What is wrong?
So, I had a sourdough recipe that worked really well for me. The loaves were coming out golden and brown, crusty, a light crumb... I was baking the loaves in a standard oven. Just before putting the loaf in the oven, I would spritz it with water and put a cup of boiling water in the broiler pan. Then we moved to our new house, and it has a vintage 1949 O'Keefe and Merritt stove. I can't put water in the broiler pan anymore. I spritz the loaf with a little water and put a pan of boiling water in the bottom of the oven.
My bread just doesn't seem to be turning out right anymore. The crust is really pale, and sometimes I feel like I don't get the kind of rise out of it that I used to. The loaves feel denser and heavier, but my starter seems healthy. Until now, I've figured it was my oven. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Get an oven thermometer and check oven temp versus what it is set at. My guess is that it's running cool.
Another thing, though I doubt that it is the issue: Depending on how far you moved, your sourdough may be different, (maybe better, maybe worse, but different). A new location has new wild yeasts on which your starter depends. You can't make Vermont sourdough in Poughkeepsie, you make Poughkeepsie sourdough.
Cheers
Switching from one oven to another can often present (sometimes big) challenges. I find it best to clear your mind of any preconceived notions about ovens and baking and approach each oven as though it were an entirely new game, because it is.
Happy Baking,
Jeff
When did you move? Is your new house kept at the same temperature (and are your loaves proofing the same)? "Watch the dough, not the clock." Sourdough is especially sensitive to proofing temperature; a ten-degree drop that would hardly slow the rise of a commercial-yeast loaf can bring a sourdough proof to a screeching halt. If the new house is warmer, it may be overproofing, which could give pale, dense loaves with poor oven spring.
I moved over the summer, but bread baking went on hiatus for a long time while I was focusing on just trying to get my life back in order. I'm honestly not sure how the temperature of my old apartment compares to the house. Actually, one of the things I worried about was the effect the move may have had on the starter. I got really, really irregular about feeding it because I wasn't making bread anyway, and I was just so busy all the time. Kept the poor thing in the fridge mostly, then would take it out and feed it regularly for a couple days, then put it back in the fridge. One thing I've been wondering: is it bad to do this with the sourdough? Keep it in the fridge for a couple months, feeding it only once per week, then remove it for a week and feed it every day, then put it back in the fridge? Is this off again on again feeding schedule detrimental to the yeasts?
That's pretty much how I'm doing it. I've been on a weekly schedule: I take my (firm) starter out of the fridge a day or two before I plan to bake, do 1-2 feeds, then build up the levain for the bake (I only keep ~20g in the fridge). If I'm converting some to a liquid (or rye) starter, I'll start a little sooner, and do most of the feeds on the converted part (so the yeast/bacteria populations can find their new optimum levels).
I don't think it's a problem with a lack of steam. Pale, dense loaves sound like the result of overproofing.
Another factor could be the flour you're using, as I recently discovered. A friend asked me to bake some sourdough for her and bought me some organic bread flour. Unlike my usual flour, this one didn't contain any malted barley flour, and that made quite a difference. The rise wasn't as good, and the crust didn't brown as much.
Amazing Stove by the way I have one I bought that is in my garage awaiting restoration.
oh yes, I love it! the wide surface of the stove top is really convenient, and there's lots of room for storage, which I love. The small size of the oven has been an adjustment, but we have a countertop oven that we use as a backup. Really, it's like the coolest thing I've ever owned.
Try covering the bread with a cloache. Spritz the inside with water before covering the loaf and leave the bread to bake for 15-20 minutes before removing it and allowing the crust to brown - thin aluminum disposable turkey roasting pans work well...,
Wild-Yeast
P.S. Cover the oven window [if it has one] with a hand towel to prevent water drips from chill shocking and posssibly damaging the glass when placing the cloache over the bread in the oven.