Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post Reply
User avatar
purple_dress
Posts: 10639
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 2:28 pm
Location: London

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by purple_dress »

I'm rubbish at working out percentages but mine is 510g flour, 300g water, 180g starter and 12g salt. It's sticky but not usually that wet.

I knead briefly and then do three lots of brief stretching and folding at 40min intervals, then leave for another 30mins before shaping and putting in the fridge over night.
Mountain Goat
Posts: 27178
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 12:14 pm
Location: London

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by Mountain Goat »

I usually use (for a standard loaf) 75% water, 20% leaven, 2% salt (375g, 100g, 10g to 500 g of flour), but it's dependent on the type of flour, even the brand, and needs adjusting. That % is for 90% white, 10% wholemeal.

I just go by how the dough looks for proving, not by time. In my cold kitchen, it usually takes about 4 hours before it can go in the fridge, often longer, depending on weather/whether I'm using the oven. I knead a tiny bit to start with (again for a standard loaf, other breads vary) and then stretch and fold about every 30-40 minutes but in reality, when it's convenient/ad break. It gets a bench rest once it starts to be puffy, silky and bubbles are visible (I prove in a glass bowl so I can see the texture develop properly). Then after 30 odd minutes of that, it gets shaped, tension roll, into a banetton and overnight in the fridge.
Protected by the ejaculation of serpents
User avatar
overthehill
Posts: 8260
Joined: Tue Aug 10, 2010 9:20 am
Location: Here and there
Contact:

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by overthehill »

Ah, so you all seem to prove your loaves in the fridge, overnight?

You use much more starter than I do, too. My weights are 600g flour (usually strong white, but white bread flour seems rare as hens teeth around here, these days, so I'm experimenting tonight with half and half wholemeal and strong white), 450ml (ish) water, 90g starter, and 12g salt. I started the loaf at around 7am, left it to rise in the hot press until around 7.30pm (by which time it looked like an atomic mushroom). Knocked it back and shaped it, and put it in the oven about 10 minutes ago. The wholemeal/strong white mix seems much less wet than the unadulterated strong white. It had a good shape but, unfortunately, stuck to the heat-proof chopping board I use as a sort of peel to slide the loaf into the Dutch oven (actually a large oval Le Creuset-type casserole). So, it semi-capsized. Might not be pretty, but am pretty sure it will taste good.

Edited - 12g salt, not 2!
Last edited by overthehill on Sun May 17, 2020 5:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Inagh to China Motorcycle Ride" blog, if you're interested: www.inaghtochina.com :))
User avatar
overthehill
Posts: 8260
Joined: Tue Aug 10, 2010 9:20 am
Location: Here and there
Contact:

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by overthehill »

So here it is, my capsized loaf. I'm quite happy with it. It's soft and tastes good, but doesn't have the airholes I'd expect in a white loaf - maybe this is normal for wholemeal? OTOH, I rushed the folding stage a bit, as we had to leave for work, so it may not have had its full quota. Hadjiandreaou's sourdough book is very speedy in comparison with most methods. He recommends 10 minutes autolyse, then 10 minutes between foldings, 10 times. I used this method quite successfully until I killed off my original starter and then, for some unknown reason, I've never been able to get the same results - although the starter I'm using now is generally better looked after and more active.
halfandhalf-sourdough1.jpg
halfandhalf-sourdough2.jpg
"Inagh to China Motorcycle Ride" blog, if you're interested: www.inaghtochina.com :))
User avatar
Skips
Posts: 13563
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 10:52 am

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by Skips »

Thay looks good!

My first loaf, I didn't put anywhere enough salt in.
User avatar
overthehill
Posts: 8260
Joined: Tue Aug 10, 2010 9:20 am
Location: Here and there
Contact:

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by overthehill »

Nice holes! :))
"Inagh to China Motorcycle Ride" blog, if you're interested: www.inaghtochina.com :))
User avatar
Lily
Picker-Lily
Posts: 52924
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 10:28 am
Location: The Wilds

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by Lily »

OTH that looks really good, nice and crumbly in the right way.

Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair! My fourth sourdough loaf and my first sourdough focaccia. Yumbo!
"You first have to find out who you are. Then you have to be it like mad."

