What is your avg rise time with a 100% (no yeast) starter loaf of basic bread?
I usually add some instant yeast to my recipes because my early experience with my sourdough had long initial rises and I just ran out of time to get the loaf to the bake.
I want to revisit this and see if it still holds true because when I made that determination, I was a lot less experienced.I will experiment but I'd like to benefit from what other people have experienced. I keep my starter at about 100-125% hydration with AP flour and just recently started making a pre-ferment/sponge for my otherwise whole wheat loaves.I do have a problem finding a consistently warm place for both the starters and the sponge.My kitchen in winter is 63-68F. My oven is currently what I'm using with the door rigged open so the lightbulb stays on. My husband who cooks,too, shut the oven door once and turned the oven on-Near disaster! Almost killed my pets!
So how long is the initial rise on your daily bread?
With winter temperatures like you describe, maybe as much as 24 hours for the bulk fermentation. If temps are 75ºF or higher, maybe 6 hours. After shaping, perhaps 75% of the time for the first rise, but that's also variable.
Other variables include inoculation rate, whole-grain vs. white flours, mix-ins, hydration, etc.
Paul
Bulk proofs at 70°-72°F averages 4 hours; @ 55°F 15 hours.
When refrigerated (37-38°F) doughs double in 24 hours, but the yeast goes almost entirely dormant, so I think the doubling takes less than 24 hours.
Final proofs:
2 hours to 2 hours 15 mins. at 70°-72°F
One other starter (same strain, fed different flour) takes about 25% more time for bulk proof, and final proof.
Note: I think much of the variation is how much of the dough formula is starter. The numbers I've given you range over doughs that have 25% to 40% of the total flour prefermented, i.e., fed to the starter.
David G
...so true. Having recently turned to Hamelman's Bread for ponters on a basic sourdough with 15% rye, I noticed that the amount of levain he calls for is significantly greater than other formulas I've been using recently.
Thanks for pointing this out.
Levain- About 14 hours
Bulk Ferment- About 5 Hours
Final Proof- About 2 1/2 hours
Jeff
I only use 40 grams or so of starter in about 840 grams of flour. I leave it on the counter. We have cool nights and in the day, the heater is set at 68°. I appreciate all the flavor imparted to my loaves during such a long time.
25% starter, 4 hours
Interesting comments. I just recently started adding more starter to my recipes and really noticed a decrease in rise times. I don't work with percentages but I used to use 1/2 cup 100% active starter for every 3-4 cups flour.Now I add 1 cup. I've started decreasing the amounts of instant yeast and next weekend may try to eliminate it altogether. Also, my starter is a lot more mature than when I started my baking journey 2 yrs ago.
Since I use my SD to make sandwich bread and it's about 166% hydration, the only thing that changes rising time is room temperatures. We live in Canada and our kitchen is pretty cold, it's 2 p.m. and currently about 68F. I develop my sponge over night, 12 hours on average. I leave my dough in the oven, oiled and covered, for about 4 hours. The dough usually rises more than double in less than four hours in the summer, and probably 4.5 hours in the colder months.
Al