October 13, 2009 - 12:54pm
Simple AP Sourdough
Here's the AP version of my usual sourdough. It's 61% hydration. Next time I'll stretch the hydration to 65%. Trial and Error. It includes 20g of dry brown sesame seeds and 25g of whole wheat flour.
I like a more chewy crumb than this loaf provides, but for those who want a crispy crust with a soft crumb, here you go:
Susan
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Always such beautiful colors Susan. That would make a nice soup bowl with that crumb. Looks good.
Eric
Which reminds me, your soup and cheese balls were most appetizing, and funny, too.
Beautiful Boule, Susan! I've been using KABread flour. No matter what way you do it this is a delicious sourdough! I do prefer a not to chewy crumb with a crispy crust so now I've give it a go with KAAP.
Sylvia
I forgot to add above that I baked this loaf at 450F from beginning to end, covered for the first half of the bake.
You are too kind!
Susan
Man, that loaf is beautiful!
to put it mildly...:) cathy in wi
Most kind of you to notice.
Susan
I tried your boules the other day with two different flours. I need to experiment a bit more, my crumb was too tight with some irregular big holes. Something I did was under or over...
One question: you do bake on a baking stone, correct?
Good question! My answer flies in the face of others' experiences, but I haven't found that using a stone makes any difference. A stone lives in my oven here in Prescott, so I use it, but in San Diego I use either a heavy baking sheet or a roasting pan.
I really do mix minimally. I wonder if the minimal mixing and folding contributes to the crust color as well as the crumb? Perhaps there is so much less oxidation? I don't know the answers, but I suppose it doesn't matter, it's the end product that counts. Others have found that intensive mixing and manipulation provide open crumb but, again, that hasn't been my experience. Keep in mind that most of my experience has been with high-gluten flour.
All of my sourdough is made by hand. The loaves are always covered, one way or another, during the first 18-20 minutes of the bake. I'm happy to share my methods, and so appreciate all the help I've been given since I joined TFL. If you have any more questions, please ask.
Susan
I seemed to remember you writing once that you did not necessarily always rely on a baking stone, but was not sure anymore. Since I baked two boules (with different flours, as I mentioned) at the same time, my baking stone was too small and I really didn't want to leave the oven on for so long (trying to be environmentally conscious) for baking such small breads one after the other when they were ready at the same time anyway. So I baked them on a sheet as well, covered. Now I was wondering if the absence of the baking stone was the culprit for my somewhat dense products. I am glad to find out, it's not. I'll try again!
Every loaf is picture perfect! I'm using the KA AP and just don't get that oven spring. Mine is bout 2/3 the height of yours. I've had great spring in the past, I need to play around with what I'm doing I guess.
Your pictures are inspiring, thanks!
Marni
Ha, that's because I took the pictures with a camera! IMHO, oven spring directly correlates with starter activity, all else being equal. Just keeping playing.
Susan
How many more of these beauties can you pull out of your sleeve...or oven?
It's gorgeous. I'm going to be baking this AP SD of yours later today. I mixed it last night with a plan to use the hi-gluten flour but found I was out of it so I used AP with white whole wheat.
I showed your above photo to my dough and said "THIS is what I expect"!! We'll see.
Great job, as usual, Susan
weavershouse
I'm blushing! I so admire your breadbaking skills, and often wish I was a fly on the wall so that I could watch your every move.
Susan
Hey Susan:
I've tried the recipe with my Giusto's using (65%) hydration with great success.
This morning I did the bread flour version and a miche version. I woke up at 3 am and set the dough on the counter, and then went back to bed....and slept a bit longer. And then slept a bit longer. The dough was out for 45 minutes longer than I intended so I think they were a bit over proofed. They stick look very good though.
I do have one question though. Do you ever have an issue with mold on your linen? My miche today had 2 noticeable, greenish spots 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch in diameter. I cut them off and figured that with the flu going around, a little mold can't hurt. Plus the 40 minutes in a searing 450 degree oven kept my germ phobia a bay. However, the collanders that I use are from BBB. They are screens rather than the type with holes. Supposedly stainless. However, I'm wondering if the discolored spots are a result of chemical reaction between the acidity of the whole wheat miche dough and the metal in the screen. Your thoughts?
Thanks for posting your process. I'm having excellent and very consistent results—when I don't oversleep—and can barely keep the household bread in stock.
Marc
Forgive me, I don't remember where you hail from. I'm usually either in San Diego or Prescott, AZ, so it's dry for me. I just leave them out, spread open, so they can dry. Once thoroughly dry, I fold 'em up. They're stored in a plastic bag when not going to be used right away.
If my climate was damp, I'd lay them in the oven, right on a rack, after it cooled down enough not to burn them. Be sure they're totally dry before storing.
Thanks for the feedback. It makes me happy to know you're enjoying both the baking and the bread.
Susan
I usually hang mine on the handle to the upper oven and they dry as the bread bakes below—unless my boys are around (don't want them using them to dry their hands off).
I have a feeling the discoloration was more of a chemical reaction because the linen itself does not look moldy. I think "stainless" on the packaging label was maybe a bit of a stretch. The spots were dark green in color—like the color that appears in carrot cake when you fail to remove all of the peel of the carrot.
Anyhow—both loaves have been devoured so I'm sorry to say that I have no photos to show. The miche actually was very very good. A bit more sour than the bread flour loaf, and a bit tighter crumb. I might try adding just a bit more water to it on the next go to see if that will open the crumb a bit. Or maybe I need to skip one of the stretch and folds?
Marc
And, as far as the water goes: yes, play with the water amount, but make sure you keep records so you know what amount you like best. Generally, I use between 65% to 75% hydration for sourdough.
Susan