This week's 1-2-3 Sourdough
So, I'm continuing to use the same recipe to hone my skills with sourdough baking. I've had problems with proving the dough at too warm a temperature and for too long, and then the development of excessively large holes (See this post for one of my previous attempts).
I think I'm now making progress! My loaves have more oven spring, were fully cooked (hollow when bases tapped) and the score marks, while not perfect, are much wider than previously.
What have I learned so far from the previous bakes and so many helpful comments from members of this forum, for which I am deeply grateful:
- European flours seem to produce much wetter doughs than the American flours for which many are written suggest;
- Lowering my proving temperature has helped (I'm now using 23°C / 75°F);
- Be much more careful with proving times;
- Use the "poke test" rather than the clock to avoid over-proving - this post by RoundhayBake was particularly helpful;
- Shaping and creating tension takes practice, and YouTube videos are very helpful for understanding the techniques;
- Linen-lined bannetons sprinkled with rice flour really are much easier to prove in than unlined cane containers;
- Retarding overnight is especially helpful for my schedule (I'm starting on a Friday evening and baking on Saturday morning);
- Slashing dough with a baker's lame really is easier when it is cold, but I still need a lot more practice, and still find a very sharp serrated bread knife easier.
I'm following a modified version of a 1-2-3 Sourdough, posted previously by KathyF. Here's my calculations for two loaves, using 1kg total weight of flour:
Total formula:
- Allinson strong bread flour: 959g (96%)
- Stoneground wholemeal flour: 41g (4%)
- Water: 655g (65%)
- Salt: 23g (2%)
- Diastatic malt: 9g (1%)
- Seed starter: 69g (7%)
- Total: 1,756g (175%)
Preferment:
- Allinson strong bread flour: 97g (70%)
- Stoneground wholemeal flour: 41g (30%)
- Water: 80g (58%)
- Seed starter: 69g (50%)
- Total: 287g (208%)
Final dough:
- Allinson strong bread flour: 862g
- Water: 575g
- Salt: 23g
- Diastatic malt: 9g
- Pre-ferment: 287g
- Total: 1,756g
Method
- Mix flour and water and autolyze 30 minutes.
- Combine all ingredients and knead just until you start to get a window pane.
- Bulk rise 23°C (75°F) for 3 to 4 hours, with 5 sets of sets of stretch and folds every 20 minutes.
- Pre-shape and bench rest for 15 minutes.
- Complete final shaping and place in a rice- floured banneton.
- Leave to rise at room temperature for about an hour.
- Retard at 4°C for 8 hours, return to room temperature for 45 minutes.
- Transfer to a pre-heated "La Cloche", score and cover.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 245°C (475°F).
- Turn the oven down to 230°C (450°F) and cook for 20 minutes.
- Uncover and bake for 20-25 minutes at 220°C (425°F), or until fully cooked.
I'm much happier with these loaves than previous ones, though I did mess up the scoring of one of them, and it spread more in the oven because I knocked some gas out of it. Things are definitely going in the right direction :-)
The first loaf went beautifully with some home-made butternut squash and tomato soup this evening.
Comment and suggestions, as ever, welcome.
Happy baking! Colin.
The prior post you reference also has some good loft and good scoring.
TFL is the best baking book for bread in the world, proven over and over, as is done here. And getting feedback from OP KathyF on your version.
I find that the long cold retard and baking right out of the refrigerator to be a schedule saver, allowing me more control over my time. But as importantly, it eliminates my need to be vigilant and do poke tests. I go from bench ferment to retarding for an hour or more, then to divide/pre-shape/shape, and then right back into the refrigerator for the overnight sleep. Once it hits the refrigerator after fermentation, I stop watching the clock and the dough.
Also, as you are experiencing yourself, scoring the dough is simpler when the dough is chilly.
alan
Thank you, Alan, Really nice of you to be so encouraging. Your retarding the dough certainly sounds like it has scheduling possibilities.
Can I check I have understood your routine above? I'm assuming that you might do 2-3 hours bulk fermentation depending on the ambient temperature, then retard for >= 1-hour, shape the dough straight from the fridge, and then retard, etc....
If I've understood correctly, I wonder whether you can do this with a batch of bâtards proving on a couche? I'm trying to work our how it would fit into a fridge…
This wesite has been invaluable, and I really appreciate your comments, and everyone else who give such useful advice and encouragement. Best, Colin
I bulk ferment, just like everyone else. Then into the refrigerator for ~ an hour or more. Time-wise that is not really all that important, within reason, as long as the bulk chills down and stops most of the rise activity. Done as a bulk in the fermenting vessel.
As I basically have only worked with higher hydration doughs - 72% and up, I want a more manageable dough to shape.
Then the divide and pre-shape, and after 10-15 minutes of the dough getting comfortable in the pre-shaped form, but still chilled, I shape and place them onto a couche which sits in a "jelly roll" pan. I cover the entire pan and couche with plastic bags to retain moisture and prevent the possibility of the skin drying out. Back into the refrigerator for the overnight.
The pan's exterior is 11 in. x 17 in. (28 cm x 43 cm). The issue, of course, is refrigerator space management. This pan takes up 1/2 of a shelf, so I just work things around to make it fit.
From refrigerator directly onto the oven peel, scored and right into the oven. Makes the bake day a breezy affair. One hour pre-heating and start of steam, then the time it takes to bake. And along the way, the clean-up - maid's day off ;-( . It makes me able to manage my time quite well.
As I only work with a couche, I can't attest to how this scheme would work with other manner of bannetons, containers, etc. I can't imagine any issue, but just don't know. And as you have seen from my postings, the results seem to always work for me - so far!
alan
Thanks, Alan. There is no doubt this works if you've used this with the loaves I have seen pictures of on here! I imagine high hydration loaves are a little easier to shape as well. Thanks very much for this summary of your technique. Happy baking! Colin.
direction for sure! Now you are getting there. Well done and happy 1,2,3 baking
Thanks, Dabrownman, that is very kind of you to say. I did get rather a lot of pleasure seeing what was under the Cloche this morning, Thanks for your encouraging words. Best, Colin.
Wow! Look at that! You have nice height on your loaf and the crumb looks wonderful. Bet it tastes good too!
Many thanks, KathyF, that's very kind of you. This tastes just great :-) I would like to try a longer retard with these to see how the dough behaves. Alan's (Alfonso) suggestion of retarding before and after shaping also sounds worth pursuing. Happy baking and thanks for the encouragement. Colin.