I've read this blog for a number of years, contributing occasionally
but mainly lurking. Reggie's recipe for sourdough potato rye inspired
me to contribute. So I wanted to share some things I've learned over
the years.
My early attempts at bread baking were with a bread machine and
recipes that had too many ingredients. In fact one of those breads I
called the kitchen sink bread. Nowadays I bake mainly sourdough breads
and I strive for simplification. Measuring in grams is much more
accurate and easier to scale up or down. Note that Reggie's recipe is
in grams.
For the holidays I bake breads for gifts and had about 20 to
bake. Since sourdough takes longer to ferment and proof, baking takes
7 to 8 hours, which for 20 breads is a long time. You can add yeast
but depth of flavor is sacrificed. Here is my solution.
1. Save a heaping tablespoon of starter in the refrigerator and
refresh in the AM with 100 gm tap water and 100 gm bread flour. In 6-8
hours depending on room temperature, the starter is bubbly and ready
to go. No extra yeast needed.
2. I use 200 gm starter to make 2 loaves at a time including the flour
and water in the hydration calculations for 1000 gm flour dough. All my
breads are a variation of mixtures of bread, whole wheat, and rye
flours, 70% water, and 2% salt. Mixing occurs before dinner when the
starter is mature. The day is free.
3. I use a contraption modeled after the pre electric time dough
mixing tubs called an EZ Doh to mix the dough but not kneed it,
because most electric mixers can't handle bread dough. The EZ Doh is
simply a plastic bucket with a dough blade and handle you turn.
4. Thirty minutes after mixing I squeeze in the salt and any additives
like cranberries, raisins, seeds, steel cut oatmeal, etc. and do a
thorough stretch and fold. I repeat the stretch and fold every 30
minutes 2-3 more times then rest until dividing the dough.
5. I wet my hands when I handle the dough. Wet hands works better for
me than flowering my hands. I do all the stretch and folds during
fermentation in a large bowel.
6. Time from mixing to dividing into 2 loaves is always 4 and 1/2
hours, if the dough temperature is kept at 78F. The dough temperature
is crucial to reproducible results. I am lucky to have a bread
proofer but 78F can be simulated in an oven.
7. The dough is divided and folded into a boule shape, floured heavily
on top and placed in lined baskets, then wrapped in a plastic bag and
immediately placed in the refrigerator to proof. I try to handle the
dough as little as possible to maintain its structure.
8. There is no doubt that the flavor improves dramatically with a cold
overnight proof. In the morning I preheat the oven and baking pots. I
don't warm the dough. Cold dough is much easier to score than room
temperature dough. The dough is fully risen with the overnight
proof. Also the difference between 40F dough and 68F dough in a 450F
oven is irrelevant.
9. Baking in a covered pot (I use cast iron) will make a professional
looking bread with beautiful crust and crum. I preheat to 500F, takes
15 minutes, but bake at 450F. Baking time is 20 min covered and 20-25
minutes uncovered all at 450F. It takes an hour to preheat and
bake. Again the day is free. All the time preparing the dough is early
AM and evening.
Back to Reggie's post. I'm going to give a potato rye a try but use
300 gm rye instead of a mixture and add a leftover baked potato, about
300 gm, at step 4 above. The potato will add a little extra water so
the dough will probably need the extra stretch and fold, and the
starch may require reducing the temperature when the cover is removed
from the pot.
I hope some of the techniques are helpful.
Lloyd