More San Joaquin Sourdough

Toast

After the prior thread on this formula, and dmsnyder's photos and steaming advice, I pulled these loaves out of the oven a few hours ago. I still have work to do on my shaping and slashing, which is coming along slowly. You can also see the effects of my oven being hotter in the back (bottom loaf) than it is in front (top loaf) :( .

Back to the bread -- as much as I love traditional all-AP sourdough, I think this SJ is the best bread I have ever made, in terms of overall flavor. As was pointed out earlier, the rye is not distinguishable, but does contribute significantly to the flavor complexity. Lovely open crumb, and the crust is just amazing -- crisp and chewy all at once. If you're a sourdough fan and have not given this formula a try, I would suggest doing so -- you won't be disappointed.

and good scoring too, neoncoyote. The crust has nice color and looks crunchy. I would love to see the crumb.

Don

Thanks, Don -- how could I forget the cardinal rule in bread photo posting (worthless without a crumb shot)? Not the best focus, but it'll give an idea:

For the life of me I cannot see what you feel needs to be "worked on" with this bread.  OMG it's beautiful in very respect.  I can almost taste it.