My blog, if you are bored
User avatar
overthehill
Posts: 8260
Joined: Tue Aug 10, 2010 9:20 am
Location: Here and there
Contact:

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by overthehill »

I must give foccacia a try. That looks really tasty.

Is there a shortage of bread flour in the UK? I haven't seen any strong white flour here for weeks. I even looked in our local cash and carry, to see if they had any catering-sized bags (having been told that the shortage was a packaging issue), but no. I've been mixing half and half wholemeal flour for the last two weeks, but I'm down to my last 150g. I've bought a small bag of spelt for feeding the starter. I assume I could mix that with the wholemeal the same way I did the strong plain. (I just don't like wholemeal bread that much.)

It's sourdough or soda bread all the way, now, as there's no yeast to be had either.
"Inagh to China Motorcycle Ride" blog, if you're interested: www.inaghtochina.com :))
User avatar
purple_dress
Posts: 10639
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 2:28 pm
Location: London

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by purple_dress »

I've been able to get bread flour again here for the last three weeks. Before that, there was none for weeks.
Mountain Goat
Posts: 27178
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 12:14 pm
Location: London

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by Mountain Goat »

One of the threads here has PAGES on the impossibility of buying bread flour. :)) For a week or so I was logging in to five different mills every morning at the appointed time to try to be one of the lucky few for that day. Now I have loads they keep emailing to see if I want more yet so I guess it's much more available.
Protected by the ejaculation of serpents
User avatar
Duophonic
Posts: 20422
Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2005 9:04 pm
Location: Glasgow

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by Duophonic »

I can't get flour through any reasonable supermarket means. I've just ordered some via Lakeland to try and get my baking back up and running.
BRING ON THE TRUMPETS!

Princess Clacky Thing
Disco
Posts: 49308
Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2005 11:28 pm

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by Disco »

I've tried since this began to get SR and strong white flour but haven't been able to. I had a couple of plain so am working my way through that. No yeast or any raising agents have been available either. These are only on my supermarket deliveries as I haven't been going in apart from a quick visit a couple of weeks ago so I expect I would probably be able to get some in person.
Mountain Goat
Posts: 27178
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 12:14 pm
Location: London

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by Mountain Goat »

I got my flour from FWP Matthews in the end, if that's any use to any of you. You have to buy in bulk though (either a 5 pack of normal sized bags, or a sack).

https://www.fwpmatthews.co.uk/
Protected by the ejaculation of serpents
User avatar
emma_p
Posts: 39028
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 5:50 pm
Location: stateside

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by emma_p »

There is pretty much always flour some kind in the supermarkets near me at the moment.
User avatar
baargain
The Baarometer of Style
Posts: 15738
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 12:33 am

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by baargain »

I'm getting mine from my corner shop, who are getting it in plastic bags from the local independent bakery.
User avatar
Pippedydeadeye
Directory Pipquiries
Posts: 89251
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 4:15 pm

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by Pippedydeadeye »

Hello. I am hoping to join the gang. Here is my starter, his name is Paul, after Ol’ Blue Eyes himself and his recipe. From the book my mum gave me when I had Chunk.

I genuinely have no idea what I’m doing. :))

The starter is a grated cox apple, flour & water. I’m setting an alarm to feed him on Saturday.
User avatar
purple_dress
Posts: 10639
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 2:28 pm
Location: London

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by purple_dress »

Good luck!
Edith Bacon
Posts: 20042
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2010 3:15 pm

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by Edith Bacon »

:weewee:
User avatar
overthehill
Posts: 8260
Joined: Tue Aug 10, 2010 9:20 am
Location: Here and there
Contact:

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by overthehill »

Apple? That's interesting. I've never used anything other than flour and water. I imagine the bread will eventually have a slight 'cider' character to it. I'll look forward to updates. Good luck!
"Inagh to China Motorcycle Ride" blog, if you're interested: www.inaghtochina.com :))
User avatar
Pippedydeadeye
Directory Pipquiries
Posts: 89251
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 4:15 pm

Re: Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

Post by Pippedydeadeye »

He does say it should smell like cider by day 3. I wasn’t able to get an organic apple though so I’m not sure he’ll survive.
Post Reply