Cooking Cheap

Here we go again. This time it’s a single stage, firm preferment. What’s that?

1.5 oz W. 3.0 oz of BF + 1/2 Tbl of half awake starter. I want 20% of my final 24 oz. I’t’s very firm (dry) but given time, the starter will eat it and make more starter. Six hours in and it is doing something. I’ll give it at least that many hours. It’s cool tonight down around 70 inside and headed for mid 50’s. No hurry, I’ll be asleep.

I let it set on the counter for a long time. It had done its job much earlier. This is thick enough that I tore it up in bits with my hands and added that to 8 oz of water in the mixing bowl. I added 11 oz of the King Arthur Bread Flour. Roughly 65% hydration, and a 20% inoculation.

I kneaded it by (wet) hand for a few minutes, added the salt, knead a bit, rest, knead. 20 Minutes total because that’s all my love a kneading will allow.

I let it rise for about 5 hours, it’s more than doubled but doesn’t pass the touch test. Fearing another over proof, it went into the fridge. I no longer believe I know what I’m doing,

Turns out the wheels came of the axle one wheel at a time. Over proofed the bulk ferment, over proofed the final rise and I couldn’t get it out of the banneton which left a hunk of glop on the peel. The oven was heated so I baked it. It looked like wet ciabatta and as it turns it out, that’s exactly what it was. Not a lot of oven spring. Butt ugly on the outside since I didn’t bother to glaze or spritz with water or set up a steam pan.

Hours later, I cut into it. Big tunnels, holes of all sizes, shiny gluten webs. Tastes great and has some chew back on the inside. A nice ciabatta no question. Problem is that wasn’t what I wanted to make. It’s also a clue I can use.

My bakers arithmetic could have been erroneous and the recipe was wetter, [higher hydration %] than I calculated. It wouldn’t be the first time that happened. Maybe my wet hands knead in too much water. It doesn’t take much water to go from 65% to 70+.

I suspect the strong King Arthur’s Bread Flour (14.5% protein claimed) is helping me make these errors and to learn more. It sucks in the water so even a wet dough (65%) is reasonable to knead by hand. It’s also quicker to rise and easier to over proof if you miss the shorter window between just right and too much. The lower hydration preferment also masks what’s happening in the dough. That’s my theory this week.

I need to devise a test for one or maybe two of these variables. The single stiff preferment is easier than my other methods and I do like easy. I’ll keep that. I’ll keep the same flour and water oz in the dough and knead with wet hands. That’s all like this loaf of bread. What will I change then?

I’ll measure the bulk ferment. I know I did that before and the results weren’t what I wanted or expected. I’ll free form the loaf. If there’s a chance I’ll over proof and end up with ciabatta, lets make a free form ciabatta and not screw around with sticking to the banneton.