The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Trevor Wilson's Stiff Dough 65% formula....

not.a.crumb.left's picture
not.a.crumb.left

Trevor Wilson's Stiff Dough 65% formula....

I've found the more I bake the more I realise what I don't know - like with everything in life...

After a number of bakes where I lacked oven spring and experimented with different flours...I've been given some brilliant advice to  go back to lower hydration and see what happens....So I tried Trevor's 65% hydration loaf but WITHOUT THE OVERNIGHT premix as I know that this totally degrades my weak UK flour from the Champlain bakes.

http://www.breadwerx.com/how-to-get-open-crumb-from-stiff-dough-video/

I also used my 60% hydration stiff starter which I started to use in the now getting warmer spring weather on the counter and feed every 12 hours..

Overall, I am happy and it did not the quickly 'sagging' during scoring so I am hopeful and shall up hydration slowly and see at what hydration point the 'sagging' happens. Could of course be my 'bad' handling or 'overproofing' or 'scoring'...ha, ha...so many possibilities.....

I think, I might bake this more as a great day to day sandwich bread.....

If anybody else has the 'slightly sagging' dilemma combined with 'oven spring but not just enough syndrome' and their findings would be great? I think the result of this lower hydration loaves makes me feel it is the hydration that I need to watch and flours....

Kat

 

Comments

Postal Grunt's picture
Postal Grunt

I have to agree with you about baking. The more I know, the less I know.

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

SFSD bread in the 60's and 70's.  Your spring and crumb look like it too.  monster holes are all the rage today but not at all old school unless you were making ciabatta.  Very nice,

Happu baking

not.a.crumb.left's picture
not.a.crumb.left

to find out more about Larraburu's famouse...I am intrigued!

I like 'monster holes' too but for me it is all about learning and there are so many lovely breads with so many different crumbs and tastes....will keep me busy for the rest of my life! :D

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

and only 9,400 more breads to go!

not.a.crumb.left's picture
not.a.crumb.left

in that calculation! How many breads per week? When did someone start baking....?

In my case I started baking 'lateish'  and need to bake 'more' to catch up...oh dear..that means also to eat more and we all know how that ends!

Thankfully, I have happy neighbors and friends who are never running out of bread!  Happy Baking, Kat

 

leslieruf's picture
leslieruf

I have to agree with Postal Grunt, and I too have dropped my hydration and liked the result.

Amazing how there is always something to figure out! A great bake Kat!

Leslie

not.a.crumb.left's picture
not.a.crumb.left

at the moment!  Thank you  and isn't it funny how we have a 'collective bread consciousness' and timed to drop the hydration! Ha, Ha, ......  Yep...always something to learn must keep enjoying....  Kat

gillpugh's picture
gillpugh

Uk flours don't like the high hydration, I've learned in in the past when I was following American books.  I too have dropped my hydration to 75 and make a much better loaf of bread.  I've just bought a British book by Vanessa Kimbel, but I still drop the hydration at the mix and autolise stage, I then begin stretch and fold during the bulk and then add water with wet hands, I normally add 50 grams during the bulk with much better results.  I usually get over 80% hydration by this method.  There is a name for this but I can't remember it!!  

not.a.crumb.left's picture
not.a.crumb.left

and starting to do this also more and more...I have both Trevor's book and Vanessa Kimbell's book and they actually both refer to the 'french' term bassinage describing how to introduce water gradually. to give the dough time to absorb...without flooding the flour...I thought I start with 65% hydration loaf again and then see how to get to higher hydration very gradually to find that 'sweet' spot and rather than using water based on formulas see what works with the flours in my kitchen....Thank you for sharing and maybe I try to add more water in bulk as so far I only used 10g or so but never more....

However, I really like the crumb of this loaf and even should I manage finally to find that 'sweet higher hydration spot', I probably will continue making this loaf........

gillpugh's picture
gillpugh

Your crumb is wonderful.  I'm also not a fan of the very open crumb, as mentioned earlier it's ok for cibatta where you want the open style  Italian  bread for dunking.  But I want my bread for toast, sandwiches etc, and your bread is just the ticket! 

not.a.crumb.left's picture
not.a.crumb.left

and still some butter dripping on my table!....Kat

hreik's picture
hreik

I've been waiting and looking for posts from you to see your newest attempt.  What a roaring success.  Just lovely.  How wonderful to have figured out the British flour issues.  And yeah, the more I know (or think I know) the less I know.  About bread and everything else.

Nice loaf.  Wish I could try some with butter and cheese or butter and honey.

hester

p.s. when I was using T65, I never went above 68-70% hydration.  Never.

not.a.crumb.left's picture
not.a.crumb.left

I've tried today another one with 70% hydration and rather than using the 60% stiff starter also tried to make a 100% leaven from the starter to see whether this makes any difference...

All good fun and I keep looking out for your bakes...I am soooooo jealous of all those American flours. If I ever go and visit US again, I will come back with a suitcase full of flours!  Kat

not.a.crumb.left's picture
not.a.crumb.left

290g water (plus 17g with salt due to stiff starter only having 33g water)

436 g strong white (-6g because of stiff starter with 56g flour)

24g ww

10g salt

50g stiff starter - 12 hours old...

-----------------------------

1 Hour AL - 11:30 - 12:30 - water temp. 82F and end dough temp 74F - into proofer at 78F

Added Leaven, salt and  - 17g water....- mini-Rubaud was still possible, rest and 2nd round of Rubaud...

13:00 Start Bulk

15:00 1 S & F 74F

17:00 2nd S & F -75F

17:30 dough totally went mad and doubled or more....

17:30 Pre-shape and 15 min rest (only) to avoid over-proofing

18:00 Final Shaping and retard in fridge at bottom shelf 6C Bake: 6AM 12 hours

6:30 Baked – 20min top temp and then 20 min lower temp...