I've been making the basic Tartine Country Loaf (from the first book) for a little over a year. I love the method and have been really happy with the loaves but my goal has always been to make a sour sourdough loaf, like I remember from a favorite bakery in California years ago. Along the way, I've read lots of varying suggestions and have tweaked the maintenance routine for my homegrown starter and the timing/temperature for the proof but that sour loaf has eluded me so far. This last bake, I increased the refrigerated proofing time from the 12-24 hours I had been doing to 39 hours. Finally, I have the sour, the texture, and the look that I was trying to achieve. :)
- Julie McLeod's Blog
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Congratulations. I'm just beginning my sourdough journey myself, so I look...forward I guess? to the many struggles and minor imperfections that lie along the path.
Don't worry.....the experimentation is what keeps it interesting. And you'll be sure to get great bread along the way.
So, to get to near 40 hours cold proofing did you reduce the levain amount in half to compensate?
Happy Baking
No, I actually didn't. I used the same amount of levain in the dough as I always do.
Your loaf looks great. I have a newbie question. Does the long proof in the refrigerator make it more sour?
Yes. I did two loaves from the same dough. The first, I retarded for 18 hours and the second (the one pictured) for 39 hours. The second was decidedly more sour. It also had a more open, glossier crumb.
Thanks Julie! I just happen to have a Tartine country loaf retarding in the refrigerator now. I think I will let it sit a bit longer in hopes of getting a more sour result.
I loved the spring, crust and crumb texture of the Tartine Country Loaf, but, like you, I wanted a loaf with a little more flavor. I had been experimenting with tweaks to the Tartine recipe / method, but hadn't found some thing I really I really liked yet. Sounds like you had same objective, so I'm anxious to try your variation. Thanks for sharing!
I feel that the longer fridge proof really helped the sour and the overall flavour. One thing I should mention is that this loaf is 100% unbleached white flour. I did not add the 10% whole wheat that is called for in the formula. Also, I'm working with a starter that is all unbleached white flour. I do my bulk proof at room temperature and I don't worry about dough temperature. Otherwise, everything was pretty much "by the book".
Have fun with your explorations.
Congratulations, every thing looks perfect . :)
Don't know if you're still posting on this website, Julie. My question is whether you left out the WW Flour in both the Levain and the final Dough.
Yes, that's correct. I haven't baked in a long time but what I do remember is that I always liked the results better when I only used unbleached white flour. It rose better and tasted better to me.