Bread Baking (sourdough)

[DLD in UT]

Worst that happens if you get a flat loaf. Why not try. Dutch oven is how I bake all my breads.

[Buke]

My kids have been begging me to make baguettes. They're such a pain, they don't turn out as nice as the ones from Sea Wolf, and they have to be completely eaten the same day or they go stale. But, after much persistence I figured why not. These turned out surprisingly good and were less effort than the last batch that I did so maybe I'll repeat. I also made a standard hearty loaf (my Pain de Campagne).

Proofing


Out of the oven


Pain de Campagne (I make this about once a week)

[pureantigravity]

^^^ Those baguettes look pretty damn good!

As an experiment to determine if an extra proofing adds flavor or makes the dough more difficult to handle, I made 2 sourdoughs from the same recipe but proofing the second one twice. In order to get the proof rise % correct, I put a small dough sample in a small tall jar.

First loaf - proofed it to 75% rise, then baked.

Second loaf - proofed it to 100% rise. Then kneaded all the air out of it and set it to rise again to 75%, then baked.

All proofing done slowly outside at about 10 celsius. That took about 18 hours for the first loaf and the second loaf's second proof about 10 hours (a bit faster). The recipe was 10% rye, 10% spelt, 10% semolina, 20% 'OO' pizza flour and the rest whole wheat whole grain flour. 75% dough hydration. 80% hydration stiff starter.

Result? The baked product looked identical.
The second loaf handled the same after proofing, it wasn't any more/less firm or floppy. They both scored the same.

The second loaf had a slight amount less sourness than the first loaf. It was hardly detectable but the second loaf was ever-so-slightly less sour and ever-so-slightly less bitter.

[dookeyXXX]

https://www.epicurious.com/expert-ad...ry-article/amp

[old goat]

https://www.epicurious.com/expert-ad...ry-article/amp

Thanks for that

[yogachik]

I've been been baking these delightful mini boules - with just 400g of flour (KA organic bread flour 350g, 50g spelt) 285g water, 8g salt. They are adorable and perfectly sized for gifting to single friends. The first one has parmesan and garlic, second has no cheese but the salt is an Omnivore Salt blend of black pepper, fennel, salt, red chili flakes.

Usually the boule covers and spills over the round cooling rack. These are the size of my hand (and I have little hands)

[tgapp]

I've been been baking these delightful mini boules - with just 400g of flour (KA organic bread flour 350g, 50g spelt) 285g water, 8g salt. They are adorable and perfectly sized for gifting to single friends. The first one has parmesan and garlic, second is straight up flour water salt)

Usually the boule covers and spills over the round cooling rack. These are the size of my hand (and I have little hands)

really beautiful ears!!

[KQ]

Sourdough Banana Bread

[dookeyXXX]

https://www.atlasobscura.com/article...ugh-alaska.amp

[old goat]

Decided to bake some challah for a change. The last time I tried was about 4o years ago and it didn't go well. This time it did. A touch dry--I added a little too much flour during kneading. It turns out the the braiding serves the same purpose as slashing a sourdough loaf.
I definitely need to up my photography skills--my generation just ate our food, we didn't take pictures of it.

[Buke]

I made an interesting mistake yesterday. For the first time since starting to bake bread regularly a few years ago, I put this loaf in the oven and completely forgot to set a timer. Normally, I bake it in an enamel cast iron with the lid on for 20 minutes and then 22 minutes with the lid off. I'm sure that this was in the oven for well over 45 minutes with the lid on the whole time. It may have been more like a full hour. It was only when my wife started to smell it burning that she sent one of the kids down to my office to ask if I'd forgotten about it. You can see the edge of the ear is black and the crust is thicker and crunchier than normal but honestly it turned out great.

I'm not sure if leaving the lid on the whole time saved it or what but I think I'll start experimenting with different bake times. Next time I'll leave the lid on for 30 minutes instead of the normal 20, and then bake for another 20 minutes (unless it starts to burn).

[DLD in UT]

Buke, I like a dark full bake like that. I saw a video somewhere where someone baked a few loaves of the same bread with the lid on for different lengths of time. Lid on longer I think, should result in less thick of a crust as there is less time in a "dry" oven. My normal schedule is 475 degrees with lid on for 30 min, then lid off for 10-15 min.

[dookeyXXX]

Just in time for St Paddy's...

https://www.wellandgood.com/avocado-...ad-recipe/amp/

[yogachik]

I always bake 30 minutes with lid, 25 minutes without, and it turns out with a dark, crunchy, crust with a springy big crumb inside.

[KQ]

What the hell happened?!!!!

Baking bread today (2 loaves like always in bakers). Had it in the oven for 25 mins then removed the lids. Loaves were a beautiful pale blonde color. Continue baking for 15 mins but half way through I smell burning. Open the oven and the tops of the loaves are black. WTF? Same recipe, temp, timing as always.

[KQ]

Crumb is good but look at that top. It was smoldering when I opened the oven.

[DLD in UT]

upper oven heating element on the fritz?

[KQ]

upper oven heating element on the fritz?

Maybe.

[DLD in UT]

That's the only thing I can think of given how it happened after you took the lids off. Very clearly got a LOT of heat from above.

[skaredshtles]

Sourdough pita turned out *real* tasty:

[snoboy]

One of today's loaves turned out to be the most aesthetic yet:

[Sweetbippy]

One of today's loaves turned out to be the most aesthetic yet:

Very nice!

[KQ]

One of today's loaves turned out to be the most aesthetic yet:

You're not going to cut that are you?

[old goat]

I make squarish loaves for sandwiches, usually one, but when my kids are here two. Both times I've done this the facing sides of the loaves placed side by side on a baking sheet are underdone, while the internal temps took longer than usual reach the low end of done. I use a double wall baking sheet on the lowest rake with a steam tray on an upper rack for the first 15 minutes. The loaves are a good 6 inches apart.
I guess I need to just bake one at a time but that means the second loaf will be over-risen--between the time it takes to bake the first loaf and the time it takes for the steam tray to start boiling for the second.
Any suggestions?

[snoboy]

Final rise in the fridge aka retard? That should allow the second loaf to hold better. I do my usual two loaves overnight, and bake them about an hour apart. Don't notice any difference between 1st and 2nd loaf.