May 2, 2009 - 1:32pm
Sour dough bread holes
Hello everyone, well here is another question on bread holes. My sour dough bread tastes and looks great but I am still
not achieving those big holes. I am a little confused, on one message board I read they recommended folding and strecthing the
dough before the final rise to give the bread enough strenght. In another it said not to tamper with it once you deflate it so as no
to de gas it. What should I do?
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I am developing a recipe (boule) that includes these instructions (and they work) for the relatively wet dough I make.
With lightly floured hands, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and separate into two pieces of equal size. Shape the dough gently into somewhat square shape. You may find it necessary to "re-flour" your hands periodically to handle the dough.
Avoid deflalting the dough and stretch each square piece, in turn, away from your body to elongate it into a rectangle. Fold the long end of the dough back toward you, turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat this procedure three more times.
To complete the forming of the dough into two loaves, gently pull the surface tension taught by using both hands to rotate the dough and, with one hand, simultaneously stretch the dough by pressing the lower edge under the forming dough ball.
Place both loaves on peel covered with lightly floured parchment paper. Lightly dust top of each loaf with flour, cover with towel or plastic wrap and let rise until nearly doubled, about 40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees (I use a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack to provide some steam).
Place raised loaves on baking stone in the preheated oven, bake at 500 degrees for 5 - 8 minutes, then lower the heat to 450 degrees. Bake to 205 degrees internal temperature and remove from oven to cooling rack.
I am very new to bread baking so this is not expert advice. It's just a description of what works very well for me at this point in time.
Thanks for your suggestions on how to get big holes in your sourdough bread.
I will try your suggestions.
This link, which includes both helpful information in the form of text as well as fifteen minutes of instruction by D. Reinhart, may be of some value: http://www.finecooking.com/item/9929/sunken-sourdough-sadness#