Sourdough!
I've been neglecting my blog -- time to catch up.
I'll start with the yeastie living in my fridge. My starter is happy, tangy, and bubbly. So far, it's created 5 batches of bread. Each one is better then the previous. I've been doing copious amounts of research on sourdough, and I hope I have ironed out the kinks I kept running into. I have a nice banneton (rattan bowl) that I use for forming my dough on the second proof. That little bugger was a learning experience all in itself. If you use too little flour, the dough does not want to release, if you use too much, there is too much flour left on the surface. Rice flour is the general consensus - some say 100% white rice flour, others call for 50% white rice, and 50% all purpose. You still get the nice pattern on the dough, but you use less to get the clean release.
I finally figured out the problem I was having with proofing my bread. I let it overproof. This means it no longer has the oomph needed to rise when it hits the bakers stone. It would un-form from the banneton, I would slash it, and it would just sag. When I put it in the oven, there was no spring. In the first 5 to 10 minutes of cooking, the dough will rise one last time. This is where the expansion around the cuts comes from. Overproofed bread just bakes, properly proofed bread will grow in size, and the small slashes will expand.
Though I can comment on "misbaked bread" - it still tastes better then anything in the supermarket.
This entire time, I have been doing 100% of the work by hand. I like the feel of kneading the bread, and it is very easy to tell when it is ready, My last two batches were perfect, gigantic boules of sourdough. for the holiday dinner, I folded in some shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and fresh rosemary from the back yard. It was fragrant, tangy, and crusty. The lift in the oven was excellent, and the bread made a great compliment to the Beef-Shank Peposo (that's another post).
The next time I make bread, I will take more pictures and post the recipe I use.
I'll start with the yeastie living in my fridge. My starter is happy, tangy, and bubbly. So far, it's created 5 batches of bread. Each one is better then the previous. I've been doing copious amounts of research on sourdough, and I hope I have ironed out the kinks I kept running into. I have a nice banneton (rattan bowl) that I use for forming my dough on the second proof. That little bugger was a learning experience all in itself. If you use too little flour, the dough does not want to release, if you use too much, there is too much flour left on the surface. Rice flour is the general consensus - some say 100% white rice flour, others call for 50% white rice, and 50% all purpose. You still get the nice pattern on the dough, but you use less to get the clean release.
I finally figured out the problem I was having with proofing my bread. I let it overproof. This means it no longer has the oomph needed to rise when it hits the bakers stone. It would un-form from the banneton, I would slash it, and it would just sag. When I put it in the oven, there was no spring. In the first 5 to 10 minutes of cooking, the dough will rise one last time. This is where the expansion around the cuts comes from. Overproofed bread just bakes, properly proofed bread will grow in size, and the small slashes will expand.Though I can comment on "misbaked bread" - it still tastes better then anything in the supermarket.
This entire time, I have been doing 100% of the work by hand. I like the feel of kneading the bread, and it is very easy to tell when it is ready, My last two batches were perfect, gigantic boules of sourdough. for the holiday dinner, I folded in some shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and fresh rosemary from the back yard. It was fragrant, tangy, and crusty. The lift in the oven was excellent, and the bread made a great compliment to the Beef-Shank Peposo (that's another post).
The next time I make bread, I will take more pictures and post the recipe I use. 0 TrackBacks
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