December 28, 2015 - 12:08pm
New Starter--First Loaves
These are the first loaves using the new wild yeast starter. I think they are the best I’ve ever made. They were for a holiday party at friends so I didn’t get a photo of the crumb. It was very open, nice range of hole sizes, and moist. They also had a really deep flavor.
It took a couple of attempts to get the starter going, but it now is working quite well. I hadn’t been baking for over a year so perhaps that had something to do with the slow beginning. Since I was in France for most of that time there was no sense in my baking. There were a few really terrific boulangeries nearby.
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You did a wonderful job on them. :)
As Riversai said: "Wow"! These look like amazing loaves, and I'm deeply impressed that you turned these out on your first sourdough bake after a fairly long hiatus. Happy sourdough baking for 2016! Colin.
they are terrific! Well done and
Happy baking
After trying many bread making methods gleaned from bread books at our local public library, I have settled on Chad Robertson’s Tartine technique for wild yeast breads. (Thanks to my wife I now have my own copy of “Tartine Bread” plus the use of her dutch oven!) I find Robertson’s descriptions of starter creation and dough handling quite clear and his recipes easy to follow. My dough never looks quite like his as pictured in the book, but the final bread usually works out okay. In the latest loaves, baked since the ones pictured above, I have been incorporating about 5% rye flour to give an additional flavor boost. They are about 60% bread flour, 35% ww, and 5% rye. The family says these are the best yet. Even the dog seems to agree as he tried to grab the bread from the counter. For a 12 pound dog thats quite a jump!
beautiful :) what about the inside??
Didn't get photos of insides as they went to a holiday party at friends. But here is the latest, New Years Day, bake.
Inside and out the bread is outstanding especially for a 40% whole grain bread. Well done and happy baking .
Looks great :)
Those look beautiful! I can almost smell them! I'm just starting out on my sourdough adventures and your loaves have inspired me!!!