First Attempt at San Joaquin Sourdough

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agentmorgan on 11 Mar 2012 at 19:45

Received my starter from KAF at Thursday lunch and San Joaquin sourdough out of the oven Saturday afternoon.  I used this version:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/24078/san-joaquin-sourdough-update

My only changes were to use KAF WWW instead of rye and to retard for 15 hrs not 21.  

All was well until, for some reason, I decided to use parchment paper instead of tea towels for the final proof.  My loaves stuck and got rather deformed and deflated in their removal.  <sigh>  Scoring also didn't go well as there was little surface tension and crust left.  But the amazing oven spring made them look much nicer than they had any right to be.  

Agent Morgan,

Very interesting loaves.  My first impression was that you had created 2 very whimsical faces with your dough.

For many here - taste rules.  A loaf can look any which way but if it tastes good it is a good loaf of bread! How did this bread taste?

Janet

Hi Janet They tasted good to us! Very little sourdough tang which suits my DH just fine. If he had his way, the only bread would be white commercial yeast French. But he eats my country bread with good grace. The poor loaves were fairly nice ovals until they got all ripped up.

I began baking about 2 years ago using only freshly ground whole grains and IY  doughs.  Family loved the breads I made.

I discovered sd a little over a year ago and it took awhile for their tastes to shift but shift they have and all love the sd loaves now.  

Mine like the milder tang so I keep my leaven on the 'sweet' side.  Many I give breads to don't even know I use sd.  I bake enriched and lean doughs with my starters and use a variety of grains.

So hang in there....you never know what will happen with his tastes over time...

Janet

LOL  I've been baking bread off and on for the past eight years,and he hasn't changed yet! Brioche, challah, pain de campagne,you name it  , always the same:  "This was good honey, but you haven't made baguettes lately."  

in that loaf, even if the exterior isn't picture perfect. I'd love a slice right about now :)
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agentmorgan on 14 Mar 2012 at 14:44

FlourChild! I'd send you some but the last (hard) crumbs were dunked into soup today. For some reason, my preschoolers will happily eat dunked bread but not the soup.

I made SJ I nearly set the house a fire after setting fire to the oven.  I say any bake you can walk away from is a success.  Your  crumb is very nice and it has to taste great.  2 out of three ain't bad.  I would consider this a 66% success minimum.  You got the hardest part right so move it up to 75% successful.    Stay after it and before you know it you willbe doing this in your sleep.

Well, I didn't set the house on fire, but the fire alarms going off every 5? min for most of the pre-heat and bake was certainly annoying!  I did get a couche (from brotfrom.com) in the mail today, so hopefully that will help fix the shaping issues.  

stopped going off after I cleaned the oven after what ever was in it caught fire.  Cllean oven, no fire, no smoke and no alrarm works for me :-) 

Believe me, I've cleaned and cleaned and even auto-cleaned the oven so many times!! Whatever it is is certainly hiding well!