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Experiments in (Stress) Baking (cont.)
May. 10th, 2020 10:44 amSecond version of the experiment from April (here), using the no-knead bread recipe here. As before, Thing One replaced ~1/2 cup water with approximately the same volume sourdough starter. I tried to make all the other aspects of the doughs as identical as I could (the cast iron pots are slightly different, although similar in size and weight). The base dough was 2 cups whole wheat flour and 2 cups all-purpose white.
As before, Thing One was roughly 100 g heavier. I cut the overnight rise to 16 hours because both seemed to be burbly enough even though it wasn't a really hot day here (unlike the East Bay! Which is part of why we live on this side.) And I made sure the oven was on this time so that there was no problem with over-proving. (I went back to 450 on the temperature.)
Both came out well. Thing Two looked nicer - a domed boule with a slight crack. Thing One rose a bit less and cracked quite a bit more (which probably impacted the rising). But Thing One tasted like a commercial sourdough loaf, with nice crumb and a good sour flavor. Thing Two was... a bit nondescript in comparison. Although maybe that will change when I try eating it on its own.
Thing One was dark on the bottom, almost burnt but nowhere close to the blistering I got the first time I tried the recipe. I think that is due to two factors: the first time I schlorped the dough into the pan while it was in the oven and quickly closed it up, since there was already a pan loaf next to it. Both last time and this time I took the pots out of the oven, placed the loaves in and closed up, and then put them back in. So the bread might have gotten a bit less steam and direct heat. Also, I started using parchment underneath the loaf to make transferring easy - which it does and that keeps the loaves looking much nicer. But I suspect the parchment is also absorbing some of the steam and certainly the direct heat of the pan underneath is slightly filtered.
As before, Thing One was roughly 100 g heavier. I cut the overnight rise to 16 hours because both seemed to be burbly enough even though it wasn't a really hot day here (unlike the East Bay! Which is part of why we live on this side.) And I made sure the oven was on this time so that there was no problem with over-proving. (I went back to 450 on the temperature.)
Both came out well. Thing Two looked nicer - a domed boule with a slight crack. Thing One rose a bit less and cracked quite a bit more (which probably impacted the rising). But Thing One tasted like a commercial sourdough loaf, with nice crumb and a good sour flavor. Thing Two was... a bit nondescript in comparison. Although maybe that will change when I try eating it on its own.
Thing One was dark on the bottom, almost burnt but nowhere close to the blistering I got the first time I tried the recipe. I think that is due to two factors: the first time I schlorped the dough into the pan while it was in the oven and quickly closed it up, since there was already a pan loaf next to it. Both last time and this time I took the pots out of the oven, placed the loaves in and closed up, and then put them back in. So the bread might have gotten a bit less steam and direct heat. Also, I started using parchment underneath the loaf to make transferring easy - which it does and that keeps the loaves looking much nicer. But I suspect the parchment is also absorbing some of the steam and certainly the direct heat of the pan underneath is slightly filtered.
