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After my disappointment with the Kline, et al San Francisco Sourdough method, I re-read and re-digested what I know about time, temperature, ingredients and the care and feeding of sourdough flora. I suppose the principal new concept to sink in was that the fermentation temperature matters a whole lot, and what's best for yeast growth is not best for lactobacillus growth, and what's best for lactobacillus multiplication is not what's best for acid production. In a way, I rediscovered something I found out several years ago but neglected to pursue. (Reading old blogs was interesting.) Those very smart fellows at Detmolder were on to something: You can have it all, if you do it in stages. I'm pretty sure that what I did was not the only way to achieve pretty much the same result. It may not be the best way, but it worked for me. Note that I achieved the necessary temperature control with a Brød & Taylor Folding Proofer, but you can achieve this with a home-made proofing box as well.

My goal has been to make a moderately sour, mostly white “San Francisco style” sourdough bread that has a crunchy crust, an open crumb and a nice, sweet, complex flavor, not just sourness. Today's bake achieved all of these characteristics, and I'm a very happy baker (and bread eater)!

I started with the “San Francisco Sourdough” formula in Michel Suas' Advanced Bread and Pastry, but modified the method, as described below:

My stock starter is 50% hydration. My sourdough starter is fed with a mix of 70% AP, 20% WW and 10% whole rye.

I started by refreshing my stock starter with 40 g starter, 100 g water and 100 g flour mix and fermenting it at room temperature for 12 hours. I used this to build the stiff levain. (Note: This is a liquid starter - 100% hydration.)

1. Dissolve the starter in the water. Add the flour and mix thoroughly until the flour has been completely incorporated and moistened.

2. Ferment at room temperature for 6 hours.

3. Cold retard overnight.

4. The next day, take the levain out of the refrigerator and ferment at room temperature for another 2-4 hours. The levain is ready when it has expanded about 3 times, and the surface is wrinkled (starting to collapse). 

Method

1. In a stand mixer, mix the flour and water at low speed until it forms a shaggy mass.

2. Cover and autolyse for 1-2 hours. (Yup. I autolysed for 2 hours.)

3. Add the salt and levain and mix at low speed for 1-2 minutes, then increase the speed to medium (Speed 2 in a KitchenAid) and mix for 5 minutes. Add flour and water as needed. The dough should be rather slack. It should clean the sides of the bowl but not the bottom.

4. Transfer to a lightly floured board and do a stretch and fold and form a ball.

5. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly.

6. Ferment at 78º F for 3 hours with a stretch and fold at 1 hour.

7. Divide the dough into two equal pieces.

8. Pre-shape as rounds and rest, covered, for 10 minutes.

9. Shape as boules or bâtards and place in bannetons. Place bannetons in plastic bags.

10. Proof at room temperature (68-70º F) for 1-2 hours.

11. Cold retard the loaves overnight.

12. The next morning, proof the loaves at 85º F for 2-3 hours.

13. 45-60 minutes before baking, pre-heat the oven to 480º F with a baking stone and steaming apparatus in place.

14. Transfer the loaves to a peel. Score the loaves as desired, turn down the oven to 450º F, and transfer the loaves to the baking stone.

15. Steam the oven.

16. After 15 minutes, remove the steaming apparatus, and turn down the oven to 425º F/Convection. (If you don't have a convection oven, leave the temperature at 450º F.)

17. Bake for another 25 minutes.

18. Turn off the oven, and leave the loaves on the stone, with the oven door ajar, for another 10 minutes.

19. Transfer the loaves to a cooling rack, and cool thoroughly before slicing.

San Francisco Sourdough (and New York Bagel from ITJB. This weekend's "Coast to Coast" baking.) 

San Francisco Sourdough Crumb

These loaves had a rather flat profile but did have fair oven spring and bloom. When sliced after cooling for 4 hours, the crust was crunchy. The crumb was open. The aroma was decidedly sour. The crumb was tender-chewy and cool in the mouth. The flavor of the crumb was a bit sweet and wheaty with a moderately sour after taste. The crust was nutty, but I would have personally enjoyed it more had it been darker, even though that would not have been strictly in the the “San Francisco Style” of old.

This method is spread over 3 days, so it requires some advance planning. Since it requires little time, except on the second day, it should be easy to fit into almost anyone's schedule. It this is the kind of bread you're after, it's definitely worth the effort.

