Given the variability in sourdough fermentation (from temperature, leaven vitality, etc.) what's a good way to judge when bulk fermentation is done and I should shape the loaf & move to proofing?
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Sourdough - ready for shaping? How do I know?
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Gas bubbles visible on the sides and bottom of the container (requires see-through container), passes window pane test, volume increase depending on the recipe. Tartine Bread calls for 20-30 percent. Some recipes I have seen say 50% or more.
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I knwo zero about baking, but in case you haven't seen it I wanted to share this very valuable sourdough bread topic from a [unfortunately] past member: https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...ourdough-bread
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Thanks for all the replies - especially the timely guidance from Dewesq55. This forum is the best place on the internet!
Check out the result...
(Needs to cool before I slice it. I'll have guests later, but hopefully I'll remember to get a pic of the crumb.)
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I have wondered the same thing about when bulk fermentation is "done". One time I had to cut it short after 4 hours, it was late at night and thought the shaping left in the fridge overnight would take care of the time lost, it didn't. It turned out just like Robertson of Tartine said, didn't rise enough to produce ears, and the crust did not get very dark. My mistake that time was I didn't check the temp of the dough until late, and it was around 72, didn't have time for that! It was supposed to be 80 and 3-4 hours. I have watched since then and found that I usually have to add hotter water than the recipe calls for in order to get to 80. Then I put it in the oven with the light on, which for mine is 80 degrees, but I also put a pot of hot water in the oven. I replenish the hot water every turn. Even then my dough is usually only 76-78 degrees. Last weekend made the Tartine sourdough country rye, turned out pretty good!
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treesmacker
Well, that looks fantastic. Please, what did you do to get there? How did you proof it and know when it was ready?
The proofing is still a mystery to me - next thing to focus on and see if I can really get the look-and-feel down. In this case, I was busy prepping other things, so I kinda guessed at when it looked almost ready. And it turned out pretty good.
BTW - not to rehash what I've posted else where, but I do a lot of trial and error to find highly nutritious, low-toxin foods for a family member with some dietary restrictions. So I'm using fresh-ground organic wheat flour, sifted through a 60-mesh screen to keep the nutrients but reduce the whole-grain heaviness. I keep the recipe the same now every time and focus on improving my technique.
Oh - and in case you are interested - here's my really simple, don't-have-to-look-it-up recipe (and yes, I know everybody uses the metric system, but look how simple this is and it makes it kind of obvious why people used the common system for centuries). This is for a single loaf, not the common double-batch-and-divide.
1 lb (aka 1 pint) Water
1.5 lb flour (sifted fresh whole wheat)
0.5 lb leaven (50/50 flour/water)
1 Tbsp coarse kosher salt
I mix the flour/water and let them autolyse at the same time I mix the leaven from starter, then when the leaven is frothing (either overnight or mid-day-ish if I started in the morning) I thoroughly mix in the salt and leaven. Then the standard stuff: stretch-and-fold, bulk fermentation, shape, proof, bake.
I'm far from an expert, but I know at this point that rather than chasing recipes I'm better off focusing on technique. So I'll stick with this for now.Last edited by radshop; February 23, 2020, 09:20 PM.
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Thank you for the details - very helpful! I like your idea of sticking with one recipe and working on technique; part of my problem is trying a whole bunch of different stuff. I think I'll stick with my 25 rye/25 whole wheat/200 bread flour ratio for a while and work on technique.
Where do you get fresh-ground organic wheat flour?
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treesmacker I buy organic wheat and grind it myself. For now I've been using my Blendtec blender to grind it, which is a pain because I have to double grind to get it fine enough. At this point I'm confident that I'll stick with it, so I'm gonna buy a grain mill. Will pay for itself over time between bread and pizza dough.
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