I'm trying to up my sourdough quality... To that end I want to get a dough proofer and I'm going to be doing about 3,600g of dough to make four loaves. So that's 2kg of flour @ 80% hydration. Sometimes I will do 75% hydration too and then I'll use a bit more flour but I digress...
The dough proofer's inside dimensions are 270*239*370 MM. So I can't use a long shallow rectangular tub in that and would have to use a square Cambro or something like that. a 7.6L Cambro is 21.5 x 21.5 x 23cm. So that would fit...
With 3.6L of dough and a 30-50% proof it'd be up to the 5.4L mark...
My question is for those people that bulk in square Cambro's - how do you do coil folds in that with the steep sides? Is it easy enough? Or do you not bother?
My normal process would be to use a stand mixer for a little while without overdoing it. Then I'd normally do a strong stretch and fold, followed by a lamination 30 mins later early in the process and then at least 3 coil folds at 1 hour intervals before waiting 1.5 hrs and doing a preshape etc...
I just lift the dough from below and it pulls away from the sides as I lift. Then the fold is easy. If it doesn't detach at the first pull, then you get to stretch it upwards anyway and that's just as good.
One thing is that I use much lower quantities of dough, and your cambro may want to lift along with the dough. In that case I would just dump the dough onto the bench and do the folds there.
TomP
Up until now, when I make two loaves (half the quantity I'm going to be doing), I separate the dough early in the process and do all the coil folds in separate flatter rectangular glass containers. If I go this single cambro route and separate the dough after the bulk ferment then it's a narrower deeper vessel with a lot more dough. So I was worried it would be hard to lift it up and get it away from the sides because there doesn't seem much room to move. You might be right about having to do it on the bench however I was hoping not to do that because it's kind of annoying and messy having to do that three times - compared to what I currently do that is.
Use a container - big enough to hold to hold your dough - including proofing - and you should be good. Handling the dough - while not hurting anything - should be enough. I use 3 or 4 tools - scraper, container and water - and a cup if it's yeast - that's all. Enjoy!
I think a 7.6L or 8qt camsquare cambro container is big enough for 3.6kg of dough which would rise to about 5.4L perhaps before shaping... The thing that worries me is that it's narrow and deep when it comes to coil folds and I'm used to a wider shallower container. Someone suggested dumping the dough out and doing the coil folds. I was hoping I didn't have to do that because not sure how good it is to do that 3 or four times during the process.
the dough will just about reach the lid overnight. So I wonder about 3.6 kg for an extended Bulk... Might depend on how active your levain is? I generally do all my bulks in a shallower tub. I wouldn't even attempt to coil fold in that deep container.
Bonne chance
I'm only intending to do a 30 to 50% bulk in an 8L containter and then shape. So hopefully that part would be ok. The extended bulk will happen in the bannetons during the retard.
I have given up on the cambro idea and worked out I can use the dough proofer on its side and then I can have shallow containers - but again they will be two 4L containers so the volume will still add up to 8L.
For sandwich bread using ordinary yeast that doubles I will just use the oven to proof and I'll probably do it in the mixer bowl. I normally digitally set my oven to 30 degrees (its lowest temperature) and proof in there with instant yeast. I don't think that's critical like sourdough.
Whatever you are comfortable with is good. I don't bother with the folding thing anymore. And nothing wrong with a good mixing. Enjoy!
I do wonder about it - I am getting a spiral mixer so a decent mix at to develop the dough the beginning might be all it needs.
Whatever you choose will work - and if it doesn't - get another. The important thing is your comfort. The dough will handle itself. Enjoy!
I use a 3 L square Cambro. When I make Hamelman's Workday 100% Whole Wheat (formula and my notes at the link below)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F9_WtuDY5QgAXz8nKgQi6OLm_3lU6vc-8SCtTIXC9Qo/edit?usp=sharing
I do a lot of gluten-building on this 100% whole wheat dough at 85% hydration:
Here is a double loaf that I baked on Monday; the two of us have eaten most of it by Wednesday.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/eTQzDXjEE4aCwShx5
I don't have any problem doing the coil folds in the Cambro.
The dough looks very nice!
I have worked out I can put the incubator on its side and then I can get two larger flatter containers in. It's actually an incubator... I might still get a cambro at some point for other things.
https://www.bigw.com.au/product/reptile-incubator-intelligent-automatic-incubator-for-snake-python-lizard-and-gecko/p/9900034666?srsltid=AfmBOo…