07/04/07

This was my first trainer loaf

The kind gentleman from Carl's Friends advised me to keep working on one basic loaf till I can get it right. It was very good advice because I realised that sourdough baking has so many variables that it probably need Taguchi's DEE(Design of Engineering Experiments) methods.

The starter was innoculated with a teaspoon of the culture in 2 oz of flour and 2 oz of water. Typically, the culture is dissolved in bottled water and whisked to aerate the mixture. The flour is then stirred in. After about 6 hours, depending on the ambient temperature, it should get frothy. 4 more oz of bottled water is then added and whisked. Another 4 oz of flour is stirred in. After about 6-12 hours, the starter would be frothy and ready to work. This would yield about 12 oz of starter. Bread baking, sourdough or otherwise, needs planning. I usually plan for my starter to be ready when I reach home after work.

The amount of starter I use is usually 30% of the final dough flour composition. This would mean that the weight of the flour used in the final dough is 40oz. I normally make my breads at 70% hydration. This means the weight of the water is 28oz. If you factor the water in the starter, the hydration is 34/46, which is actually 73%. This is a relatively slack dough but it suits me better as I am mixing all these in a bowl and I can work the dough using a wooden spoon. This way, I keep my hands clean most of the time. The only time I get my hands messy is when I do the stretch and fold routine. Even so, my hands stay relatively clean and only a quick rinse in the sink suffice.

Once the final dough is mixed, I leave it aside for at least half an hour. In the meantime, I can eat dinner and by the time I wash up, the gluten would have formed itself somewhat. At half to one hour intervals, I do the stretch and fold. This is done three times and the dough is covered with cling wrap and left in the fridge for a long slow fermentation.

After the retard fermentation, the bread is shaped and when they are ready after the final rise, they are turned out of their forms, slashed and loaded into the oven.