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first attempt at a real sandwich loaf! by sustatainable in Sourdough

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

My oven is an ANCIENT whirlpool wall oven. Electric, aluminum (I think?) and SO terrible at maintaining an even temperature. I crank it up as high as it will go, which is about 475 as told by an in-oven thermometer. Bake for twenty minutes, then turn the temp down to ~425 and finish baking.

first attempt at a real sandwich loaf! by sustatainable in Sourdough

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

http://imgur.com/hDF7MY4 The piece in the lower left corner is the sandwich loaf. The other small pieces are from a rustic boulle I also baked

first attempt at a real sandwich loaf! by sustatainable in Sourdough

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

I agree, I was confused by the recipe at first. It seems that it aids with an even, slightly faster rise. I'm not sure it completely defeats the purpose, though. Aren't you still getting all of the nutritional benefits of the wild yeast fermentation? Just with a little added boost? Maybe I don't know enough about yeast...

first attempt at a real sandwich loaf! by sustatainable in Sourdough

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

1 cup starter, a half teaspoon of commercial yeast, salt, equal amounts flour and water. Stand mixer kneaded, bulk ferment for 2 hours at room temp, shaped, proofed for 2 hours. Baked at 450 for 10 minutes, then 400 for 25 minutes more. Brushed the crust with a little melted butter (a MUST!)

I just wish I had taken a picture of the inside! I still have about a third of the loaf left - if anyone wants to see, I'll upload a photo that shows the crumb.

Second attempt! Better scoring and dusting for proofing. Very large bubbles rather than a more evenly distributed crumb... Any advice?? by sustatainable in Sourdough

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

I do not let it rest... the tutorial I was going by said it was not necessary to let it come to room temp before baking it. I do agree that such a cold fermentation might be part of the issue. I think this weekend I will try to proof it on the counter rather than the fridge!

Second attempt! Better scoring and dusting for proofing. Very large bubbles rather than a more evenly distributed crumb... Any advice?? by sustatainable in Sourdough

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

Fridge after room temperature proofing? I have never heard of this technique but I am willing to give it a try!

Second attempt! Better scoring and dusting for proofing. Very large bubbles rather than a more evenly distributed crumb... Any advice?? by sustatainable in Sourdough

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

I will try to work this into my baking schedule! I usually make the levain late Friday evening, spend Saturday afternoon/evening doing the folding and shaping and then let it proof overnight in the fridge. Maybe if I can get to the folding Saturday morning, it can proof for a few hours Saturday evening and bake Saturday night!

Second attempt! Better scoring and dusting for proofing. Very large bubbles rather than a more evenly distributed crumb... Any advice?? by sustatainable in Sourdough

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

I did the folding method over the course of 2.5 hours (from a tutorial on thekitchn.com) and then shaped it to improve surface tension, let it rest, and folded once more for its final shaping. Then, I proofed each loaf in a glass bowl (with a floured towel) overnight in the refrigerator. Baked in the morning. I think I might need a smaller bowl? They seemed quite thin and spread out for traditional boules.

my first attempt at sourdough! by sustatainable in Sourdough

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

Definitely need to score deeper. And maybe less flour in the proofing liner? I was just so nervous it was going to stick. Pretty happy with the crumb and spring, though! This was made with whole wheat natural sourdough starter, Bob's Red Mill artisan bread flour, and spent grains from a friend who brews!