How to make sourdough bread...

[Richard Chrz]

1 Kilo boule, 2 baguettes, & fougasse. All at 80 percent.

[RonB]

Did you perhaps mean 1 kg?

[Richard Chrz]

RonB actually meant "Kilo" lol but yes, kg.

[SheilaAnn]

These fine specimen’s are screaming for some fancy French butter and a sprinkle of flake salt. Or a beautiful country pate. Or toasted with a poached egg. Ok, I’m done! I wanna be Richard Chrz neighbor.

[Richard Chrz]

This weeks. 8 loaves, on top of my experimental bake up above.

[Richard Chrz]

My starter

[SheilaAnn]

So when are you opening the bakery? I have time on my hands if you need help!

[treesmacker]

Really! That's goin strong!! Are you feeding it daily?

[Mark V]

I have not seen bubbles that big in mine. That is a lot of baking! Haven't done much myself lately. I want to try something I haven't done, maybe not even sourdough, but maybe adapted for sourdough. Challah, brioche, ciabatta?

[treesmacker]

So, I'm still using Richard Chrz methods as he shared here: https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...50#post1050550

I'm having great success with it. Richard, thanks again for sharing!

These were proofed overnight outside where the temperature stayed steady about 34F all night with some fog. I tried some smaller "bread bowl" size loaves; just a bit too small dividing the batch by 6, I'll divide by 4 next time.

I'm very pleased with these. I notice my loaves are not as dark as Richard's; just a preference on my part.

And... great game today 49ers!! 🏈🏆

[RonB]

With it being just the two of us, I make mini loaves more often than not.

They do look great.

[treesmacker]

rickgregory Ahhh c'mon... root for the West Coast team!! 😁

[rickgregory]

treesmacker SEAHAWKS1!!!! (though I did enjoy your team knocking off the Boys)

[Richard Chrz]

Yesterday and today’s bakes.

[treesmacker]

Awesome!

[HawkerXP]

I like that "football" loaf!

[mnavarre]

My first loaves of sourdough nearly two years.



The one on the left was cooked on a cast iron griddle with a sheet pan of water on the bottom of the oven, and I did a horrible job of scoring. The other loaf was cooked in a dutch oven.



Not the best crumb in the world, but it was cold in my kitchen during the bulk ferment, and at 72% hydration I'll take it. could have used a few more minutes cooking time also. The flavor's great, though I've been informed that it needs to be more sour.

Overall I'm pretty happy with this.

[Thunder77]

I would be happy to sample those!

[RonB]

I was just goin' down the rabbit hole with bread again and found this Kenji technique on no knead bread. As I watched, he discussed how to eliminate using a Dutch oven. I found it interesting and thought some here might be interested. Actually, I've been toying with the idea of this technique in my mind, but haven't gotten around to trying it yet.

0:00 to 16:38 is mostly about making some no knead dough.
At ~ 16:38 he talks about using a DO.
At ~ 19:30 he talks about his technique

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RUDa0FKplk

[fzxdoc]

Cool video.

I wonder if his method always results in burned-on-the-bottom bread that resulted in the video. And does the DO method have the same burned-bottom result?

I'm not a bread baker, so I may be saying something really stupid here. I just don't like the taste of burned bread, or pizza crust for that matter.

Kathryn

[RonB]

fzxdoc - I'm with you - I don't like burned bread either. And I also noticed that one side was very dark. That side might have been too close to the side?

I've never had the bottom burn when using a DO and I'm surprised using a sheet pan resulted in a burned bottom because it doesn't hold heat as well as CI.

I was going to try using my baking steel with a large disposable aluminum tray to cover the dough. Now I'm not so sure...

[fzxdoc]

RonB , I noticed this at about 23:29 into the video:

It looks sort of burned to me. Not bad, but enough to maybe affect the taste.

I think this might be the spot on the side that you noticed. It's a bit more evident as he moves the bread around preparatory to cutting it, maybe. Again, maybe not burned but lightly charred?


I hate to sound so nit-picky, especially since it is a really excellent video and I enjoyed watching it.

Kathryn

[Michael Brinton]

The best way I've found to avoid the burned bottom is to bake with a stone on the lowest rack and the dutch oven /challenger one rack above it. When the steaming step is complete remove the loaf from the vessel and place on the oven rack.

[RonB]

I never have understood why people want charred anything...

[treesmacker]

I was having over done/burned bottoms when directly on cast iron. I solved it by still using the cast iron, but also placing an aluminum half sheet pan on a second rack about two inches below the cast iron.

[rickgregory]

Sigh. My starter was in a bad way so I used SAF instant and it ferments FAST. Overproofed the pan loaf, not much oven spring. Well, it will make nice croutons.

[CaptainMike]

I really need to get my bread game going again!

[MBMorgan]

RonB , fzxdoc - Like you, I really don't like "fashionably" charred bread at all ... instead, I shoot for an all-over "blond" loaf ... and I don't encourage "ears" or other protrusions that will burn. I don't even score my loaves anymore ... preferring instead to bake them seam-side up so they burst with a more random/"natural" look.

For example, this is about as dark as I care to go:



Also, I find 500F to be just too darn hot. Instead, I preheat and bake (in an inverted DO) at a constant 475F ... after using a good thermo for calibrating/adjusting to accommodate my oven's displayed vs. actual temp.

[RonB]

That boule looks great to me.

[Richard Chrz]

[treesmacker]

Yes... that is purty!

[Richard Chrz]

Baked 12 loaves over the last two days. Here are a few photos.

[Thunder77]

Dude! Look at those blisters!! 👍

[Richard Chrz]

fzxdoc here re the bottom of my loaves.

[Mark V]

Perfect. Sometimes mine get too dark, have had to take measures to stop that. Most of the time that works.

[fzxdoc]

Niiiiice!

[Mark V]

I am moving away from making boules to making oval? loaves. Have a cast iron roaster that works for that. I like that shape better for sandwiches and even eating out of hand, more consistent slice size and shape. My last effort for comparison, made both shapes with the same dough:

[MBMorgan]

That'll work!

[RonB]

Nice. The one on the left is called a batard.