Longer Autolyse and Less Levain

To Bake For Great Bread.

Country Loaf Sourdough with Less Levain and longer Autolyse, by following this recipe correctly I hope I could bake the perfect bread.  This is the second attempt; the first one was a failure.

Preparation for the levain.  The excellent and mature levain is essential for baking.

The Levain is floating in the water,
 ready for the baking

The Leaven

Water, Salt and the leaven

Water+flour-autolyse for3 hours

The Dough 

Flour mixture + levain

Adding  nuts and fruit to the dough

Walnuts, craisins, golden raisins

Shaping and Proofing
Making Two Large Batards
One is plain and the Other with flavour

The Dough with the Flavour

The dough is proofing basket to proof
for two hours on a bench before retarding in
the refrigerator

The Baking Day
Batard with Flavour

The Loaves, Two Batards

Batard with walnuts, golden raisins and craisins and beautifully sliced bread.

Freshly Baked
Batard with walnuts, raisins and craisins

The Crumb is soft

The Crumb is also chewy.

The bread studded with walnuts, raisins and craisins
How good is that!

The Plain Batard

The dough in the proofing basket, retarded
in the refrigerator

Scored first, and ready for baking

After 30 minutes baking, good oven spring

Freshly baked Batard, the scoring spat well during baking.

Baking the Plain White Batard.

The first thirty minutes baking time, opened the oven door, and take the lid off the pot anxiously and found the 'oven spring' took place, the dough has risen, shiny and golden,  how pleased I was, dancing around like a little child and the family laughed, happy for me. Of course, I did not forget to set the timer again, continue baking for another 25 minutes. Indeed a good start of the day, and it was a great day!

The Batard with the Ear sticking up, very pronounced.

Beautiful Batard

Gorgeous Open Crumb

The longer autolyses, and less levain worked very well, thanks for the recipe, love following the Perfect Loaf.  I may have to stick to the recipe.  At last, I had two beautiful loaves from my oven for this bake, almost perfect.  Both were very light, and the bottom of the loaves was cooked well and the colour was beautifully dark brown.

Tasted for lunch today, it's delicious. It has a mild sour flavour, a crispy crust that not too hard and the soft and chewy crumb was absolutely Yummy.   The best baked so far.

It does pay following the recipe faithfully.  Listening well and Learning well that what I did.  Good Achievement. Very Proud.

I won't be having any problems with the next baking I am sure.

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Susy