I recently started moving towards high hydration doughs (around 80% to 85%),
the texture of the crumb is super airy and tender and i love everything about those high hydration SDs,
but for some reason I won't get the ears and oven spring compare to dough with 70 to 75% hydration.
i tried to bake with both cold and room tempurature doughs but it didnt make much difference,
Maybe i was supposed to score it differently to achieve the ear?
There's another recent thread with exactly the same problem - you may want to follow that one.
One thing I would say for starters is that if you want ears, you want to be making batards not boules - the ear is considered a major feature of the former, but not the latter.
Yours look a bit in between, but more boulish than batardish!
Lance
While it may be more common to see on the batards you can certainly get some break and shred on boules. My recent post on the sourdough I've been playing around with is pretty convincing evidence : http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/59053/basic-white-sourdough . Got some pretty great ears on both the boule and batards.
I would say that from my experience learning about these doughs is that shaping is imperative as well as the health of your starter (ie. how well it has been taken care of over time) as well as the freshness (ie. how long after the last feed it was used in the dough). If you are not getting good tension while you are shaping, or if you are getting good tension but the acidity of the dough is deteriorating the gluten network too quickly in the final shape then you probably aren't going to achieve the pronounced ears.
thanks so much for the thread, I will definitely try this recipe and method and see if i get some improvement!
do you think a younger levain can make the dough less acid and easier to handle?
I only have 2 proofing baskets, one batard and one boule, the oven spring is usually very different from each other but that might be because of shaping?
First of all, congrats on your EXCELLENT looking bread - but I know what you mean, I love it when I get a nice 'ear'.
I've found I get the best was when I build up a really high tension in the performing and forming stage (I use a wide, 30cm scraper to 'drag' the dough across the work surface); and also then refrigerate uncovered for an hour before slashing and loading - I find this produces a dry skin that slashes more easily. I also hold the razor blade at a slight angle when I slash.
Good luck; and again, your bread is really amazing
aww thank you a lot!
Im little scared to drag the dough with scraper to tighten it because i fear it would tear and collapse, which had happened sometimes, don't really know why... :( how do you know the limit of your dough??
and interesting tip for refrigerate uncovered, I need to make some space in my fridge to try that too!