Ryan Sandler's blog

Inspired by dmsnyder's post about Hamelman's Vermont Sourdough with Increased Whole Grain, and is recommendation of it to those seeking "a more sour sourdough" (sign me up!), I decided to make that my Sunday bake.  Friday morning I refreshed my firm starter, and changed some of it to a 125% liquid starter, then made the preferment levain friday night, and was all ready to mix the dough Saturday morning.

I've been trying to bake artisan bread for about three years now, since I picked up a copy of The Bread Baker's Apprentice as an exchange for a Christmas present.  In that time, I've never been particularly good about focusing on one particular bread and practicing it until I get it down, as so many of the wise bakers on this site recommend.

I had a really great success in scoring the sourdough batards I made over the weekend, and wanted to share.  They were made using the "experimental" sourdough baguette formula I concocted awhile back, although I screwed up in several places -- added salt to the liquid levain, and far too much water to the firm levain/pate fermente.  I managed, though, adding more flour and omitting the salt from the firm levain.