Future plans

1. Substitute 5-10% whole wheat for some of the AP flour in the final dough.

2. Make some larger loaves.

 David

Submitted to YeastSpotting

Addendum added 2/4/2012: Please see My San Francisco Sourdough Quest, Take 2 for my next bake. The modifications resulted in improvements in the crumb and a more assertively sour bread.

A few years back I was testing English muffin recipes on TFL.  After I posted a recipe I received a comment from Dan Lepard who provided a recipe for excellent English muffins.  The other day I decided to give the recipe another try.  The only thing I changed was a couple of stretch and folds at 20 minute intervals after the dough came out of the refrigerator, after reaching room temperature.  This is a really good recipe which produces a light, flavorful muffin, and it's easy to make.  They take about 7 minutes per side on a medium low grill or in a cast iron skillet.  Don't try to hurry them or the outside will be brown before the inside is done.  I used a digital thermometer to check the internal temperature.  These reached an internal temperture of 202-204 deg. F.  Incidentally, I quadrupled the recipe to make 4 times the amount of dough, which is the reason the dough amount in the first photo under the recipe is fairly large.

Edit: I also added 3 Tbs. ripe 100% sourdough starter to the dough mix.

Below is the recipe that Mr. Lepard published in the Guardian newspaper.

Howard

• The Guardian,
• Saturday November 24 2007
• Article history

What the Americans call an English muffin we used to call, well, a muffin. But since those little cakes in paper cases have invaded the supermarket shelves and stolen the name, our own little plain bread muffin has become neglected in Britain. In the US, bakers have raised the quality of their English muffins to something close to perfection. Crisp on the outside, sour and holey inside, and chewy when toasted and slathered with butter. Make these and you'll see what we've been missing all these years. In this recipe, the dough gets mixed and lightly kneaded the night before and is left in the refrigerator overnight to rise slowly. You can even leave it until the following evening if that works better for you.

Makes 8-10 muffins

50g unsalted butter

100ml warm water (by weight: approximately 4 oz. or 116 g.)

50ml cider vinegar [by weight: approximately 2 oz. Or 58g.]

100ml plain live yoghurt [slightly less than ½ cup]

1 large egg

1 level tsp salt

375g strong white flour

2 tsp easy-blend yeast [I used instant yeast and it worked fine]

Oil for the bowl

The night before, melt the butter in a saucepan [use stainless steel with the vinegar], then remove from the heat and beat in the warm water with the vinegar, yoghurt, egg and salt until smooth. Measure the flour and yeast into a bowl, tip [pour] in the butter and vinegar mixture and stir to a thick batter. Cover the bowl and leave for 10 minutes. Lightly oil the work surface and knead the dough gently for 10-15 seconds (see Basic techniques). Scrape the bowl clean of scraps of dough, wipe the inside with a little oil, place the dough back in the bowl, cover with a plate or cling film and place in the refrigerator overnight.

The following morning (or evening), lightly oil a dinner tray and upturn the dough on to it. Stretch and fold the dough in by thirds (see Basic techniques), then cover with a tea towel and leave to rest for 1-2 hours until it warms and begins to rise again. [It takes a full 2 hours at 75 deg. F.]

Line a dinner tray with a tea towel and dredge the surface liberally with flour. Gently roll out the dough [on a work surface] about 1½ cm [approximately 5/8 inch] thick, trying not to knock too much of the gas from it. Cut the dough into discs using a 12cm-diameter [approximately 4 ¾ inches] cutter (yes, that large, as they'll pull inwards as they bake), or take a sharp knife and cut the dough into 6 rectangles or something close to that. Carefully lay the cut dough on the floured cloth. Dust the tops with flour and cover with a tea towel. Leave for 1½-2 hours [they’ll take the full 2 hours at 75 deg. F.] or until doubled in height.

Get a large heavy-bottomed frying pan with a snug-fitting lid if possible. Place on a moderate heat until the surface is hot but not scorching.

Uncover the muffins and flip them one by one on to your hand with the cloth, then slide them into the pan. You should be able to fit 3 or 4 in at a time. Cover the pan with the lid to create a bit of steam to help them rise and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Then check to see that they're not burning. If the bottom is a good brown, flip them over using a spatula. Cook on the other side for about 3-4 minutes. [I used an electric skillet with a lid, set at 340 deg. F. cooking them in a dry pan for 6 minutes on side 1 and 4 minutes on side 2 until they reached an internal temperature of 190 deg. F.] When done, remove to a wire rack, drape a tea towel over to keep them soft, and continue with the remaining muffins. Freeze in a zip-lock bag as soon as they're cold.

