I like to eat, so I cook.
Currently I am back experimenting with baking bread. I love sour dough. There is something in my thrifty soul that gives me great pleasure in not having to to pay for yeast, and coming out with better bread.
My bread has often been on the heavy side. Mostly from inattention or being short on time. If you proof dough to long, eventually it will no longer have the activity needed to support a decent rise. While trying for the sourest bread, you can get there.
I currently have 4 starters running. A starter that I did from scratch, a sourdough international's SFO, one from texas, and gold rush from the super market. I also have tucked away some of Carl's Oregan Trail starter, and a yogurt starter I made manny moons ago, and used for years.
I have been working at using wetter doughs. I weigh my water and flour in grams. I am also beginning to doubt the veracity of some the formulas. If I shoot for a true 70 to 75 percent hydration, the dough just flows. I wonder how much extra flour is being picked up from the board during kneading?
700g flour 440g water = 63% hydration 3g citric acid 7g to 14g salt use 50g starter, 440g water, 3g citric acid, 440g to 550g flour to form poolish of 100% to 80% hydration. let rest 24 hours. sprinkle in salt, fold in remaining flour 180g water, 140g flour, 60g starter, 12 hrs at 70 degrees, add 180g water, 140g flour, 60g starter, 12 hrs at 70 degrees add 180g water, 5g citric acid, 14g salt, 420g flour, mix flour,salt,acid together, add water to poolish and pour into bowl of machine. incorporate flour-salt mixture into poolish as quick as possible. Knead in machine til it pulls away from the bowl, should only take a couple of minutes, let rest 15-20 minutes. Knead for a nother couple of minutes, then turn into a bowl and cover. Every 40 minutes to an hour, scrape dough out of bowl (keep in one piece, try and maintain clean smooth top, topside down on board.) stretch dough side to side, patting very gently and fold into thirds. Give a quater turn and repeat. Place seam down back into bowl. repeat, repeat, divide into 2 or 3 pieces. let rest 20 minutes, form loaves gently. cover and let rise.
I made 2 batches of bread tonight. I tried a ciabatta recipe from egullet. I substituted my grape sourdough starter for the yeast. And also made a couple of sourdough(goldrush) demis. formula follows. I did the prep last evening. And spent from 5:30 to 10:30 baking.
I took the ciabatta dough out of the fridge to start to warm. Then I added the final flour to the sourdough, and kneaded it in the machine and got the dough into a bowl. Then helped make and eat dinner, (chicken tostada's). After dinner cleanup, I turned out the ciabatta onto a board. I divided it into only 2 loaves hoping 2 would fit in the oven OK. Then I turned on the oven to preheat (at 500 degrees). I pretty much followed the recipe. As my starter does not have a fixed/known hydration, I had to estimate. I ended up having to add a bit more flour during mixing to get the dough off the bowl sides and off the bottom in 15 minutes at speed 4. I know my starter was on the wet side as it had just been washed. I folded the sourdough just before putting the ciabatta into the oven (500 for 10 minutes, 220 for 35 minutes) internal temp was 208 just before I took them out, they could have done a another few. My impression is they came out looking good. Pretty nice inside, but could have been baked longer, still very moist. Crust a bit thick, I think from sitting on and under quite a bit of flour and due to very low kitchen humidity. Also I think the 3 percent salt is way to high, and 2 percent or even a bit less might give a faster rise and a better flavor. But it did turn out well. And it was quite easy on time. It probably could have used another 30 minutes of rise time, as it was not a wobbly as I think it should have been. But I was on a schedule and did not want to be at it all night. While the cibatta baked I did another fold on the sourdough. when the ciabatta came out of the oven I did another fold on the sourdough and then gave it 5 minutes and formed it into 2 demis and put them in my couche to rise. While they were rising, I got ready for bed. I baked them at 450 for 5 minutes and 35 minutes at 350. I had some trouble making decent slashes. I think I need to break down and buy a lame. My kitchen knife is not always sharp enough to be up to the task, although when newly sharpened it does quite well. It is a large paring knife, or very small chefs knife, but it sharpens to the point that if you touch the edge even gently it will cut you. I am used to using my thumb when slicing a banana, but with this knife you will do much damage even being very careful. It can be so sharp you really do not feel the cuts, til later. I now use a different knife for bananas.
180g water, 140g flour, 60g starter, 8 hrs at 70 degrees, add 180g water, 140g flour, 60g starter, 8 hrs at 70 degrees add 180g water, 140g flour, 60g starter, 8 to 12 hrs at 70 degrees add 14g salt 375g flour, mix flour,salt together, incorporate into poolish as quick as possible. Knead in machine til it pulls away from the bowl, should only take a couple of minutes, let rest 15-20 minutes. Knead for a nother couple of minutes, then turn into a bowl and cover. Every 40 minutes to an hour, scrape dough out of bowl (keep in one piece, try and maintain clean smooth top.) stretch dough side to side, pat gently and fold into thirds. Give a quater turn and repeat. Place seam down back into bowl. repeat, repeat, let rest 20 minutes, form loaves gently. cover and let rise.