll get much better results that way.
Good first try - keep on baking this recipe over and over again until you have it down pat, and then move to a new one. That's the best way to learn!
Thanks for the comments -- you're correct that I missed the fold steps.. I do have a large baking stone and will gravitate towards using that for the next test. I will also start my process earlier to ensure I've got ample time to get the job done from start to finish.. Thanks again!