Sourdough Bread

chilidog said:

Do you proof overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter?
How long does it take to double in size when you get it in the pans?

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I did the first proof at room temp, then punched it down, kneeded and split and put in pans. It was late so I put the pans in the fridge then took them out and let finish rising this morning

Heck yeah I'd eat that!

lunchman said:

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I believe that's called tunneling. Several causes.
https://thebreadguide.com/large-holes/

Does it take longer to proof than if you used yeast?

chilidog said:

Does it take longer to proof than if you used yeast?

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Yes it does, and there's no exact time because sourdough likes to do it's own thing, I've got a batch going now, the first proof took 5 hours. Now if you're on a timetable you can cheat by adding a little yeast to the water when you're making the dough, if you do that you'll be working on more of a regular yeast time table, but still get sourdough flavor by adding the starter.

Talking with a friend that bakes bread in the Dutch oven he preheats the Dutch oven at 500 degrees for about an hour. Then puts the dough in and covers it. After 20 minutes lower oven to 475.
Worth a try?

Mht150 said:

Talking with a friend that bakes bread in the Dutch oven he preheats the Dutch oven at 500 degrees for about an hour. Then puts the dough in and covers it. After 20 minutes lower oven to 475.
Worth a try?

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It seems like most commonly people do preheat the dutch oven. For me, I've found it always makes the crust super hard on the bottom...way too crusty. I have much better results putting the dough into a cold dutch oven with a very well pre-heated oven.

I also have found it SOOOOO much easier to transfer the bread from the baneton to the LID of the dutch oven and bake the bread with the dutch oven upside down rather than right side up. By turning it out onto the lid I've done a MUCH better job preserving those oh so hard-earned gas bubbles.


I was a bit ahead of the curve this year where I decided I wanted to perfect my sourdough technique this year back in November. I've been nursing my starter and baking a lot BEFORE it became necessary to bake bread if I wanted any bread at all. My personal advice for people as you start perfecting things is ditch any "recipes". Don't change things until you get your technique down.

My "recipe" for all year has been:

775g flour (200g bread, 575g AP)
600g water (~77% hydration)
16g salt (~2%)



My starter is strong. It's doing a good job. I do still add a pinch (way under a gram, just enough to give a kick in the ass) to the dough when I mix my levain. I also use way more starter than most "recipes" call for. Of my measurements above 75g each of the water & flour come from my starter.

Wow, 77 % hydration seems like a really wet dough to me. I've been baking in the 65- 70% range and having good results. I seems to me that @ 77% you are closer to ciabatta bread. My go to for one loaf is 400gms KA AP flour 240 Gms H20 160 gms ripe starter & 8gms fine sea salt. 66% hydration. I usually shape it into a batard or 2 baguettes. 450 oven on a pizza stone for 25-30 mins. I create steam in the oven by leaving an old cast iron skillet on the bottom shelf and emptying a turkey baster full of H20 into it when the bread goes in the oven. Learning to understand the dough is the hardest learning curve. Happy baking to all you "Sourdoughs".

I'm just starting a new starter. But it is looking ok so far.

hmbrewr said:

Wow, 77 % hydration seems like a really wet dough to me. I've been baking in the 65- 70% range and having good results. I seems to me that @ 77% you are closer to ciabatta bread. My go to for one loaf is 400gms KA AP flour 240 Gms H20 160 gms ripe starter & 8gms fine sea salt. 66% hydration. I usually shape it into a batard or 2 baguettes. 450 oven on a pizza stone for 25-30 mins. I create steam in the oven by leaving an old cast iron skillet on the bottom shelf and emptying a turkey baster full of H20 into it when the bread goes in the oven. Learning to understand the dough is the hardest learning curve. Happy baking to all you "Sourdoughs".

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Yes, it is a very wet dough. But in my opinion learning to work with very wet doughs is worth the effort. Both for bread and pizza crust, the higher you can push that hydration the happier I tend to be with results. I'd say 77% is probably on the low end of ciabatta, which really is more about the SHAPE of bread than the dough itself. You could certainly shape your high hydration sourdough into a ciabatta shape and call it ciabatta bread.

I've had great success with my 77% dough in both a loaf shaped banneton (my favorite) or a round banneton. Only thing I will say is that it is so wet that it will end up as a pretty wide loaf, the dough will spread out when you turn it out into your dutch oven, it's just so wet. Still it makes a nice crusty loaf. Here's the crumb from Sunday's loaf, and as you can see it's not nearly as "holey" as a typical ciabatta. I have deviated slightly from my above numbers by replacing some of the AP with spelt flour (I think 100g).

Great looking bread

I wasn't trying to be critical of your bread,There is nothing wrong or right about about the % of hydration one uses. It is whatever works for you. The best bread is the one that you like. I use high hydration dough for my pizza's & ciabatta. A big part of the enjoyment in baking is working with different hydrations, flours & the various other little things that make great bread & biscuits. Learning how to react to fermentation, proofing, oven time & the countless things that can make or break a great loaf is a constant learning curve much like BBQ. We are our own worst critics. Remember " A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step," but you don't always have to follow somebody else's path.

Beautiful looking loaves of bread.

hammb said:

Yes, it is a very wet dough. But in my opinion learning to work with very wet doughs is worth the effort. Both for bread and pizza crust, the higher you can push that hydration the happier I tend to be with results. I'd say 77% is probably on the low end of ciabatta, which really is more about the SHAPE of bread than the dough itself. You could certainly shape your high hydration sourdough into a ciabatta shape and call it ciabatta bread.

I've had great success with my 77% dough in both a loaf shaped banneton (my favorite) or a round banneton. Only thing I will say is that it is so wet that it will end up as a pretty wide loaf, the dough will spread out when you turn it out into your dutch oven, it's just so wet. Still it makes a nice crusty loaf. Here's the crumb from Sunday's loaf, and as you can see it's not nearly as "holey" as a typical ciabatta. I have deviated slightly from my above numbers by replacing some of the AP with spelt flour (I think 100g).

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Man that's a beautiful loaf

Looks great Dom.

I like sourdough sandwich bread.

Lunch man, did you kneed it after the first proofing.