First timer with sourdough
Hi!
I just made my first loaves of sourdough and wanted some feedback. I used https://www.theperfectloaf.com/best-sourdough-recipe/#tasty-recipes-11311-jump-target [1]. I noticed after that this was apparently a slightly more advanced recipe for beginners due to the high hydration/ slackness of the dough, but my loaves came out with a great sour taste and a nice crust. I think the crumb looked okay, but I feel like it was slightly more dense at the bottom (trying to figure out how to diagnose the crumb). See attached pictures.
I wanted some feedback, as I had to make some changes since I added in too much water in my Water 2 (suggested 95g IF needed, I added 35g, definitely didn't need to but didn't see the note saying that until after I had added, whoops). The changes were as follows:
I added a little extra flour since I messed up the hydration. I added in an extra set of folds (30 mins in between the supposed final set and my final set). I did all vigorous folds, but the dough was still very slack during pre-shaping (lost shape quickly, went into shaping after 15 mins instead of the suggested 35 mins of bench rest). I think I could've shaped it more tightly, but struggled due to the stickiness (should I have put it in the fridge to help with this?) I did an experiment to see how long I should go for proofing; for Loaf 1 - the boule- I proofed for 16 hours in fridge - suggested was 18 hrs in recipe). For Loaf 2 - the batard- I proofed in fridge for closer to 17 hours. I couldn't tell if these were underproofed or ready (the poke test made it seem like they were ready, but I wasn't sure!) I ended up baking both loaves covered in a dutch oven for the 20 mins, then 30 mins uncovered. The bottoms were a bit burned, so not sure if I should've moved the rack up or something else. I think Loaf 1 came out better, but I truly cannot tell.
Any feedback or suggestions would be wonderful! This was definitely a challenge, but I enjoyed it a lot. Looking forward to making some more loaves with any suggestions :)