OK, I just realized I am bread blogging on a Friday night... but I felt compelled to share these pics. Hopefully, someone else out there on a Friday night is at least entertained. (Please excuse the photo orientation, I really cannot figure it out to save my life)
I've been experimenting with some different folding techniques and recipes lately and am currently really liking the flavor and simplicity of dmsynder's San Joaquin Sourdough. My last attempt I doubled the recipe and had these monstrous explosive loaves. So this time I split the dough in 4 - 450g pieces and tried different shapes to see which came out best.
The Gumpy Shark aka Smurf Hat - This was my first boule and it had great tension when I scored it. It had some great oven spring too but then after 15 minutes it seemed to forget the scoring and burst out of the side making a bulbous nose/hat.
The Skinny Road Kill Turtle - This was a short baguette that I scored this all the way down the middle (down the left side in the picture). Then as you can see, the dough releases the tension by busting out the seams from the underside and bottom.
Not-so-Bad Boule - This little boule started out a disaster when I dropped it off center in the cast iron cooker. I re-positioned it best I could and it came out pretty good with a nice ear on it. Not so round and kind of boxy.
The Dissected Baguette - This baguette was the same size as the Road Kill Turtle but for some reason wanted to be much longer. Too long in this case, as the ends hung over the edge of the pizza stone. I decided to cut them off and bake them any way. Additionally, the gringe in this picture is actually the seam on the bottom. These loaves just didn't take any direction...
While the shapes got really weird, the crumb, I really liked.
Here is the sad bunch altogether.
Thoughts? Ideas? How does one get the oven spring to go where you want? Why was the dough busting out the tucked away seams?
For my next bake, I think I am going to continue to use this recipe but use my trusty brotform.
Goodnight!
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Maybe you're not scoring deep enough? Or maybe the seams aren't well sealed. What's your process for shaping your dough?
Have a look at this thread in the forum:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/44068/misshapen-sourdough-loaf
Great crumb though! I'm sure these loaves tasted great anyway!
Thanks ru007, ya, I am thinking the scoring and the seam issues are a result of poor proofing. I think (as Mini Oven noted) this would solve the main issues. Maybe the seams will hold and the scoring actually do their job if dough proofs a little longer. Makes sense to me.
Yes, thanks! I did like the crumb and bread never goes to waste around here no matter how ugly!
How about Saturday nights?
Anyway.... what I see is a lot of under-proofed dough: like the loaves are giving birth to second ones. Frustrating after doing all that work. Try letting the dough ferment longer before or after shaping. And be careful not to let the dough surface dry out while it is rising. A spray mister is handy and so is patting the surface with oily hands. (If you have dry hands like me, you can just leave the oil on.) A damp wrung out tea towel will do wonders draped over a loaf. I often cover with an inverted misted bowl.
Thanks Mini Oven. Yes, you are probably right.... after a 24 hour fermentation in the refrigerator (recipe called for 21) I was a little impatient to pre-shape/rest and then shape and proof. I certainly didn't wait the full 30-60 mins after each. My old method called for shaping/proofing first then refrigeration in a brotform over night and strait into the oven! But I guess if I am going to try a new recipe I should actually follow the directions!