A Country Loaf

My Story.

Freshly Baked Batard

Sourdough bread based on Tartine, a country loaf is delicious, the recipe makes for two loaves.  I have been posting the variety of sourdough bread baking in the past few months as it is my new adventure, and I am learning well.  Hopefully, I will be good at it. This time the bread that I am going to bake is the traditional 'Batard'  Instead to make two loaves I am doing only one, thus it is only half of the recipe.
Using young leaven
Start mixing the flour and water rest for one hour, before mixing the salt and the leaven.
Start the bulk fermentation which is completed within three hours given 6 times Turns.  For some reasons, I added one hour rest to the dough to make the dough ready for the first shaping. The dough becomes so wet, and it was hard to keep it in shape.  The bench rest took place for 25 minutes and followed by the final shaping.  The dough was unworkable, too soft, to wet and was not able to stay in shape.  It was not fun at all; however, the prooving basket looked after it.  The plan was to bake the next day, so the dough has to proof overnight in the refrigerator.
Baking time:  it was not too bad, the bread looked good but did not have the character what a good sourdough bread should be. I held the loaf, it should be floating, but it had not a lightness in the hand which indicates that the right amount of water has not been cooked out of,  The crust looked brownish for the entire time of baking instead of dark chestnuts brown.

It's the very first time to experience that the dough becomes too wet and unworkable, and the final result was unsatisfactory at all.  I must refer to my book, what have I done wrong.
There were to reasons: one it was a too-long process in the bulk fermentation.  Two, it was over-proofed.  The bread was not too brown and looking not too bad.  Now I realised that 52 minutes baking time was not long enough, especially it's baked in the small convection oven instead of the fan-forced oven.  One hour baking would be better.

About five hours after the bread was baked, it's completely cool, I sliced the bread, and the crumb was not airy, almost like a dense sponge.  I promised a friend to give a taste, and I asked for an assessment of it.  I delivered a sliced and feeling grateful that she is willing to provide me with the time.
I am looking forward to seeing her soon and hear an honest opinion of her and a truthful assessment.
In any case, I knew that it was not the best loaf.  We had the fresh bread for our lunch, it's always good to eat freshly baked bread.

Every baking day is different, understandable.  But not having a good loaf from the oven is a no-no.  I don't think it is terrible wanting to achieve the best.
This is my aim for the next baking: I have to remember when the bulk fermentation is well-timed, the divided and shaped loaves will show a structure unto themselves. When baked, the scores will open elegantly and expression of both the force within the loaf and the hands that shaped it.

Pictures of the preparation the dough and the baking.

The book says: If you let the bulk fermentation go too long, the final rise will be sluggish as the food that fuels the fermentation has been exhausted.  The gluten in the dough also begins degrading after a certain point due to increasing acidity, which results in a tighter, more uniform crumb.  The volume of the final loaf will be smaller, and the flavour is more acidic.  When the dough is baked, the crust will colour faster due to residual sugars on the surface of the dough that caramelise too quickly, and the scores on the surface will not open well to form the decorative crust. 

The Assessments regarding the sourdough baking last Monday will be here today, I am looking forward to hearing from her. She came to me and said: I liked the bread, the crust was hard, but the flavour was good.  She's right; indeed the crust was hard, and it is hard as I said myself, you know what all the reports from six friends so far were almost the same, very close.  Basically, they say, I like it and It is delicious.  Well, I am dealing with kind people here who are very polite.  Thank you all, it is a big ask really.  I appreciate their comments, and I must celebrate their kindness and ask favours no more.  

I suppose if they don't know about sourdough bread, how could they assess you and help you how to improve.   

In fact, I may have to rest for a while from baking the bread as my baking for this month was rather disappointing.  My two loaves based on the Country Sourdough with Less Levain  & Longer Autolyse method did not do well only acceptable.  Started at 6am this morning for the baking, the family stayed in bed undisturbed.

Stopping doing this baking that has been going a little too often is a good idea, as the family is sick of it, he eats the bread almost under duress I am sure. Poor. Poor, Thing!

I went to lots of imperfect and inadequate loaves to be tossed away, but some good ones are sitting in the freezer,  so precious.

Soon, there will be a travelling home-baked sourdough bread around the town, sharing the tasty loaves to dear friends who are willing to have.  

Any adventure or new work only can be achieved more comfortable by the encouragement of the family and people who are close to you,  Also by yourself that not afraid to ask bits of help and questions to them and especially to the experts.  I am blessed, I have them all, and I do what I may do!

Thank You All

Susy