Been away a few weeks 'cheating' with a few hybrid loaves, Hamelman and Forkish's books are full of sourdough recipes with a pinch of commercial yeast. It feels a bit wrong... But tastes so right! It's like playing pool after playing snooker, still great fun but seems too easy.
I stuck rigidly to Forkish's recipe, although not so much to his timings. I utilised the fridge overnight after maybe six hours on the counter and allowed an hour's warm-up before shaping this morning.
The hydration worried me a little at 78% but it was surprisingly easy to handle, the kitchens pretty cool right now which I'm sure helped.
Blonde, you can see what inspired the name. The loaves are very pretty to look at and range from straw yellow to a dark bronze like a sunset. Aesthetically perhaps my finest to date.
The oven spring was pretty special, this batard almost ripped itself in two!
I've become obsessed with heavily sour, rye levains lately and this one didn't quite tick the flavour box in that respect but then it doesn't mean too. It has a gentle tang and it is tasty, just not my favourite. Lovely crispy crust and soft light crumb. It was just warm when I cut it, early for me I usually allow an overnight cool before cutting but had to treat myself tonight.
Thanks for looking.
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That oven spring is something else! Wow!
That's very kind of you x
Really opened up with great oven spring. Loving the colour too. When following these long fermented hybrid bread recipes I miss out the added yeast without having to tweak the recipe much, if at all. What's the point in speeding it up (adding the yeast) then slowing it down (refrigerating it)? All the recipes fall into a good time frame for the amount of starter used and length of the ferment. Forkish is all too often overly generous with his timings anyway. Lovely bakes Elasquerino.
Sometimes in our quest for purity and the 'holey' grail (sorry), open crumb though we forget the pleasure of a 'yeasted' bread crumb... It's got a place. Was nice to get back to a proper sourdough though. Always feel prouder somehow. Thanks Abe.
of the color. Very nice bake. Beautiful crumb and that crust looks delicious ! c
For taking the time to comment.
I just got the Forkish book - these loaves are beautiful, and will be my first run at the recipes. Thanks!
I've been working through it since Christmas. Good luck and let us know how you get on.
Just found the Breadwerx website. The blogger, Trevor Wilson, speaks to the Tartine fanaticism, and comments on the new wave of bread-baking ‘elitists’. He was one in his youth, but has grown to realize that a baker must bake a bread that is his/her bread, alone. He is obviously very talented; not a Chad Robertson doppelgänger. I think you are in his sphere.
Perhaps but not in his league haha... But thanks, Trevor is a genius and helps a lot of people, me included.
That's delicious looking bread...Forkish's Country Blonde was one of the first sourdough breads I tried to bake, didn't look quite as fine as your bread but the taste, it's what drives one to keep tinkering and exploring naturally leavened bread. Really nice bread, well baked Elsasquerino!
You're very right, it becomes an obsession very quickly.