Cooking Cheap

Back to “my” normal method.

1 oz of BF , 1 oz water, half Tbl of starter. Let ferment for 6 to 12 hours.
3 oz of BF, 3 oz water plus the above. Ferment. 6 hours but it was ready sooner.
Mix that with 10 1/8 oz of BF and 5 7/8 water.

This is around 70% hydration so you can’t knead it with bench flour. Use water on your hands which of course makes the dough even wetter. Add the salt in the first knead. Let it rest for 10 minutes several times between 5 minute kneads. I’m still using the strong KA Bread Flour and it doesn’t take many rest periods before the gluten develops from just the water and becomes easier to handle. Still wet, but manageable.

Indoor temperature is 75F or less. It’s 2.5 hours into the bulk ferment (first rise). Not yet, but soon.

I need a goal, a dream I’ll fail to achieve. Tough chew, big holes, but not many huge tunnels. Strands across the holes would be nice.

Bulk took about 3.5 hours. It looked a little wet to me, and it definitely doubled. Out of the fridge the next day, I let it warm up for 45 minutes shaped it into a boule and put in in the banneton. This is a wet dough so I worried about it sticking. At the 2.5 hour mark, I baked it. It didn’t stick much so I didn’t over proof that much. Had a small bit of trouble getting it off the peel on to the stone so it’s a tiny bit oblong instead of round. Decent oven spring. Looks fine and there are gluten strands at the slashes. Sort of. Still not the effect I dream of but nice to see. Wet dough, strong flour, don’t over proof. I suspect higher heat may be need do that trick.