Cooking Cheap

This time I’m going wet. Wet dough, rustic artisan and I’m not going to knead it by hand. I’m not going to use the bread machine either. I have a vague memory that it won’t work on a really wet dough. Stand mixer it will be. See the previous posting about what I think I need. If it’s not wet enough, I’ll add water.

This probably can’t be kneaded by hand. I’ll stretch and fold every 30 minutes until It starts to “feel right” (three times?) and then retard it overnight, Tomorrow is shape, final rise and bake tomorrow. Unless I shape tonight before retarding.

Reality meets the mixer. I mixed the 8oz of starter with 6 5/8 oz of water for a minute and added 9.5 oz of flour. It’s just a batter. I added 1.25 oz of flour in small portions until it almost might not be not a batter but almost be a dough. I think this means my starter hydration is higher than I planned. It could also be I’ve ruined the 77% target. I floured the bench and dumped the batter/dough on it. Let set for a few minutes and did the first stretch and fold. It did stretch and fold so the mixing was enough to get some gluten started. Not a great stretch but not that hard to do. From here on it’s water on my hands and the counter to stretch and fold. It only takes a few tsp of water to wildly change the arithmetic of such a small loaf. I covered the dough in my floured towel.

30 minutes later. Stretch and fold. Sticky, but not hang on to my hands sticky since I watered my hands. Gluten is forming. I did use the dough scraper to help. God help the optimists. I might do good this time. Covered it with the towel (always bring a towel! I should take a picture after the second stretch and fold. I ought to do lots of things.

30 minutes. Stetch and fold. Another 30. Stretch and fold. Sourdough is slow so I’m not sure how many strech and folds I can do or should do. It works though.

I did 3 stretch and folds and let it rise in the warm spot for a number of hours. It hadn’t risen all that much. It was time for bed though to I put in the fridge. The next day I took it out of the fridge and let it warm up for a couple of hours (it was still cool) so I have have rushed the first rise.

It was a wet sticky dough and a pain to try to shape into a boule. I briefly thought about not using a banneton for the second rise. I should have listened. Anyway, into the banneton for 4.5 hours and it probaby could have gone longer. Inverting it onto the peel was a problem because the wet dough stuck to something and tore half the dough.

That’s why there’s no picture – it’s not a pretty loaf. I baked it off though and it had enough oven spring to look promising (with an mishapened crust)

It’s actually a very tasty, ciabatta like loaf. Lots of big holes but a little too soft inside although some would consider that a good thing. It’s certainly worth trying again. I’d be tempted to do one more stretch and fold or even two and pay closer attention the rise times. I think it interesting to make baquettes in my pans which would solve the stick to the banetton. Shaping that dough into two baquettes would be a challenge though.