August 16, 2006
For Science
One more attempt on some sourdough using the King Arthur Bread Flour (KA BF). I’m less interested in blow outs and gluten strands. I went back to a previous test of some 12.5% flour that Impressed me at the time.. It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t vary a whole bunch of things at once.
In total, 15 oz of the KA BF, 9 oz of water gives me 60% hydration, a bit lower ration than normally do. It’s just arithmetic and time to get the 8 oz of “firm strarter” or “barm” in the reference above. The numbers I used: 1 oz of BF+1 oz of water, tiny bit of starter. Ferment. Add 1.5 0z if each. Ferment. Add 3 oz of BF, no water, knead and ferment. Make the dough with 9 of of BR, 6 oz of water, salt.
I used the no knead stretch and fold, 30 minutes between folds. After 4 folds there wasn’t a lot of stretching that could be done. I left it to finish the bulk ferment (first rise). That took several more hours and then I retarded the dough in the fridge in it’s covered bowl. Next day, I let it warm up for an hour or so, shaped it and put in the banneton to proof (second rise). When I checked a half hour later, the dough had ripped apart at the seam. I was not pleased. I reshaped it a bit. I can’t claim to have over worked the dough so I’m guessing that first rise was too long. It didn’t separate much after that it looked like a dough with trouble.
I skipped the whole steam and mist dance when baking it. A glaze of water was all. Good oven spring, the slashes are distinct and good looking. It’s probably a decent loaf of bread. I suspect I’m over proofing on the bulk ferment. Later, I did some volume measurements on that bowl with water and it looks like I’m letting it rise to 3 or 4 times. The bread tastes pretty good, no complaints there. Not as many holes as a 65% loaf though and chew is missing. Over proofed or not kneaded enough? This loaf will become bread crumbs or dumplings. It’s not a bad loaf, but….
I feel another experiment forming. Looking in the cabinets, I see an 8 qt measuring cup. My guess is my 24 oz dough is between 2 and 3 cups in volume after mixing. Since the raw ingredients are around 2 Cups of flour and 1 cup of water and 1 cup of starter (guessing) between 2 and 3 cups is reasonable. Here’s the plan.:
!’ll go back to my 1/1 + 3/3 preferments. 65% hydration on the dough. and this time after mixing and hand kneading, I’ll put in that big measuring cup, flatten the dough so the measurement is half way accurate and move to shaping and the final rise when doubled. Might be an hour, might be 4, might be 6. A smart person would even take take the dough out of the measuring cup and put it in my normal bowl to see what a double looks like before shaping.