Bread

That’s risen loads!!

I was following a method on a YouTube video chef parisi I think his name is.

I have a tendency to over knead so with sourdough the emphasis seems to be on not over kneading

Third solid loaf in a row, I really feel like I’ve cracked it. The dough feels better, my shaping is better, good rise in the fridge and oven spring for days. Might have to try one without malted barley to make sure it’s not just hiding my shitness at bread baking. Need to start putting less flour in the banneton now.

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The starter isn’t particularly lively. I just feed it everyday and leave it by the window sill

Try making a levain the night before by mixing 1 tbsp starter with 100g flour and 100ml water. That should be bubbly as hell the next day.

Will give that a try.

Went to a local farm shop today and got some whole meal flour from a local mill. Will see if that makes a difference to the feeding.

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I use a 15g starter 15g flour 15g water levain, could also be worth trying. With 400g flour and 270g water that gives me a hydration of roughly 70%.

@French_Touch
To me (a novice) it seems the dough was over-proofed after the retard, pointing to over-active / too much starter. Or of course a shorter bulk proof and putting it in the fridge sooner. I think you want that activity to happen in the oven, not before it goes in.

Rye flour tends to make a more active starter.

Or freshly milled flour - flour is like coffee and loses a lot of flavour and oxidises from the moment it is ground.

Should hopefully make a difference. I don’t think I’ve got the timing of the process down. Also guilty of using too much starter I think I poured quite a bit in

Sunday morning cranberry sourdough

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Wow that’s a beaut

Little boule from the other week, I should have woken the starter up first.

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Two from the other day, I don't usually make white loaves but I ran out of the nice multigrain I had.

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Today’s offering, without malted barley. Nice enough but lacks the spring I was getting the last couple of days.

And a lazy discard crumpet, not enough to fill a pan but couldn’t be bothered with rings.

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Two more, this unbleached white is nice stuff.

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I seem to be avoiding pancake flat loaves at last.

Having been away from home for 4 weeks, I have been using a lidless deep iron pan for baking in, and my loaves always seemed to spring up quite nicely (even though the oven was appalling at keeping a constant temperature)

My first loaf since being back has done well , sticking with the lidless approach.

It also turns out that my oven doesn't quite get as hot as I thought (or my thermometer is out), and only ever really hits 225 degrees.

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It also turns out that my oven doesn't quite get as hot as I thought (or my thermometer is out), and only ever really hits 225 degrees.

New oven time obvs, get a rofco

I can imagine a dedicated bread oven being vetoed pretty quickly

We're going to be getting one of these when we redo the kitchen

EDIT: Deleted the amazon link as Aldi are selling one for £20!
https://www.aldi.co.uk/black-cast-iron-casserole-dish-20cm/p/705964401871500?utm_source=Aldi&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=elettershop_black-cast-iron-casserole-dish-20cm&utm_campaign=OSDEMAIL070920_AC

Been baking sourdough more or less once a week since lockdown (and long before, but not so consistently). Picked a recipe/method, stuck to it and the practice is paying off.

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Well done. The right way to do it! Learn to consistently make a recipe, and how timings, ambient temp, ingredient temp, starter activity etc affect the dough.

I am always a little incredulous when people post about a loaf that wasn’t entirely successful and then comment how next time they’ll be adding cheese or using different flour or some other change. Getting a solid base understanding and technique gives you the skills to then be able to adapt/change and improvise.

Thanks James. This maxim holds good for so many things!. The only thing I might tweak is the height of my Dutch oven. I’m consistently hitting the top of my old inverted casserole and getting a flat-topped loaf.

Interesting.

My starter has always been pretty active. I had upped the starter amounts and was working off my own recipe, just trying a few small adjustments. With what you said in mind I have scaled back the starter and got a loaf proving in fridge (with French bread flour) and another levain that I’ll get into fridge this evening for tomorrow. Second one is strong bread flour with 30% approx rye (my current standard recipe).

Quite interested in the French flour though it’s lower protein so may not take so well. Let’s see.

This looks brilliant.

latest loaf, split on one of the scores but otherwise looks good

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It tastes so good with that french flour, had a n eruption in the oven, though it skipped the Dutch oven as it was in the dishwasher.

So slightly shambolic loaf but very tasty.

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