Sourdough success!

[texassourdough]

Re: Sourdough success!

Okay Bill!

Now the confession! The cross section of the cereales is from my first batch. The roundness is a product (I think) of two factors - first the cereales (grains) absorb water and effectively dry the skin of the loaf a bit. Too shallow a slash led that loaf to not "rip" at the slash very much so the oven spring simply inflated the loaf to a round shape! The one in the grouped photo was from a later batch, was properly slashed, and was more oval!

It is really hard to get a really wet dough to make a round loaf! It always wants to sag some but a slightly dry skin can help!
Jay

[WJW]

Re: Sourdough success!

Gottcha. I thought you were trying for a round loaf.

Either way, wonderful crumb and the crusts in that grouped photo are fantastic.

[texassourdough]

Re: Sourdough success!

Thanks...

A hint for you...when you see an artisanal loaf that has a broadly rounded edge that is lifted from the "table" (or bottom of the loaf) that is a strong indicator that the loaf "inflated" while baking and that suggests either a dry skin or a bad slash or low oven humidity. (Note: Low oven humidity will tend to be accompanied by a "grayish" tone to the crust as it will not gelatinize and caramelize properly. Sometimes a batard will look almost like a football with the ends lifted well above the table. That is a definite sign something is amiss!

[WJW]

Re: Sourdough success!

Roger. Some of my batards have been doing that. I think I'm slashing wrong. I'll work on that this weekend.

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Sourdough success!

Wonderful loaves Bill! Congratulations on a really successful 1st attempt in your wfo.

How exactly did you put your loaves into the oven? I see them proofing in baskets with...parchment? And I see your peel on the long handle. Did you just flour the peel and slid them off or did you slide them in on parchment?

Also, you don't have a door yet do you? Maybe I missed it in your posts. What did you close up the oven with?

I've only baked 2 loaves at time in the wfo with ok success but your pics are great. Your pics (and Jays wonderful loaves) have me refreshing my starter all this week to go for new bake.

Good luck and thanks for posting your progress,
Dino

[WJW]

Re: Sourdough success!

Dino,

I did build a door...I'll post a pic later but it's basically a sheet of plywood on the ouitside, a piece of concrete hardi-board on the inside, with two inches of ceramic fiber insulation board sandwiched between. Then I have shop towels encapsulating the hardiboard and fiberboard insulation and then the whole thing is bloted together like a big sandwhich. I can't use it until the oven gets down to bread temps and even then I keep it wet when using. It looks obviously homemade, but I think it's really efficient.

As for your other question, I'm just sliding the bread off the parchment on to the peel. It's a pain in the but to avoid screwing up the loaves and I'm going to get some bannetons today before my bake.