Sunday, March 27, 2011

More Wood Fired Oven Bread Discoveries

More Wood Fired Oven Bread Discoveries

I have followed the started instructions in the fantastic book “Tartine Bread”. This is what has developed. If I feed my starter every other day and wait eight hours before making my leaven I get a strong sour dough flavor. If I feed the starter every day and wait only 4 hours before making my leaven I get a mild sour dough flavor. I also made the dough up to the stage where it is time to shape the loaves. At this point I allow the dough to rest overnight in the refrigerator, then let the dough come up to room temperature before shaping and doing the bench rest. What developed was a much more pronounced sponge. On our next bake I will allow the starter to develop for at least 6 hours before making the leaven. And I will feed the starter daily at the same time. I’m looking for a slight increase in the sour flavor. We’ll see!