Planned bake: Attempt to replicate Larraburu Bros. San Francisco Sourdough
San Francisco Sourdough from Larraburu Brothers
as described in
https://www.aaccnet.org/publications/cc/backissues/1978/Documents/chem55_461.pdf [1]
as interpreted by
David Snyder
February, 2019
Over many years, there has been much interest in reproducing the San Francisco Sourdough bread baked by Larraburu Brothers' bakery that closed in the early 1970's. The article referenced above seems the most likely to accurately report Larraburu Brother's method. The following formula and methods have been extracted from that article, with a very few modifications as noted.
Because of the current interest on The Fresh Loaf in this, I will post this “plan” now and update it with my own results when I have actually baked bread using this method.
Total Dough |
|
|
Ingredient | Wt (g) | Bakers' % |
Bread flour (12% protein) | 924 | 90 |
High gluten flour (14% protein) | 100 | 10 |
Water | 612 | 60 |
Salt | 20 | 2 |
Total | 1656 | 162 |
Note: I used King Arthur Flour AP flour (11.7% protein) and Sir Lancelot flour (14% protein).
Sponge |
|
|
Ingredient | Wt (g) | Bakers' % |
High gluten flour | 100 | 100 |
Water | 50 | 50 |
Active starter | 50 | 50 |
Total | 200 | 200 |
One day before baking the bread (e.g., before going to bed the night before you want to bake)
Dissolve the starter in the water.
Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Knead until all the flour is moistened.
Place in a dry bowl and cover.
Ferment at 80ºF for 9-10 hours
Remove 50g of the fermented sponge and refrigerate for future use.
Final Dough |
|
Ingredient | Wt (g) |
Bread flour | 924 |
Water | 562 |
Salt | 20 |
Sponge | 150 |
Total | 1656 |
Procedure
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the water and sponge cut in pieces to soften the sponge.
Mix the salt into the flour and add it to the mixing bowl.
Mix the dough at slow speed to thoroughly mix the ingredients, then at medium speed to obtain medium gluten development. (A medium window pane.)
Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour. (Note: The article does not specify the temperature for this step. I think room temperature is most likely.)
Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Pre-shape as balls. Cover with a cloth and let rest for 10-30 minutes to relax the gluten. (Note: The 10-30 minute rest after pre-shaping is my addition, but it is “standard operating procedures” in most artisan bakeries.)
Shape the pieces as boules or bâtards and place, seam-side up, in floured baskets or on a linen or parchment couche.
Proof for 4 hours at 105ºF in a humid environment. (Note: I place the formed loaves in bannetons and place the bannetons in food safe plastic bags and clip them shut. Then, I proof the loaves in a Brød & Taylor proofing box.)
One hour before baking, preheat the oven with a baking stone and steaming apparatus in place.
Transfer the loaves to a peel and score as desired.
Bake at 420ºF for 40-50 minutes (per Galal. I baked at 460ºF with steam for 15 minutes, then at 450ºF convection for 25 minutes.) The oven should be steamed for the first 15 minutes of the bake. The loaves are done when thumping the bottom gives a “hollow sound,” the crust is nicely browned and the internal temperature of the loaves is 205ºF.
Cool thoroughly before slicing.
David