I've been lurking and using this site as a reference for a long time, figured it was time to finally set up an account.
Generally I've been a yeast bread baker but I've decided to try my hand at sourdough following a string of really disappointing loaves from local bakeries. I just couldn't seem to find anyone reliably selling a dark crusty loaf. I've struggled with starters for short times in the past but never really got one going. I think it was a combination of things really. First, I hate recipes and directions because I find myself being too nitpicky about following them exactly and the second is that I seem to always start my sourdough journey in the colder season which definitely has an impact in my relatively cold home.
This time I persevered and just used some common sense to get past the hurdles that had given me troubles in the past. I mean, starters are used in all climates and have been used by cultures that didn't have all the modern conveniences. How hard could it be? I had the exact troubles I've experienced in the past but just ignoring all the "rules" and thinking about what was going on allowed me to turn the tables relatively quickly.
The picture above is my first bake and I'm pretty darn thrilled. Haven't cut into it yet so I can't comment on the crumb but the outside looks far better than I'd hoped for a first effort (maybe a little darker than I'd planned). Struggled a lot with the folding and shaping and degassed more than I'd hoped. It was still pretty flat this morning after an overnight refrigerator proof so I gave it a couple (relatively unproductive) hours on the counter before deciding to just go with the bake. If nothing else, it would be an interesting experiment.
Still though, I'm pretty happy with the outcome. Decent oven spring with the one big ear rising all the way to the inside lid of my dutch oven!
(I think I'm hooked)
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Tim
.. pass the butter, I'm ready to eat! Remember that baking bread is chemistry so you can't "eyeball" it too much. I follow recipe measurements exactly.. but it's on times of various stages in the process that I take liberties and trust my eyes and gut, more than my watch.. It's a great hobby... enjoy!
Congratulations Tim!
It begins this way - your life will never be the same ever again. You'll notice that bread will begin to have a more central roll in your cuisine. Welcome to the once in, never out cult of sourdough.
Get yourself an electronic scale - makes recipe repeatability and life as a baker a whole lot easier - after that a non-contact, infra-red thermometer rounds out the list of "indispensables"...,
Wild-Yeast
one good looking loaf of bread you have there, Tim. Love the scoring.
Looks absolutely delicious. Enjoy!
...and looking forward to the crumb shot.
While I agree with bread1965, there is another side to the chemistry. That is altitude and dry air in Colorado can change things up a bit. Once you get a sense of that you will dial in pretty quickly.
Yes, it doesn't take much to get hooked. Just a bit of early success, as here, a tolerance for gluten and carbs, and a willingness to spend time on the bottom layer of the Food Pyramid! Welcome to the active TFL gang...
alan