I would love to experiment with getting a crazy open crumb in my sourdough breads, does anyone have a link to a recipe that is design with this end result in mind?
I see a lot of these on instagram but a lot of them are just pictures with no recipes or instructions for how they got there.
The most exaggerated case was someone cutting in half a loaf of bread to reveal virtually no crumb at all, it was literally all crust....HOW!!!
How is that even possible?
With as little handling as possible. You want a no knead bread with long fermentation. A quick shape, final proof and bake.
perfect hydration, I know high hydration is easier with bread flour but my ciabatta with bread flour is still pretty doughy, I used a machine mixer for 95-98% ciabatta bread.
Do nothing bread is normally a mix of whole wheat and white flour (60% whole wheat + 40% bread flour), 90% hydration, 2% salt and 1% starter. Mix until there are no dry bits left and bulk ferment for 24 hours. Give one stretch and fold at the 12+ hour mark. Shape like a ciabatta and final proof for one hour.
You can use another mix of flour or go for an all white flour bread but change the hydration accordingly. I have found an all white flour bread works well at 75% hydration for this method. I wouldn't go for 90% hydration for an all white. So adjust the hydration according to the flour.
To bring out the best of this bread is really not to work it too much and let time develop the gluten. A machine is too much. Just mix by hand (or if using a machine just enough so there are no dry bits of flour but nothing more).
The more the dough is worked the smaller the holes.
This will produce a nice open crumb you're after. Can't promise you just crust :) but will resemble the breads you're talking about.
an air pocket into the middle of a round loaf. Then bake it. The challenge is on!
I see all these beautiful loafs on instagram all the time, just wanted to know how to experiment with this open structure, but it seems purely aesthetic.
on bread bowls designed with the idea of being more hollow inside to hold soup... Don't know if I can find any of them.
Also "glass bread"... is more open and fragile... http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/50270/glass-bread
and: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/28361/pan-de-cristalpa-de-vidreglass-bread
check out the big holes way down the page!
since it's not uncommon to see large holes drawing praise.
This may help: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/24280/i-want-big-holes-my-bread
Good Luck!
"The most exaggerated case was someone cutting in half a loaf of bread to reveal virtually no crumb at all, it was literally all crust".
Try this on for size...
or this one...
The first was completely acceptable, but veering toward borderline, the second was a mistake. I hope never to meet picture #2 again although I bet that I could reproduce it. And other than just for the scientific curiosity, I don't know why anyone else would either, especially if you are planning on a jam sandwich ;-) . However...
These were both biga based with commercial yeast. Severe gluten development. A first aggressive stretch and fold on a most elastic dough. Increasingly more gentle stretch and folds (think caressing a newborn puppy by S&F #3). Finally using especially gentle kid gloves during divide and shape. Hands off as much as possible.
Be careful what you wish for.
This is absolutely a curiosity of mine, nothing more. I am not ascribing any value to bread with bigger holes just want to understand how it works.
Ciabatta at 83-85% hydration, 40% of flour is in pre-fermented standard biga, 2% salt, .3% total IDY, .