I reduced the water slightly, used KA bread flour, and used 75% starter. Still quite wet. Handle-able, but just barely. Need to reduce hydration further.
When forming the dough better to work up and stop when it feels right then slowly reducing with each bake. You'll find a good hydration far more successfully.
The secret to Danni's bread seems to be a long autolyse before adding starter. Which means I have to figure out the hydration before I mix the autolysand (?) and the starter. I could correct the hydration by adding more flour at the final mix, I suppose. Danni doesn't seem to have to do that, but I am not as good a baker as she is.
1. For now include the levain but shorten the autolyse to 30 minutes. This way you will be able to find the correct hydration for your needs. Then you can go back to a long autolyse without the levain.
2. As long as the water can soak up all the flour then it won't be a problem to stick to a long autolyse without the levain.
So say your using all KA bread flour. At the moment 75% hydration is still a tad too high. So autolyse with holding back enough water to make the final dough 65% hydration. Keep that extra 10% to one side. Do the long autolyse. Add the salt and the Levain and when combining them this would be the time to slowly add the remainder water till it feels right. Make a note of how much you add.
by adding water at the final mix. Use just enough water to be able to get your flour wet for the autolyse and then adjust at the salt and levain stage. I am sure I have stated that down before.
That's how I usually do it as well. The double hydration method works best and gives you the most control. Always best to add more water than to start adding flour.
When forming the dough better to work up and stop when it feels right then slowly reducing with each bake. You'll find a good hydration far more successfully.
The secret to Danni's bread seems to be a long autolyse before adding starter. Which means I have to figure out the hydration before I mix the autolysand (?) and the starter. I could correct the hydration by adding more flour at the final mix, I suppose. Danni doesn't seem to have to do that, but I am not as good a baker as she is.
1. For now include the levain but shorten the autolyse to 30 minutes. This way you will be able to find the correct hydration for your needs. Then you can go back to a long autolyse without the levain.
2. As long as the water can soak up all the flour then it won't be a problem to stick to a long autolyse without the levain.
So say your using all KA bread flour. At the moment 75% hydration is still a tad too high. So autolyse with holding back enough water to make the final dough 65% hydration. Keep that extra 10% to one side. Do the long autolyse. Add the salt and the Levain and when combining them this would be the time to slowly add the remainder water till it feels right. Make a note of how much you add.
Thanks Abe!
by adding water at the final mix. Use just enough water to be able to get your flour wet for the autolyse and then adjust at the salt and levain stage. I am sure I have stated that down before.
That's how I usually do it as well. The double hydration method works best and gives you the most control. Always best to add more water than to start adding flour.