SF Sourdough: Crust & Crumb version
In my last blog, baybakin suggested I try Peter Reinhart's SF Sourdough from Crust and Crumb. I looked at the recipe and actually, his timing works well with the summer weather as you end up baking in the morning. So I decided to try it out. This is the first time I tried retarding the final proof. I let it rise a bit like it said in the book and then put it in the fridge. I panicked a little when I observed that it kept rising for a while until it finally chilled down. I worried for a bit that I would be baking in the middle of the night! But it slowed down nicely once it was chilled. I scaled it down to 2 loaves. Here is the other one:
And the crumb shot:
It was maybe a tad over proofed. The first one deflated a bit when I scored it. Next time I think I will put it in the fridge a bit sooner and if it needs it, let it finish proofing the next morning.
There is a bit of a tang, but not quite as much as I hoped for. The texture of the crumb turned out very well. And this was the loudest I have ever had the crust sing to me. Very nice.
Comments
That is just beautiful! The crust and the scoring are lovely, and the crumb looks really good, too. Are you baking in a Dutch oven?
JoAnn
I proofed them in my brand new bannetons, flipped them over onto a piece of parchment, scored them and then used the parchment as a sling to place in the hot dutch oven. Works great.
They look beautiful, that crust looks amazing........I'm hungry now LOL
Thank you. The first loaf disappeared jiffy quick!
I like Reinhart's SF SD, and I used to make that one a lot. I never put it in a Dutch oven, though. Just made hearth loaves and put a pan of water on the lower shelf of the oven. I think I will use mine next time because yours looks just so beautiful.
JoAnn
Yes, baking in the dutch oven has been great. It's rather fun to put in the dough and then open the lid 30 minutes later and seeing a pretty loaf all puffed up! Already starting on the next batch. I am planning on making one of them an olive loaf.
This was my favorite sourdough for quite a while. It is a classic, for sure. The only time I got it more than a little tangy was when I kept the "biga" in the fridge for 2 or 3 days before mixing the final dough.
These days, I prefer a bolder bake and more whole grain flour, but the C&C SF SD taught me a lot and was always great to eat.
David
Thank you David. I will try leaving the "biga" in the fridge longer and see if that helps bring out a stronger tang. I think I will be practicing this recipe for a while!