Hey everyone,
I have a few questions that sprung from trying to make a pan loaf sourdough bread inspired by Tartine. Specifically, from the Tartine tester "DAVE" in the original book. (If you do not remember, there is a hilarious tester named Dave that is a "tester" but doesn't read the recipe and basically does whatever the hell he wants and builds a very loved bread for his cafe.)
In there it says that he uses a very young levain - now I've read on the internet ( and in tartine) that this means about 3-4 hours old? But for example mine doubles and then a little some in 4 hours..if i leave it 2 more hour is probably on top and 8 hours is overfermented. So is mine at 4 hours "young"?
Next, DAVE does a very short bulk, about 1 hour or so. I wasn't sure you can just skip bulk fermentation but ok. To make up for that he goes for long second fermentation/rise in the pan.
Ok, so I tried this: Young levaine, 1 hour and a half bulk with a few stretch and folds. Then threw it in the oiled pan till morning.
I then re-read the chapter and noticed 2 things: 1. It says that Dave bench rests and shapes before he puts it in the pan
2. It says all this ( young levaine, no bulk) prevents overfermentation and sour taste.
Well, I did not use any bench rest nor any shaping. My logic was, why am I shaping a very undeveloped dough if anyway the pan itself serves as a shaping device, right? But then.. I started to wonder what is even the second fermentation..like does the dough knows that this is the second stage? Funny question but what I did do is put the dough from a big bowl..into a pan loaf. Didn't I essentially just continued the bulk in a different shaped pan?
In the morning it has risen a lot, looked overfermented and smelled super sour. It's in the oven now but I think the experiment is a fail.
Still, I want to try again, I want to make a nice sourdough bread llike that ( fast and easy).
Any help with understanding some basic concepts and how to apply them here?
I have 2 ideas: even younger levain ( 2 hours) and a lower levain % to the dough ( went for 20%, will try 10%).
My suggestion? Change only one thing at a time or it may take longer to sort it out.
My thoughts...use an even younger levain may get you more sour eventually. Less is more in that respect.
First change? Raise the amount of levain. Then watch the dough.
Totally agree that changing one thing at at a time is key but I don't understand how an even younger levain would lead to even more sourness? IS there any logic to this?
If I add more, wouldn't that speed the fermantation?
Thanks!!
I believe speeding the fermentation is what you want for a less sour bread. A faster ferment gives less time for the lactic acid bacteria to make acid.
A younger levain has less yeast development, and will need a longer proof, thus will make a more sour bread.