Batch of Sourdough Bread
Hello Everyone,
I consider myself a beginner in that I know many how's of sourdough baking (for example, following the recipe) but not many of the why's (why does this recipe say fold 4 times while another doesn't specify). Yesterday I made 7 sourdough loaves. The same recipe was used; I tried to keep everything consistent across batches although I have to admit that I wasn't very scientific about it so there was variation but not what I would consider much. And yet, there is quite a bit of variety visually between the loaves! For those of you with more experience and knowledge:
- What could have caused the difference?
- Is there a loaf that looks "best"? If so, which one (I've numbered the loaves)?
- Why have some loaves greatly expanded while others not?
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Paolo
Here are pictures of the loaves. I uploaded one of them as part of the original post but I don't see it so I'm posting it here again.
Paolo
This is my first time posting so bear with me:) Here's the second picture. The first picture should show as part of the original post.
Unless you are setting up a commercial enterprise like a micro-bakery or other retail operation...welcome to the wonderful world of sourdough chaos! I am a novice SD baker and I think your loaves look great. How about taste?
In any case, this website abounds with sourdough scientists who can help guide you toward your Holy Grail of baking precision.
Or did I misunderstand the issue?
Dave,
I don't think you misunderstood the issue as much as I did not clearly define it. And that's in part because I'm not sure exactly sure what the issue is! So you're response had me thinking about it. I'd like to have consistency but that is not the main issue (I think, at least until I get some more experience). I think really I'm looking for guidance to improve my sourdough baking. I made 7 loaves, some of which are vastly different than others and I don't have much of an idea of which one is baked "most properly". Of course, I'm assuming that one can have such an idea based at least in part on visual inspection of the outside of the loaf (rather than tasting it, for example, or looking inside). And then, if it's possible to ascertain that some loaves are better than others, it'd be interesting to grapple with the "why". Did I underproof, overproof some of the loaves? Put too much water, not enough. Etc.
In a sense, I'm kind of searching in the dark, using the picture of the 7 loaves as a jump off point. My questions might be unreasonable or unrealistic; I wouldn't even know because of my level of experience. But I feel that I've gotten to the point where I need to reach out to others to grow in my baking...so that's what I'm doing.
Btw, the reason I made seven loaves was not to run an experiment or to post on this forum. It takes a while to make sourdough so I figure I might as well make a bunch of them at a time!
Thanks, Paolo
Lots of variables to consider to get consistent results. If you were doing several batches over the day, time and temperatures are significant factors. Also, be exact with your measurements and have the levain at its peak for each batch (difficult exercise), that's why I do a single dough batch and bulk ferment all the dough at once. It's easier to delay and stagger the final proofing.
Always have an active starter to build the final levain and mix the dough at its peak.
Use baker's percentage and scale all ingredients.
Take the time to measure the temperature of the room, flour and levain and work out the desired water temperature so you can achieve a final dough temperature after mixing of 24 to 25C.
Use a proofing box set at 24 to 25C to maintain dough temperature. This will give you the predictability of your schedule.
Mix to incorporate ingredients leaving out the salt. Autolyse 30-60 minutes.
Mix to moderate gluten development.
Perform stretch and folds during bulk fermentation. (I do two at 50-minute intervals and shape after a further 50 minutes). This will develop and strengthen the gluten framework.
Final ferment (proof) for 2 to 2 1/2 hours; (or retard in the fridge until the next day works great for additional flavour, but not essential).
Presteam the oven and bake in a hot oven. Maintain steam for about 10 minutes after loading the loaves.
Cheers,
Gavin
PS loves 1 and 2 look the best to me. What were the crumb shots like?
Gavin,
Thanks for your suggestions. I'll have a look at a proofing box. I've been thinking about it for some time but I'm not sure I have the space. Maybe I'll find some space now somewhere in my small apartment!
I also appreciate you commenting that 1 and 2 look best to you! I'd love to hear how you came to that conclusion, including your thoughts on the other loaves. I'll plead ignorance and say that I thought 5 and 6 looked best...but really based on nothing other than those "grew" more than the others and that might not (and probably isn't) the right way to judge...part of the reason I'm posting:)
I like to bake big batches and then freeze the loaves. And that's what I did for these so I don't have any crumb shots. I'm about to cut into one of them (I'll try to figure out which one it is so that I can give the number) and I'll post a shot of the inside (I think that's what you mean by "crumb shots").
Thanks again,
Paolo
Hi, Paolo.
I now use a Brod & Taylor proofing box that folds flat and is easy to store. Previously I used a DIY proofing box that consisted of two tubs, one inside the other with water and an aquarium heater in the bottom box. It was large and used up space, so it lived in the garage. The Brod & Taylor option is the best and versatile.
I liked loaves 1 and 2 simply because they looked like they held their shape. Although, without a crumb shot it's difficult to judge.
You may be interested in this freezing sliced bread idea by DanAyo (Dan). I'm been using this since reading it back in January 2020. Tip - Frozen Bread, Individual Slices | The Fresh Loaf
Cheers,
Gavin
Thanks for the additional points. Here is a picture of the crumb for loaf 5 (I believe).