In search of height

So, last week I posted the first sourdough loaf that I wasn't too embarrassed to upload on here.

So far, my sourdough experiences, including today, have produced loaves which spread as much as they rise.

I would really like to produce something more like a recent posting by KathyF, who not only uploaded an inspiring photo of her variation of 1-2-3 Sourdough, but kindly provided her exact quantities and method in the thread on request.

I can cheerfully say that KathyF must have an amazing level of skill, which completely alludes me.  I want beautiful boules like hers, not discs like mine :-(

Adapting KathyF's quantities, I came up with the following and made two loaves (quantities include the final build of the 58% hydration levain):

• All-purpose flour: 96%
• White wholemeal flour: 4%
• Water: 65%
• Salt: 2%
• Diastatic malt: 1%
• Seed starter: 7%

Anyway, it was Friday evening, I’d had a horrible week and the thing that was keeping me going was the thought of some weekend baking.

Everything was mixed, some stretch & folds done and bulk fermentation was almost finished by midnight… and then I fell asleep, only to wake up 4 hours later to bubbling dough resembling the moster from The Quatermass Experiment in my Brød & Taylor folding proofer.

That dough ended up in the trash.

I didn't have enough spare levain from the previous build, so mixed some more (in a sleepy 4am haze), left it to ferment and started over the following morning.  Next time I think I will just have to retard the bulk dough overnight, as this isn't the first time this has happened.

Here's some notes on the second attempt, including variations from KathyF's version:

• Used Allinson Strong White Bread Flour, rather than all-purpose flour;
• Omit the butter from KathyF's version;

Method followed [updated since original post]:

1. Autolyse for 30 minutes;
2. 10 minutes in the KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook on a low speed;
3. Bulk fermentation at 27°C (80°F) for 3.5 hours (approximately 37% increase in volume);
4. Two sets of stretch and folds at 45 minute intervals in the early stages;
5. Pre-shape, 20 minute bench-rest, form into two boules, place in bannetons sprinkled with brown rice flour, proved as follows:
6. Prove 1st loaf at 27°C (80°F) for 3 hours;
7. Prove 2nd loaf for 1 hour at 27°C (80°F) then retard for 4 hours at 4°C (40°F);
8. Place each loaf in a La Couche, pre-heated to 260°C (500°F);
9. Dropped the oven temperature to 230°C (445°F);
10. Bake for approximately 20 minutes covered, and then 25-30 minutes uncovered.

I'm still finding dough at these hydrations tricky to handle, though my shaping of the final loaves was a bit more confident than last week, and I could feel the skin round the dough tightening during the final shape.

The loaf proved at room temperature was rather badly scored and didn't produce a mass of oven spring.  The loaf retarded in the fridge was easier to score, and I baked it at a slightly lower temperature and a little less time, with a fraction more spring.

Instead of the lofty boules I had hoped for, I still produced proved - but fairly flat loaves - though they are risen and taste great, have have a slightly glossy crumb.

When will I come close to the beautiful round boule I was aiming for?

• Is the hydration far too high for European flours?
• Am I proving too long?
• Have I just not learned to create enough tension when shaping?

Comments and suggestions from readers last week were really helpful, so please don’t hesitate to chime-in - you guys are very generous with your advice.

Happy baking! Colin.

PS: I've started also been Tweeting some of my bakes from @ctwangel - I'll follow back bakers from here who also Tweet.