The Science Experiment

I’ve been struggling with my sourdough since I purchased some San Francisco starter earlier this spring.  I was not achieving a satisfactory loft. I wasn’t baking bricks but results were sub-optimal.

So I took a sourdough class at the community college.  Who knew there was such a thing?

It was a cozy group that got the bread-baking itch during COVID. 

My two takeaways were:

1.  Fold and stretch the dough instead of kneading it. Less rough handling and allow a 10-12 hour proof. 

2.  I received a gift of a 40-year-old starter that has its origins in France and landed in Algoma via a chef in NYC. 

Last Thursday there was this....

 

 

By all outward appearances a great crust, good-looking ear and a nice crumb.  Nevertheless, when tasted the following morning there were salty spots.  I made the beginner mistake of incorporating a coarse sea salt into the fold which didn't efficiently dissolve into the dough.

That's OK though.  I'll break-up the loaf and toss it into the woods for the critters.  Waste not - want not.

I started another dough immediately and proofed it over night.

 

Inasmuch as this has become a living thing I have to give this gaseous, bubbling mass a name.  The Blob maybe?  During the stretch and pull phase I incorporated the correct amount of salt using ordinary, fine-grained table salt.

Here is the final result....

 

 

Great crust, good-looking ear, nice crumb and a great taste.  Nailed it!

 

Raising a toast to Lactobacillus fermentation.....