a_warming_trend's blog

A long weekend means just that much more time to experiment with intimidating techniques!

This weekend, I have baked two two-loaf batches of sourdough, using a formula that involves a short bulk fermentation and a long cold proof. 

Levain

50 g starter (I have a rye and a white, and either will work great)

75 g AP flour

75 g water

(200 g total)

Final Dough

Levain

700 g AP fl

100 g WW fl

560 g water (water #1)

20 g water (water #2)

10 g malt/sugar

19 g salt

Any "mix-ins" imaginable, really!

Since discovering the wonderful challenge of sourdough, I've experimented with a wide range of levain percentages, fermentation times, proof times, etc.

Most of the sources I've read have warned against too-high-hopes for sourdough ovenspring. Sometimes, a baker just wants to see that sourdough CAN really get a rise. 

I have to begin with a disclaimer: I do not yet own the original Tartine book. I am slow and deliberate with all of my bread-related purchases, from implements and vessels to texts. I do plan to own it by the end of this month! My other disclaimer is that I have only been baking sourdough since November 1, 2014. I know this because the camera on my phone records dates (man, was I was excited about that first loaf...).

I recognized late last fall that my friends and family love receiving yeast breads on special occasions. 

This realization lead me to begin experimenting with fruit, nuts, chocolate, and sweeter-associated spices in my breads. I've tried a pretty expansive range of slightly sweet loaves, from molasses, to cinnamon-brown sugar, to a "sourdough take on fruitcake (with bourbon!)."

Bread-baking has fully converted me to the metric system, but it hasn't yet convinced me to suspend my impulse to experiment rather than follow recipes or formulas. For the most part! I love to read and absorb recipes, but I always seem to end up using my new-found tool of baker's percentages to invent my own loaves. 

I've really wanted to experiment with a stiff levain for a long time (biga-like strength? Yes, please!), so I decided to give it a whirl. I put together a simple formula and hoped for the best: 

Levain:

50g 100% hydration starter

75g ap fl

Happy New Year to all, from a newbie to bread and to this forum!

I agree with CAphyl: There's something special about the notion of giving a yeast bread as a holiday gift. And I could be biased by my recent discovery of wild yeast, but I love the idea even more if the loaf is a sourdough.

For my first real post, I'd like to share the results of this little experiment: I wanted to test the merits of the long cold fermentation vs. the long cold proof.