Sourdough Bread with Less Leaven

It is a part of the journey to learn and to get to know what is sourdough bread.  How to prepare and how to bake it.

My Sourdough bread, freshly baked.

Using less leaven for this update of the sourdough bread making.
A longer autolyse is necessary.

The bread was beautifully baked, only for the Batard did not rise as I wanted to be, it's light and large, instead of high.

It cut well and good to eat fresh or toasted.




For the Leaven

25g	Mature starter
50g	wheat flour
50g	Bread Flour
90g	water 85ºF

First is mixing the flour and water, in the bowl, rest up to 5 hours,  autolyse.
The autolyse stage where the flour is fully absorbing the water and enzymes in the flour begin breaking down the starches and proteins.

After five hours autolyse, add the leaven and a little water, mix it well, followed by adding the salt, mix together thoroughly.  Rest for 30 minutes for the bulk fermentation.

The dough, leaven, water

The dough, the leaven

The dough and salt

The dough, resting 30 minutes.

 The Ingredients
1 Kg strong white flour
800 g water
20 salt
150g leaven

Today the bulk fermentation starts at 1.20
Transfer the dough to a clean container to be used during bulk fermentation and let rest for the first 30 minutes. After the first 30 minutes do a few sets of stretch and folds until the dough feels and looks strong enough.  You could feel it, and I think my dough was.
1.20 pm-Turn Set 1 (reach under with one hand and pull up and over to the other side, rotate your bowl and do this 4 times for a Set)
The Schedules
1.20 pm - Turn Set 1

1.50 pm - Turn Set 2

2.20 pm - Turn Set 3.

At the end of the bulk fermentation

At this point, the dough started to hold its shape.
Leave for the bench rest and untouched for 3 hours.

At 5.20 ------Pre-shape
Take the dough out of the container onto the work surface. Cut the dough into two, cover with a damp cloth or inverted bowl, let it rest for 20 minutes.  The dough looked so good, it had a beautiful taut skin on the outside, with bubble (look at the picture) from inside as the gluten was successfully created.

Final Shaping

The Batard on a basket (seams up)
lined with a cloth and dusted with flour

Work gently and shape the Batard and the Boule.  Place on the bowl or banneton, lined with cloth and dusted with flour seam up.  Cover with a damp cloth and let them proof for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Final shaping for a Batard

The Boule-seams up

Proof for 1.30 minutes, in a warm place, cover the dough with a damp cloth.

After one and a half hours of proofing, the dough is almost double.  Put the dough in a plastic bag, and keep in the refrigerator for overnight.

Baking in the morning
Preheat the open to 250 degrees C and place a dutch oven let it heat it up for one hour, the oven has to be running hot.
After one hour take the dough - Batard from the refrigerator, and place the dough in the hot dutch oven, score as you like it, place the lid back, and put in the oven to bake for 20 minutes.  Reduce the oven temperature to 225 and continue baking for 10 minutes.  Take the lid-cover off, and bake 35 minutes further.

The Batard

The Boule

Sliced Batard

Gallery

My sourdough starter is good enough, the fermentation I did it well, I am not sure about my mixing techniques.  It is still a long way to go to perfect my baking skills.  Learn from mistakes, listening to all experts that what I need.

It seems I had a few baking sessions. Lately, my family does not mind, often it did not work out, but it is a part of the learning experience.  I know, one day I could be a better baker

I understood that every baking the bread not always the same, one day you experienced perfect baking, but the next could be not as good.  It is very encouraging.

The previous post I was so happy because for the first time I baked a perfect loaf, that made me proud and happy. The great day was mine.  And the next day baking was not the best, but it's OK though.
The good thing about the baking is every time I bake only one or two, enough to give friends for a little taste.

Wednesday morning, the 22 November, started a new sourdough starter from the perfect loaf, I hope it goes very well. By next week on Wednesday the 29, the sourdough starter is going to be ready for the first baking.  Obviously, it's a reasonable hope, but the first baked of the new sourdough starter was not good enough.  



A Quote

First learn the basics—useful mixing techniques, proper fermentation, and skilful baking. How do you learn these? By repetition and attentiveness. Make sure patience is part of your ingredient list.
Hamelman

Until Next Post
Susy