The Bread Project, 3rd Installment
Loaf 3
With this loaf, I experimented with time and temperature. I used the exact same recipe as Loaf 1, the only difference is rise time, rise temp, and oven temp. I started by making a sponge, letting it rise an hour, folding it, and returning to the bowl and into the fridge over night. In the morning, I let it warm up for an hour, and then mixed it with the rest of the dough. Rise 90 minutes, fold. Rise 90 minutes. Shape. Rise 90 minutes, re-shape. Rise 30 minutes. Into the oven on a HOT pizza stone at 500 degrees for 5 minutes until the loaf springs.
It amazes me how experimentation with time and temperature made a difference. It looks like a TOTALLY different loaf. Granted, I incorporated some tricks I learned in the last few loafs, which I'm sure impacted the quality. First and foremost, more liquid in the loaf. It makes such a huge difference. I DEFINITELY wasn't adding enough for altitude. It makes the bread much lighter and fluffier, whether it be a sandwich bread or a french loaf.
The biggest problem I ran into with this loaf was surface tension - something that I think I need to work on in the future. Though the final spring doesn't show it, this loaf was extremely difficult to shape, and kept blahing on the counter. I need to work on shaping as well. This loaf looked like a lima bean. I purposely photographed it so you couldn't tell it's shape.
With this loaf, I experimented with time and temperature. I used the exact same recipe as Loaf 1, the only difference is rise time, rise temp, and oven temp. I started by making a sponge, letting it rise an hour, folding it, and returning to the bowl and into the fridge over night. In the morning, I let it warm up for an hour, and then mixed it with the rest of the dough. Rise 90 minutes, fold. Rise 90 minutes. Shape. Rise 90 minutes, re-shape. Rise 30 minutes. Into the oven on a HOT pizza stone at 500 degrees for 5 minutes until the loaf springs.
It amazes me how experimentation with time and temperature made a difference. It looks like a TOTALLY different loaf. Granted, I incorporated some tricks I learned in the last few loafs, which I'm sure impacted the quality. First and foremost, more liquid in the loaf. It makes such a huge difference. I DEFINITELY wasn't adding enough for altitude. It makes the bread much lighter and fluffier, whether it be a sandwich bread or a french loaf.
The biggest problem I ran into with this loaf was surface tension - something that I think I need to work on in the future. Though the final spring doesn't show it, this loaf was extremely difficult to shape, and kept blahing on the counter. I need to work on shaping as well. This loaf looked like a lima bean. I purposely photographed it so you couldn't tell it's shape.