Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!

[Mountain Goat]

The rings I'm using are too small and too deep really which probably doesn't help (they're presentation rings). I don't see why that would make them more sticky though - I mean they're not intended for this use but I don't think ones that are are made of non stick or get less hot. Still, I am not complaining about giant crumpets.

[Edith Bacon]

You all keep making me want to try crumpets but then I think of Goat and start swithering

I’ve got my first Dutch oven loaf in right now It’s just a bog standard, yeasted, short-prove, fairly wet dough but I’m hopeful of a nice crust.

[Mountain Goat]

Ooh! Exciting.

If/when you have some starter you should definitely give the crumpets a go, if they go wrong you've only lost a bit of bicarb. And maybe your fingerprints, but that could come in handy.

[Edith Bacon]

[purple_dress]

I used egg rings when I did it before. These ones: Premier Housewares Non-Stick Egg Rings with Folding Handles, 7.5 cm, Set of 2 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005G2OC0G/ ... mEbE217YRN

[Mountain Goat]

Oh those look brilliant. Even I could make it not stick to them.

Edith! It must be out by now?!

[Edith Bacon]

It is. It went in a bit crumpled* so the shape is weird and I’m waiting until it’s properly cooled to slice into it - apparently all sorts of processes happen during the cool-down. It smells good though, especially given that I only made it so the kids can have beans on toast for their tea.

* Getting it into the hot pot was HARD. I watched a video but the guy is a professional baker; I need to see some inept people doing it to make me feel better

[Mountain Goat]

You should watch me then. I'm right cack handed at that bit.

Yes, definitely let it cool before you cut into it. Exciting!

[Edith Bacon]

Here it is - it’s the nicest texture and taste that I’ve had from this recipe (this is about the fourth or fifth time I’ve made it).

[Mountain Goat]

Oh lovely! Good holes. I hardly even get holes like that in yeasted bread.

[Edith Bacon]

Thank you! It’s a James Morton recipe and is pretty much no-knead.

[Mountain Goat]

High hydration presumably? Oh you did say that already.

[Edith Bacon]

Yes - 350g of water to 500g of flour. I might play around with a dryer dough to help with the getting it into the pot part.

[Disco]

That looks lovely!

So are the sourdoughs cooked in a dutch oven as well?

[Cosmopolitan]

That looks great!

I cook my sourdough on a Dutch oven but I have done without and its fine. I prefer the Dutch oven method I think.

[purple_dress]

If I don't use a Dutch oven then I put a tray of boiling water in below the baking tray at the start of the baking time and take it out just before the end.

[Disco]

Oh I see! I didn't realise. I have one anyway so it's no issue. I haven't read that far ahead about the process

[Mountain Goat]

I've only started using that method in the past couple of weeks and for me it's getting much better results than I've achieved with a tray of water.

If your dough isn't wet though, use the tray of water option; the Dutch oven works because it creates its own trapped head of steam from the water in the bread, so if it's a dry dough, that won't happen as effectively and you may as well bake it normally.

[Disco]

It's really quite a wet dough so far. Thanks, that's helpful.

[Mountain Goat]

Homemade cultured salted butter. I will make giant crumpets for it once I've cleaned the buttermilk off the ceiling.

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ETA: Giant crumpet made and consumed and, my god. It didn't go that well because the bloody thing stuck to the (entirely reliable favourite workhorse of a) pan after I flipped it, but nevertheless, that was by far the best crumpet I have ever eaten. It had flavour in itself from the sourdough, it was light and sort of lacy and not as doughy as a bought crumpet (but still with a good bit of chew to it) and the butter was gorgeous and sort of clean tasting, and now I'm fantasising about opening a post Brexit tearoom.