June 26, 2020 - 3:47pm
My first loaf!
Not too shabby, for my first loaf. I didn’t get much rise out of it, although I did seem to get a little bit of oven spring. There are a number of things that I’ll do differently next time. I’ll post a crumb shot later this evening.
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That's a good looking loaf. show us the crumb. what was the process/oven setup?
Hi, Ciabatta!
i apparently overlooked your comment from the other day. Sorry for that, I hope you don’t think I was ignoring you.
I describe my oven setup in a reply to Mini below, although I think I may have forgotten to state that I had pre-heated all of that at 450f for one hour.
As for my process, I really must admit that it was a mess. Re-reading the instructions for the recipe I was using revealed a few things that I could have done better, should have done differently, or just forgot to do altogether (such as a bench rest between final shaping and retarding). I’m going to try again tomorrow, providing I can find some whole wheat flour (another part of what was wrong with my process: substituting ingredients without realizing the effect on hydration level). Hopefully, with the next loaf I can slow myself down a bit, be more methodical, and stick closer to what the recipe is telling me to do.
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So the results are in!
I followed the Beginner Sourdough Bread recipe at The Perfect Loaf: https://www.theperfectloaf.com/beginners-sourdough-bread/
The crumb was kinda dense, which I’m assuming is because it was underproofed. The recipe didn’t call for it, but I’m wondering if I should have removed the dough from the fridge for a bit to allow it to bench proof. I didn’t do a “poke test”, so to say. But I did notice that when I touched it the dough sprang back right away. I’m sure that I read something about that somewhere around here, but I should have maybe paid closer attention to that tip.
I think I may have also overworked the dough during the bulk ferment, but it didn’t feel like things were coming together the way they should have after just three stretch & folds. Looking back on that, maybe I should have trusted the recipe a little more than my instincts.
And of course, as time goes on, my starter will strengthen and develop. I think that would help tremendously.
It was bread flavored, I’ll give it that. The next loaf will be better ?
I guess it’s also worth noting that I cut the recipe in half, as I only wanted to make one boule. I also did not have whole wheat flour, or bread flour. I used King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose flour and Rye, and I augmented that with about 10g of Vital Wheat Gluten, which I’ve used in the past with great success for my non-sourdough bread baking.
I guess it’s also worth noting that I cut the recipe in half, as I only wanted to make one boule. I also did not have whole wheat flour, or bread flour. I used King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose flour and Rye, and I augmented that with about 10g of Vital Wheat Gluten, which I’ve used in the past with great success for my non-sourdough bread baking.
Baking right out the fridge is ok.
You can also check If the dough Is Ferment enough by giving it a little shake, If it is wobbly it is ok.
the crumb and bottom are telling you there should be more heat under the loaf. Did you happen to get a picture of the loaf bottom? Try going down a shelf or two in the oven. Important to get heat under the dough where it can have the most influence in the beginning of the bake. :)
Hi, Mini!
I didn’t think to take a pic of the bottom, but it had the same golden-brown color as the top, so I thought it looked good.
My setup is a little bit strange... I don’t own a Dutch oven (and none of my pre-Father’s Day hint-dropping worked. I got a Lowe’s gift card instead.). However, I do have a very nice set of Pampered Chef stoneware baking dishes that a friend of my son’s gifted me several years ago. I discovered that two of those pieces, which look like a cheesecake pan and a large stone mixing bowl, fit together almost perfectly. I used the cheesecake pan as a base, and the mixing bowl as a lid. These were on the next-to-bottom rack in the oven. Underneath this, on the bottom rack, I placed a pizza stone, as I didn’t know how well the stoneware would transfer heat, and I didn’t want the bottom of my loaf to burn. The next time I bake, I’ll try leaving the pizza stone out of the equation, and I think I might also benefit from finding a way to generate more steam.
I’m still of the opinion that my results are due to a mixture of weak-ish starter and poor technique. I think I’m going to try to set up for another loaf tomorrow, to see if I learned anything ?