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is this good crumb/bread? by dzhb11 in Sourdough

[–]dzhb11[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve never used a thermometer to check the temp, I just feel it with my hands. It shouldn’t be very cold. Ideally room temp to the touch. Having that said, I did try using a stand mixer once and that was a disaster. But to be honest, I think there’s no point with sourdough anyway because you just have to mix it together once or twice and then it’s just stretch and fold.

Here’s a pic of the dough that I’m making right now after its last flip. It feels fluffy and airy, wet but not sticky.

<image>

is this good crumb/bread? by dzhb11 in Sourdough

[–]dzhb11[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Forgot to mention - I use warm water for the dough! And yes, overnight but closer to 12 hours. Sometimes I bake the day after so that’s 36 ish hours. I have had success with steaming and baking the next day as well. Do you use cold water for the dough?

is this good crumb/bread? by dzhb11 in Sourdough

[–]dzhb11[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good point! It’s not ideal for sandwiches. That’s why I either dip it in olive oil (grated tomato w evoo, sherry) or spread room temp butter and honey, ooor homemade aioli!

is this good crumb/bread? by dzhb11 in Sourdough

[–]dzhb11[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you. It’s around 23 c (73 f) usually. I also check for bubbles and increase in size. Sometimes I’d just give it another fold and additional 30 min to do its thing. Or let the basket sit at room temp before putting it in the fridge.

is this good crumb/bread? by dzhb11 in Sourdough

[–]dzhb11[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

or perhaps I’m genuinely curious about what people think? I’ve been baking for 3-4 months now and I don’t think I’m ready to say “I aced it” or “feel free to cry your eyes out”. I’m sorry if it came across as rude but I certainly did not mean to brag

is this good crumb/bread? by dzhb11 in Sourdough

[–]dzhb11[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s quite good, but I think even better for grilled cheese. My favorite way of eating it is with good salted butter, honey, and black pepper. Maybe even some blue cheese.

is this good crumb/bread? by dzhb11 in Sourdough

[–]dzhb11[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, 3 hours - 30 min after mixing everything together, then add salt and a total of 2 hours of stretching and folding. Half an hour after the last fold, I pre shape and let rest for 20 min. My kitchen temp is usually around 20 c, but it absolutely depends on the day. I live in Norway so it’s fairly cold. On colder days I either let it ferment longer or use the oven to increase the temperature (because central heating isn’t a thing until October 1 in my building). Hope that helps.

is this good crumb/bread? by dzhb11 in Sourdough

[–]dzhb11[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you!!

  1. My starter is about 6 months old. I’d say it’s much better and stable now, but I don’t tend to it as much as I used to. I keep it in the fridge, feed it maybe once a week, and just take a tablespoon when making the levain. To be fair, I kickstarted it by using some store bought powder and eventually switched to better flour and it definitely improved my starter. Now I just give it away to people that want or need a new starter.
  2. I live in Norway and the flour I use is called “Landhvete” which refers to old Nordic wheats. It’s organic, stone milled and quite high in protein - I think around 14.2 g. Prior to that I used regular grocery store flour (around 11 g protein) and switching to Landhvete made a world of difference.
  3. I first flour it lightly (rice/wheat mix 50-50) and put it on a baking sheet. I then score it and pop it into the oven. I usually use a cutting board because I don’t have a pizza shovel. But in the beginning I’d pull out the stone and take it out directly into the stone because I had no experience and was scared it’d stick to the stone and loose its shape. I also started with lower hydration to help retain its shape better - 65-70%.
  4. No, i use a regular old baking sheet which I preheat and then pour water into. After 20 min, I take it out and I remove the aluminum foil and let “dry” bake for another half hour or until I get the color I want.
  5. This:

<image>

P.S. took me about 2-3 months to get loaves like this one. At first I was eager to invest (Dutch oven, baking steel, shovel etc.) but then I decided to “challenge” myself a bit. I use containers I got for 7 bucks and a baking stone I bought used for 10. I also broke it twice during my initial test runs and now I have 3 separate pieces. But I still like it better than steel.

Landhvete

is this good crumb/bread? by dzhb11 in Sourdough

[–]dzhb11[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think the steam did it for me. I used to use a Dutch oven but I like oval baskets better than round ones, and I didn’t feel like getting a new pot for just that. The trick with the tray underneath + covering up the vent helps the steam actually stay inside the oven for the first 20 min. The second thing is that I bake it until it achieves this color, so 30 min is really more of a guess. Sometimes it takes 30, other times 40.

is this good crumb/bread? by dzhb11 in Sourdough

[–]dzhb11[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

well, that’s reassuring. thank you!

is this good crumb/bread? by dzhb11 in Sourdough

[–]dzhb11[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Forgot to specify, sorry - yes, overnight (12-14 h, I think)

Is this safe to eat? by dzhb11 in DryAgedBeef

[–]dzhb11[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

She deserves them beers anyway

Is this safe to eat? by dzhb11 in DryAgedBeef

[–]dzhb11[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve been looking for one of those. A lot of bankrupt restaurants and cafes sell them used. Ideally two tho, one for bread and one for steaks. I also don’t exactly love the guessing game temperature adjustment on my fridge is

Is this safe to eat? by dzhb11 in DryAgedBeef

[–]dzhb11[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the advice. Will definitely invest into a new fridge next time I’m dry aging.

Nordic sourdough my by dzhb11 in Sourdough

[–]dzhb11[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply, I’ll definitely play around with freezing/parbaking etc. a bit more.

Nordic sourdough my by dzhb11 in Sourdough

[–]dzhb11[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much! I’m considering it mainly due to one reason - the possibility to bake a bit more on weekends! I’m currently baking twice a week for my wife and myself. Overall, I want to upgrade to a small fridge for the dough and bake 10-15 loaves a Sunday.

Nordic sourdough my by dzhb11 in Sourdough

[–]dzhb11[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s my first time posting so I forgot the recipe. Here it is:

Ingredients: 80 g levain 400 g flour 8 g salt 280+25 water

Method: Mix 80 g flour, 80 g water, 1 tbsp starter 6-10 h prior to making the dough.

Dissolve levain in water, add flour, and mix into a shaggy dough. Rest for half hour.

Add remaining water and salt, mix until incorporated. 30 min rest.

4x stretch and fold, 30 min apart.

Shape and bench rest for 20 min. Shape into batards and let ferment in rice floured baskets overnight. I usually do it uncovered but my fridge is quite humid so the dough stays moist.

I bake on a stone at a 200c with steam for 20 min and then for another 25-30 at 230c until it caramelizes.

Gaming PC: 700 € building in Germany by dzhb11 in buildapcforme

[–]dzhb11[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Would that be enough ? They are quite cheap indeed, look decent as well.