Sourdough and long fermentation specifically

thriftwizard · 16 July 2019 at 7:09PM

I accidentally chucked all my (immature) rye starter into a batch of Kubsah rolls a couple of weeks ago! Much to my surprise, it raised the dough - which is full of cheese & herbs - overnight anyway, and they tasted excellent. I'll set another rye starter off in the autumn, once we stop spending every spare moment on the allotment or the beach.

Today's loaf made me very happy. I cracked & invested in a cloche & at last the shape came right. I even got some lovely ears!

pattypan4 · 16 July 2019 at 8:21PM

whoopee thriftwizzard, those ears are a real achievement

I have been listening to my rye starter, it is talking. It is so warm, I think I will have to retard it tonight and make the leaven tomorrow first thing. The wholegrain dough will take less time to rise, being wholegrain and I cannot see bulk fermentation taking that long, maybe 2-3 hours, followed by final proof in the baskets in the fridge. New lined baskets, I`ll dust with semolina and keep my fingers crossed. I`ll miss out using the peel this time. Thursday baking then 2 days maturing before cutting. I have vegans coming, will have to get vegan spread, while me and the children have butter

I am going to have leftover starter, will make myself a flatbread in a dry pan

Camomile · 16 July 2019 at 9:59PM

Ears are awesome!

Scraped both starters and prooved the dough in the greenhouse- took a whim to bake tonight in the afternoon so had to speed up the process. Mixture of whole&white, rye&wheat with sunflower and pumpkin seeds chucked in.

Just remembered I need to feed the starters as there are just dregs left in jars!

pattypan4 · 17 July 2019 at 11:40AM

Its 25 inside today, good for proofing and I made the leaven this morning, used a mix of flours, mostly wholegrain, plus rye and some 00. I am hoping for liveliness this afternoon but it will never be jumping liveliness like all white. Using wholegrain, I need to get the water into the flour, so I am going to autolyse for 2-3 hours, then add leaven and start bulk fermentation. I am going to use the food mixer today for the initial knead after autolysing, will then rest and start stretch and folds over maybe 2 hours. I hope I get the dough into baskets before very late tonight, am holding my breath

pattypan4 · 17 July 2019 at 6:11PM

I just started bulk fermentation, letting the mixer take the strain for the main knead. It`s a heck of a sticky dough and for the first time I added some diox, just 3g. I put semolina on the baskets and it seemed to fill the cloth pores very well, I also dusted the peel but am chickening out of that stage. I will just risk plopping the dough from basket to cloche and do a quick set of slashes. Cloche did not need semolina last time so it must be well seasoned by now. Its all about logistics tomorrow, I have to heat the cloche base and dome to 230, will then slide it onto the oven door, lift the lid and quickly place that on heat proof mats on the worktop behind me. Slash, replace lid and slip back in the oven and cross my fingers
So much easier with a lower hydration but I want elevation, ears and holes
Just back in to say that I think I will take the more certain way ie non stick paper ring on the peel, plop onto that, slash and ease onto the cloche base by pulling and sliding. If the dough plops ok then I could miss that step next time

pattypan4 · 18 July 2019 at 7:31AM

They are still in the fridge, won`t take them out until lunchtime at the earliest. I made paper circles last night, trying to think of easier dough transfer. I just read about good results with baking straight from the fridge rather than bringing to room temperature. I am going to try it, keeping fingers crossed that the hot cloche does not crack. I found this today, looks a nice straightforward method and not massive amounts

https://www.weekendbakery.com/posts/san-francisco-style-sourdough-bread/comment-page-1/

I want to keep cacao sd going and also one basic san fransisco style recipe. There are too many different methods about and now I have 5 pots of starter in my fridge, in case my two family visitors want some

Vanlady · 18 July 2019 at 12:21PM

You're right Pattypan,
It's been great weather for baking bread.

Well, I'm very pleased to report that I didn't have to rush out yesterday morning to buy flowers, my sourdough bread was a success!
I made 2, 1 for quality control, I was very happy with it, so confident to gift the other one. It was gratefully received, in fact, I have now converted another baker to the joy of baking sourdough bread:j

pattypan4 · 14 August 2019 at 12:02PM

I have just thrown all my rye starter out, it started to smell like blue cheese and had that dull white finish on top, doh silly me, I ruined it by keeping it in a non-airtight jar and had some blue vinny cheese in that fridge, so the more active microbes have taken over. I still have chocolate and wholemeal, looking and smelling fine. Decision has been taken from me about which starters to keep

Riverford has started selling 48 hour fermentation sd bread, I am having my first loaf in a couple of days. Sometimes mass produced sd is a let-down compared to home made, my mind is open. I went shopping today locally and my local wholefood shop stocks sd but the one time I tried it, it was far too salty and did not taste or have the texture of hm sd. I am trying their olive sd today, one last chance

Honestly I think I will need to refresh my 2 starters on friday, loved the chocolate sd so much that I don`t think I can contemplate getting rid of the starter. I will be happy with the wholemeal which still retains that nice touch of sour

pattypan4 · 26 August 2019 at 7:44PM

At long last I have found two good sources of real sd bread, one is with a veg box and one is local, so although psychologically reluctant, I think I will give up making sd. I am going to take the starters out of the fridge and wash the containers. I cannot be bothered refreshing every week and it is a fair while between loaves because I live alone. I am liking the bought sd very much, I also have a bm and need to use that more and anyway I can easily make long fermentation bread

It is all about me adapting to my own circumstances and about changing my ways. I already eat unpasteurised sauerkraut and love kombucha from a supplier, gorgeous drink on ice cubes, so I am getting all the microbes that I need. There is a great reluctance because I have been making sd for many years but life moves on

Grumpysally · 26 August 2019 at 10:21PM

You could always put some starter in the freezer, just in case. That way if you feel the urge you wouldn't have to start completely from scratch.
Some people say you shouldn't freeze it but I've always got it going again after two or three years in the freezer.
I also follow Bake With Jack's method so only have a tiny bit of starter untill indeed to feed it the night before I bake. It seems to last two or three weeks without feeding.
I think if you have found a good supplier, that's good. You are supporting a local artisan. My local baker sells it but it is far too sour for my taste. In fact I'm a bit suspicious about how authentic it is. I might pluck up courage to enquire further at some point.

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Sourdough and long fermentation specifically

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