Here’s my favorite variation on my favorite bread--the Basic Country Bread from Tartine Bread.   Since it’s now my most frequent bake, I figured I should write up my procedure both for my own reference and the breadblogosphere.

This version has 50% more whole wheat flour in the final dough than the book’s formula.   I make only as much levain as is needed for the bake, not double the needed amount as the formula calls for.  I divide the dough in two mid-way through the bulk ferment, bake two 485-490 gram boules or batards on a baking stone the first day and, having retarded the second half overnight, I bake a one kilo boule in my Dutch Oven the next day.

Ingredients:


700 grams plus 50 grams water


200 grams levain (see below)

850 grams white flour


150 grams whole wheat flour 


20 grams salt

Directions:

Make the Levain:

The night before the dough is mixed, take 1 heaping tablespoon of a mature starter (I used my usual 75% hydration mixed-grain starter) and feed it with 100 grams of warm (75-80 degree F) water and 100 grams of a blend of 50% AP flour/50% whole wheat bread flour.   I use Central Milling Organic Artisan Baker’s Craft white flour (enriched with malted barley) and Central Milling Organic Hi-Protein Fine whole wheat flour.

Cover tightly and let the levain rise overnight at room temperature.

The next morning, the levain should be airy and light.  To find out if it’s ready, put a small piece in room temperature water to see if it floats.  If it sinks, it is not ready to use and needs more time to ripen.

Mix the Dough:

Pour 700 grams of 80 degree F water into a large mixing bowl.  Add 200 grams of the levain and stir it to disperse.

Mix the flours – 850 grams white and 150 grams whole wheat – together and add the flours to the mixing bowl.  Then mix thoroughly by hand to hydrate all of the flour. 

Cover the bowl with a damp dishtowel or plastic wrap and let the dough rest (autolyse) for 30-40 minutes. 

After the dough has rested, add the 20 grams of salt and the 50 grams warm water. Incorporate the salt and water into the dough by squishing the dough between your fingers until thoroughly mixed.

Bulk Fermentation

The dough should bulk ferment for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature in a bowl covered with a damp dishtowel or plastic wrap.

During the first two hours of fermentation, give the dough one series of four stretch-and-folds every half hour or so.  During the last hour or so, stretch and fold the dough gently every 45 minutes or so.

If the dough seems to be developing slowly, extend the bulk fermentation time.  When properly fermented the dough should be puffy and gas bubbles should be visible on the surface.

Retarded Fermentation (Optional)

 I can’t fit two one-kilo boules on my baking stone at once, so I usually divide the dough in half after the first 90 minutes of bulk fermentation.   I round up half the dough, place it in a lightly oiled bowl with a tight cover, and refrigerate overnight or up to a full day.  The other half continues with the bulk fermentation at room temperature.

Take the refrigerated dough out of the refrigerator about five hours before you plan to bake.  Let it warm in the bowl for two or three hours, with stretch-and folds at the 60 minute and 120 minute points.

Shaping the Loaves and Proofing

This dough is extensible and sticky, so it takes careful handling and just the right amount of flour to shape the loaves.  The Tartine Bread formula calls for loaves of just under one kilo (two loaves from the dough recipe).  I usually make three loaves from a recipe, two scaled at about 485-490 grams and one at about one kilo.  I find that the flavor and texture are just as good as with the bigger loaves.

When the dough is fully fermented, scrape it onto a lightly floured board with the smoother side of the dough (what had been on the bottom of the bowl) downward.  Be careful not to get a lot of flour on the side of the dough that will form the seam of the loaf.  With lightly floured hands and quick movements, pre-shape a ball by stretching the dough gently from the sides, up to meet in the middle, and seal the seam by pinching.   Rest the dough balls for 20-30 minutes, covered with a slightly damp dishtowel.

With lightly floured hands, form the dough balls into boules, by again stretching the sides up toward the center and pinching the seam.  Then, on an unfloured part of your board or counter (but with well-floured hands), place the seam side down and tighten the boule surface using the method dmsnyder made famous (http://www.thefreshloaf.com/keyword/boule-shaping).

Place the boule in a well-floured banneton with seams upward, covered with a damp dishtowel or place in a plastic bag.

