1st Time Share- White Sourdough
Hi all! I've been following this group for a few months, and wanted to first thank you all for the amazing treasure trove of resources and advice. I started taking bread more seriously around March 2018, and just started baking sourdough 3 or 4 months ago. I wanted to share this recipe and a couple of photos.
I got this from Firehouse Bread, just halved their recipe here: https://www.ilovecooking.ie/features/sourdough-bread-masterclass-with-patrick-ryan/
Started with a 95% hydration 80% AP flour 20% Whole Wheat starter. Didn't do a cold prove, Just about 3 hours of stretching and folding every 45 minutes or so, then 3.5 hours of proving in a banneton.
Just recently got a lame and wanted to try some scoring. Still figuring out the right touch for it! This was the first time I got a nice, open-ish crumb, and I credit this to the stretch and folds. Other recipes I've used have just told me to mix for 10 minutes, but this never gave me the silky effect that S+F did this time.
Anyway, would love to get feedback! My goal for next time is to get a slightly more open crumb, thicker crust, and more robust flavor. Should I try a cold overnight prove? Incorporate some rye?
Hi lilgarbanzobean!
Welcome! I'm a bit new here myself but have been passively following the action for a while, just like you have done until now.
The loaf looks fantastic! I love the shallow scoring that allowed for some artful decoration. As for the crumb, believe that the stretch and folds for produce a more open crumb since they trap more air into your bread. Baking a little longer will help give you a thicker crust, and some people prefer a darker crust claiming a better flavor. Personally, I prefer a lighter bake, but that's just me. It's definitely something to play around with though.
Another point for improving flavor is the overnight proof in the fridge. Good things take time! For best results, I think it's worth waiting for. Happy baking!
Hi Rustic!
Thanks so much for that feedback. It means a lot. I am always hesitant to prove overnight in the fridge as my fridge is uncontrollably cold, and in certain spots things tend to freeze. Would this pose a danger to a fridge proof?
Hmmm. If the fridge is really cold, then I would be hesitant to retard my bread in there. Maybe turn the fridge up a notch or two? I have read optimal temp is somewhere around 50˚F for long slow rise, but I don't know what my fridge is at.
Maybe tear off a small bit from one of your future loaves (like the size of a dinner roll) and try the overnight proof in the fridge. That way, there is no risk if it freezes or doesn't turn out well. Good luck!
I have done quite a bite of testing retardation in regards to temperature and time. My testing shows that if the retard temp is 40F or above (38F is great) the dough will rise during the retardation. In my experience 50F is great if you want the dough to rise while retarding. But if your dough rises during retardation it will not with stand extended (long time) retardation. IMO, if a dough was retarded overnight @50F it would most likely be over proofed. But that would depend on how fermented the dough was during the bulk ferment.
Others may dispute my findings and if so, I would be interested to learn from them. I am a student at heart...
Dan
I just stuck my thermometer in the fridge and it's right around 40˚ F. So I was way off the mark in my last comment and not sure where I got 50˚ F from. Oops. Sorry about that!
You're absolutely right about retarding at 40˚ F and keeping the dough from overproofing. I always stick my dough in the fridge overnight and it doesn't rise much by the morning.
Your bread looks great to me. Your crumb looks light, airy, and not dense. Great Bake.
Keep us posted of your progress.
I checked your hydration, it seemed extremely high for the bread pictured. The hydration is 65% (rounded off). 800 flour, 460 water, and 320 starter @ 100% hydration. The starter contains 160 flour and 160 water. So the total flour is 960 and the water is 620. Divide 620 by 960 to get a hydration of 64.6%. I added the above in case you wanted to know how the hydration is calculated. Btw - 65% is a good hydration.
Dan
I think the starter was listed as 95% hydration; I don't think the hydration of the dough was actually mentioned in the OP.
Yes, sorry if that wasn't clearer!
... through a post, searching for some special bit of information I want to find, I will probably find it -
- even if it's not there - I'm a determined sort, so I'll find it anyway. ?
I suspect that many other people have had a similar experience. ?
Making your slashes fewer and deeper would probably improve both their appearance and their effect.
I think the slashes look nice - decorative. If you are not trying to achieve a strong ear - multiple slashes like that can keep your shape consistent which can be nice at times.
bread that has to taste as good as it looks inside and out!
Well done and Happy baking
LilGar, fermentation is an aquired skill that every serious baker strives to improve upon. I don’t think anyone ever nails it all the time. There are 2 variables in sourdough baking that play a major role in fermentation and proofing. They are the your starter and temperature. Even if we could control the temperature and accurately measure the ingredients and baked a bread as similar as possible, the strength of your starter and mine would be unique and probably different. There is a saying that pops up throughout the forum, “watch the dough, not the clock”. Sometimes my dough will rise very fast and others are slow, even when the temperature is precisely controlled.
You are off to an outstanding start. I wish you continued success with your breads. May your next bread be the best ever...
Dan