Brotkraft's blog

The single most important discovery for me as a baker the past year has been the double-fed sourdough.  Up until this time, both Stinky (wheat) and Sourpuss (rye) received single feedings that would ripen overnight and be incorporated in the next morning's mixes. Of course there were many considerations and deliberations and decisions to be made: the changing temperature of the room overnight, the temperature of the water, the amount of lead time before the final dough mix, the mother:flour:water ratio, and so on, and so on.  Although I was generally satisfied with the p

There is an infinite number of ways to shape rounds. This particular stitching method works well with high hydration doughs. The dough in this video is 85% hydration.

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There are many ways to shape an oval. This method is versatile and works well for both low and high hydration doughs. The final cinch and tuck round out the ends.

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Beware:  this video scores high on the geek-o-meter!  So grab your favorite pilsner, get comfortable on the sofa, and prepare yourself to watch a long video outlining the science and mathematics behind the Detmolder Two-Stage Rye Sourdough Feeding Method (aka Detmolder Zweistufenfuehrung). 

This method is practiced widely throughout Germany and Austria. I have a preference for this method as it has wonderful complexity in flavor and a lot of leavening power. There is no necessity to use commercial yeast in conjunction with this sourdough.

Recently there have been many excellent posts and information on The Fresh Loaf about baguettes. Here is a small contribution focused on shaping. 

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One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is, "How do I get an open crumb in my bread?" This video shares some processes I employ that hopefully will be helpful to you.

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