And we have liftoff. Bob be a-floatin'!
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I took "Rosa" out of the fridge today. No float...Can it be used and just add a little yeast?Comment
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7th day starter update: Winnie started showing signs of (burping) life yesterday and today, even more so. On Tuesday (9th day), I'll dump 100g then feed 200g in preparation for Winnie spending a long, hungry week in the fridge while I'm away. I'll start CPR when I get back and we'll see where we stand.Comment
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Nice looking loaves Fine Swine . Here's a short video buy Cyril Hitz on how to score bread you might enjoy.
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Fine Swine - you don't have to buy a lame unless you want to. I made one using a bamboo skewer and a razor blade:
I even made my own cover from a piece of note paper.
Attached FilesLast edited by RonB; July 26, 2016, 10:13 AM.Comment
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RonB is correct. I also used one like his. I used a long wooden coffee stir stick that I mounted the double edge blade on at first. Then I bought the lame in the picture because I thought it gave me more control over the blade.Attached FilesComment
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jgjeske1 commented
July 26th, 2016, 07:24 PM
I have found that a good, sharp serrated knife does a pretty good job. But I like the homemade lame idea!
I personally think that scoring/docking your loaf is VERY difficult to learn. It also has great, great rewards. You can turn a really great tasting loaf of bread into a beautiful work of art if you learn to score it properly. A professional lame doesn't cost very much and it gives you the best chance to create beauty.😎Attached FilesLast edited by Breadhead; July 26, 2016, 09:05 PM.Comment
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@breadhead
Do I need to use bottled water?
How many days until my starter passes the float test? Could it be "over" or passed the float test? My starter is about 2.5 weeks old. Mostly at room temp. But had to put in fridge for a few days. I've been diligent it dump and feed.Comment
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scottranda ...
I've always used tap water without any problems.
It normally takes me about 14 days to build a starter. I would keep dumping and feeding it rather than starting over. Did you get bubbles after day 2 or 3 when you first started it? -
I got bubbles then, and I get bubbles now. And now, it smells really good. Originally, it smelleded like wet socks
I tried the float test last night. Sunk like titanic.
Breadhead -
scottranda - if you are worried about the chlorine in your water, just let an open container of tap water sit on your counter for a day or two and the chlorine will evaporate.
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Lame? F that, in a pinch I use the utility knife from my tool box in the garage! I have a lame, but, usually forget to bring it to the grill, and time is short when trying to do everything at once​.
Yes on the bottled water, don't want the chlorine killing your bacteria that you have worked so hard to bring to life.
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scottranda ... After every feeding your culture has a life cycle. There is a peak time to use it. After it's been fed it will increase in mass to about double. Then once it's past its maximum strength it will start collapsing on its self, loses the Co2 and gasses to allow it to float.
My guess is you starter is ready to use... You just tried the float test too late. I bet if you had tried the float test an hour or two earlier it would have floated.Comment
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I just tested it (mid-day), and half of it floated. So, I'm gunna find my sweet spot times. I'm learning here! -
scottranda ... I'm thinking that if you give your starter 1 more hour the whole spoonful will float. Just so you know your starter I would give it the float test every hour so you know when it reaches it peak and when it starts declining.
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I think the last thing absolutely necessary for me to pull this off is a stainless steel mixing bowl. What size (quarts) should I get?Comment
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Scott... For mixing my dough I prefer to use Pyrex. A clear glass bowl that measures 11.5" in diameter and 4.5" high. Not sure what the quart capacity is. I use that bowl as a cover for my dough when its autolysing/resting. I like to be able to see what's happening to the dough as I walk by. However a SS Bowl works just fine.Originally posted by scottranda View PostAttached FilesComment
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scottranda ... The one I've been using for years is 12" in diameter and 4.5" in depth. My pizza stone is 14" in diameter. I have to make sure I place my SS mixing bowl toward the very back of the pizza stone though when placing the dough in and covering it with the bowl. Making sure I keep the seal over the dough the bowl provides. The reason for that is your Tru-Tel thermometer has a 4" stem on it and will push your SS steal bowl back if you mount it to far forward.Attached FilesComment
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