I made a sourdough over the weekend, and i thought it came out really well... for my first loaf of sourdough, it was lacking a couple things... it lacked that sourdough twangy sourness, but i read the post on how to get sourer sourdough, so ill give that a try sometime, but my other question is, the crumb was rather tight and very very soft. how do i make it more very open and chewy? and is there a better way of steaming my loaves than a spray bottle in the oven every like 30 seconds or so? i know it would be best to pick up a baking stone, but funds are tight as of now, and i dont know where to keep the thing... but, over the summer, i will definitely buy one (ill ask for what i need to look for in a stone later) also, should i slash the loaves just before they go in the oven, or as they begin the second rise?
thanks for the advice, ill send post a picture if i get a chance... oh! could a dough thats to wet create a tight crumb???
I have found that the open crumb is a combination of higher hydration and longer fermentation cycles.
I agree on the stone. I don't have a good way to get the bread to rise tall instead of wide (banneton) yet so I rise in cheap pie plates which gives me some lift, and bake in them, which screws up the bottom of the loaf. So I remove the pie plate half way through the alotted time and the bottom bakes better. I do have a 'stone' which is a left over slab of marble obtained from a local countertop manufacturer for cheap. But I don't like loaves that are an inch and a half tall and eight inches wide, which is what my bread does in the circumstances I have. I am going to make my own bannetons from wire mesh soon that should solve that problem, since I can't imagine spending $29 each for the wicker ones.
My solution for good 'steamed' crust is not to spritz, which to me is useless. I throw in 1/4 cup of water and close the door. I get tons of steam and great crust. Spray bottles don't introduce enough water for good steam, in my opinion.