Having baked this bread several times, I have found that proofing it at room temperature (about 70 degrees F for me) for about 3 ½ hours results in good oven spring and a light, tender, airy crumb.  The poke test works well to check readiness.

You can also form the dough into a batard shape instead of a boule.

Baking

This bread can be baked in a Dutch oven or hearth style on a baking stone with steam.  I use a steamy combination of a cast iron skillet and Sylvia’s Magic Towels (described below).

To bake on a baking stone, pre-heat your oven to 500 degrees F for an hour or more with the stone in place and a cast iron skillet and a metal loaf pan on a rack below.   Boil a large kettle of water.   Place two rolled up small terry cloth towels in a Pyrex loaf pan or other ovenproof glass container.  Five minutes before you start baking, pour boiling water into a one-cup measuring pitcher to pre-warm it.  Then pour boiling water over the towels until they’re fully soaked and there’s water sloshing in the glass pan.  Place the pan with towels in a microwave and zap for 3 minutes on high.  Just before transferring the loaf to the oven, transfer the sopping towels into the hot metal loaf pan in the oven and close the oven door.  Do this very carefully with tongs and a very good oven mitt.

I transfer the loaf to the stone using a piece of parchment paper just larger than the width of the banneton.  Place the parchment in the palm of your left hand over the banneton, and with your right hand invert the banneton gently and shake the bread out of the banneton and onto the parchment.  Then gently place the parchment on a peel or cookie sheet.  Slash the loaves; I use the square pattern slashing at an acute angle (about 20 degrees from horizontal).  

When the loaves are slashed, pour the water out of the warmed pitcher and pour in a cup of boiling water.  Slide the loaf on the parchment onto the baking stone.  Using a good oven mitt, pour the cup of water into the cast iron pan. Close the oven door.  Reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.

I bake with steam for about half the baking time.  For a one kilo loaf, that’s about 20 minutes with steam and 20 minutes without.  So, after 20 minutes, remove the loaf pan and cast iron pan from the oven.  For a half kilo loaf it’s about 18 minutes with, and 18 minutes without. During the second half of the bake you might want to open the oven door to vent remaining steam and, if necessary, rotate the loaf for even browning.  The bread is done when the crust is well-caramelized and the internal temperature is 207-210 degrees.  I usually leave the loaf on the stone with the oven door ajar for 10-15 minutes to help dry the crust.  Then transfer the loaf to a rack to cool.

To bake in a Dutch Oven, preheat the oven at 500 degrees F for about 45 minutes.  During the last 20 minutes, put the Dutch oven and lid in the oven to heat.  When the loaf is ready to bake, I transfer it to a piece of parchment about 18 inches by 9 inches, invert the loaf from the banneton to the middle of the parchment, and slash the loaves as described above.  Remove the Dutch oven from the oven, lower the loaf into the Dutch oven using the parchment as a sling, return the Dutch oven to the oven and put the lid on.  Lower the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.   After 20 minutes remove the lid and continue baking another 20-25 minutes or until done.

Full-size Loaf Baked on Stone

Full-size Loaf in Dutch Oven

Very Happy Batard

 Two Mini-boules

Crumb Shot

Notes on Variations

Three of my variations from the Tartine Bread directions are just for convenience—making only the amount of levain needed, retarding part of the dough and baking smaller loaves.  None of these variations seem to impair the quality of the bread.  Both the taste and texture are—in my experience--every bit as good as the bread produced by following the directions precisely.  I should say, though, that retarding and then re-warming the dough should be tried only after you have baked according to the book’s directions a few times, so you know what to look for in judging the proper degree of fermentation.  Also, proofing smaller loaves will take a bit less time than full-size loaves.

My last variation is for flavor.   Going from 100 grams of whole wheat in the final dough to 150 grams makes a slight difference, but a pleasant one if you like a bit more of that nutty taste for added complexity.   Some time, I plan to try adding a couple of tablespoons of toasted wheat germ to the dough.

By the way, I was watching a video with Chad Robertson promoting his book, and I noticed that on his work table was an open bag of the very same Central Milling flour that I use.  No wonder his bread is so good.

Besides its wonderful, subtle but complex, flavor, the distinguishing feature of this bread is its moist crumb texture—hitting the sweet spot between chewy and soft.  I bet it would make great tartines!

Enjoy.

Glenn