My last bake went so well that I thought I would do it again and try to tweak 2 things about the bake. Here is the link to my blog entry for the last bake:
http://weightloss-slim.fit/node/64738/55-hydration-sourdough-4753-hard-red-wwheb-bread-flour%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMy 3 complaints about that bake:
- The dough was too dry, I wanted a supple and extensible dough.
- The crumb wasn't the super open. It was a great crumb, but not that super open tartine crumb and I want to try and get there.
- The top might have gotten a bit too dark. Honestly though, it looked and smelt a bit 'singed' when it came out of the oven, but after letting it rest overnight, I think it was perfect.
- 30 minute autolyse (recipe minus salt and starter)
- folded the dough every 30 minutes until the dough had some bulk to it (about 8 hours)
- preshaped, then waited 30 minutes, and shaped and dropped into long banneton
- preheat oven to 550dF with long romertopf in oven
- let rise for about 2 hours
- transferred into hot romertopf bottom from banneton using parchment paper and cut off the excess parchment. Scored with razor blade. Covered with top of romertopf and stuck in oven.
- Reduced oven to 450dF, baked for 45 min with top on. Then, 15 min with top off.
- Let cool on wire rack overnight.
- The whole bake minus the cooling started at 9am and finished at 11pm.
- Still seemed a bit dark coming out of the oven, but then was perfect after it cooled overnight.
- Crumb wasn't as open as I am striving for.
- I think, maybe, I could have let the dough rise for another 30 min to an hour... I am thinking I will keep tweaking the recipe until I get the hydration right, and then, I will bake the same loaf over and over again, trying to get the proofing just right.
- texasbakerdad's Blog
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Think you’ll be happier with the higher hydration, especially with 50% home milled flour.
” baked for 45 min with top on. Then, 15 min with top off.” Sounds like a very long time to bake. Have you considered removing the bread form the baker after the top is remove to finish it off directly in the oven?
Do you have a crumb shot to post?
Experimentation is the path to good bread. Looks like you are well on your way.
Lucky for my blog, I had a few slices of Monday's 75% hydration left in the pantry, layed it up against my 85% hydration loaf from yesterday and snapped a photo. Blog post now complete.
For 50% home milled grain, I call that super good. Very nice even cell structure. I'd be happy with that one...
Every oven is different, some quite a bit. A loaf that size would be thoroughly baked in 30 minutes for me. You did manage a very toothsome crust if that is what you like.