123 sourdough!
I made the 123 sourdough [1] from my starter the other day. I was amazed and pleased at how this loaf came together. I don't think I put enough salt in it though, and its not really "sour." but the starter culture is really vigorous and active, and it is more sour than last time. I started with 9 oz of starter, 18 of water and 27 of flour, and made two nice loaves. The crust is thick and chewy, and the crumb is moist, but has small even holes. No picture of crumb.
I made the dough and kneaded with my mixer for 4-5 minutes, then did a few stretch and folds (2 sets 45 minutes apart) and then let it ferment overnight. The next morning it was overflowing the bowl! I shaped it cold and let it rise; it doubled in size, but that was mostly width, they were very flat. They had good surface tension though; when I cut them, they split right open. And, I was amazed at the oven spring; it rose quite high on the stone. I baked at 500 °F for 2-3 minutes with steam (3/4-1 cup hot water in a pan) and reduced temp to 450 for about 40 minutes. The color is great! I am very happy with this loaf.
This loaf had a lot of crackling, which I've never seen before. Is this normal? what causes it?