Hi everyone- my first time posting!
I received a sourdough starter from a friend and they recommended the use of the Simple Country Loaf recipe by Chad Robertson (Tartine Bread). I have baked bread before but not sourdough.
The dough is 75% hydration and is essentially no-knead, just plonk it in a box and every half hour give it a 'turn' in the box. The stages are :autolyse, rest period, 1st prove, bench rest and final prove over a ~24 hour period.
I see some people say that high hydration should be able to replace the kneading, but in my experience the dough for this bread is always very slack and cannot hold it's own shape! I have made it several times now and each time I end up baking it when the dough is still quite runny. This produces a nice tasting but unrisen loaf.
Any suggestions?! Do I just give up on the recipe and try a simpler one?Or incorporate a kneading stage?
Cheers!
Without being one of the resident experts, I’d triple-check the quality (and protein content) of your flour. The stretch-and-fold (SF) method should be able to develop gluten adequately without the need for kneading (other than the initial mixing of the ingredients). At least it works for me, as I guess is the case for many others on this site.
From your write-up, I don’t think high-hydration is a substitute for kneading, adequately doing SFs until you have decent gluten development is ;-). May I also suggest that the “Stretches” in SF are real stretches. Don;t tear the dough but don’t be shy to pull to stretch.
I’d respectfully suggest that, if you’re new to these no-knead / SF methods, you start with something a little less challenging than a Tartine bread. These beautiful and instagramable doughs are notoriously difficult to pre-shape and shape, and you might want to start with an easier dough before stepping into the Major Leagues. I baked many no-kneads before stepping up to Tartine standards. And I’m still learning.
Hope this helps.
I have been experimenting with the tartine recipe too. I am using 13% protein bread flour and whole wheat flour. Some days it is runnier (especially when humid). I have adjusted the hydration % based on the weather when I'm baking. I have also had difficulty getting whole wheat flour but I have stone ground spelt. When I use the spelt I have to decrease the hydration % because the spelt doesn't absorb much water. I'd recommend decreasing the hydration to start and when you mix if it feels to dry add just a bit more until you get the right consistency. I have also extended my countertop proofs to 5-6 hours when I am not satisfied with the rise. I have not yet over-proofed the dough.
The last bit of advice I have is to do two final shapes in a row. When my dough is especially lax, I rest after the final shape as outlined in the book and then shape again. I find that an additional shaping helps build the tension that is so important when working with this high hydration dough.
High hydration itself doesn’t make kneading, or slapping and folding, or other manipulations to help the gluten, unnecessary. The more important factor is a long ferment (8 hours or more), which requires cool temperatures.
I would expect slack dough is caused by insufficient gluten. Either it never had a chance to form or it did form but then degraded when fermentation went on too long. Another way I’ve gotten slack dough was by working it too hard after mixing.
I kept seeing Great Tartine Bread! all about the place and kept thinking 'Is jam on bread really that popular??' :D