This is not my prettiest loaf but I’m just here to share that if you’re wracking your brain about autolyse, dough temps, s&f’s…. FORGET ABOUT IT!
I’ve been baking SD for about a year now. I don’t have any fancy equipment (except a banneton and lame both given to me by my mom, and a Dutch oven) and I used to stress about having to babysit my dough and set aside an entire day to make a loaf. After a few loaves I realized that the process is way too over complicated and time consuming and that there must be an easier way, there no way people took all day to make a loaf in the olden days and they definitely weren’t takin any dough temps etc.
I came across this video (https://youtu.be/y4RDRECwZzM?si=vs2_NYuO7YlqIuWe) and found that it really can be easy!! So this is the only way I bake I make SD now
This specific loaf bulk fermented for ~18 hours. I didn’t do the shaping technique as well on this loaf as I usually do because of time but I formed it into a ball, turned it upside down into a banneton and pinched the outer edges towards the center. I didn’t a cold ferment for 2 days also because of time. Baked in my Dutch oven @ 450ºF for 30 mins lid on, and another 30-40 mins with the lid off.
by DownWithDaThicckness
13 Comments
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Recipe (70% hydration):
100g starter
350g water
10g salt
500g bread flour
NO AUTOLYSE AND NO STRETCH AND FOLDS, just mix it up and cover.
BF ~18 hrs (will be dependent on your environment but is usually 12+ hours due to gluten formation taking longer since there are no S&F’s)
CF ~2 days
Baked @450°F. 30 mins lid on, 30-40 mins lid off
I believe that S&F are good – however I rarely do them and I get great loaves with great crumb and crust without them.
Lovely loaf, thanks for posting! I’m going to try this tomorrow.
I’m working on my first loaf now, doing stretch and folds (it’s kinda fun) and was wondering if I could do a “set and forget”/no knead type loaf for the next one. Thanks for posting!
Isn’t that the premise of the “no-knead bread” philosophy? (long fermentation to develop gluten instead of kneading/folds)
Refrigerating dough wasn’t a thing til about 100 years ago either.
Good loaf. Sometimes I just do a real stretchy pre-shape and another real stretchy shaping and that’s it for working the dough. The expansion gases, by definition, stretch the dough.
Paul Hollywood voice “it’s underbaked”
I couldn’t agree more! In the evening I make about a 65-68% hydration mix. 1700 g flour, 1100 g water and 35g salt and I never measure my starter I just dump some in. I mix well then throw in the fridge in a sealed container overnight at least 14 hours. I then divide into 3 loaves and shape well. I put into parchment lined vintage Pyrex bowls and let rise in an oven with the lights on inside and a pan of boiling hot water added to maintain humidity. It takes between 4-6 hours to double in size. I remove the pan of water and transfer the loaves into preheated cast iron pans in 450 degree oven for 49-45 mins covered and then 15 uncovered. No fuss no stretch and folds. I’ve been using this technique for over 10 years every 2 weeks and it’s worked every single time.
Yes you CAN make sourdough very hands off and easy, but there’s a difference between what you can do and what you should do for maximum lift, crumb structure, crust, etc.
Not shit talking your loaf or your process, but coming here to say people are overthinking just isn’t the case as you definitely can make a better loaf if you paid attention to the details. And if you have the ability to handle the small details, without much more hands on time you can make world class bread.
I’ve also found that it really doesn’t have to be that complicated! Last night I made my dough, forgetting to take any temps or use filtered water. Then had something going on getting the kids to bed so I forgot the first stretch and fold. My daughter hopped in a did one without me knowing. I did two more (i think)? Let it bulk rise overnight (did it double? Probably?). Forgot to wake up early so I quickly did that little thing where you push and pull to form the ball, let it rest for like 5 mins, then squashed the bottom closed when I put it in a regular bowl with a floured towel and threw it in the fridge. Baked it this evening after a 10 hr cold retard and came out basically just the same as when I did a bunch of stretch and folds perfectly timed, knew the temperature, let it rest before I did the final shaping, etc. 😂
It still gets eaten almost every single time in my book.
Do you think this technique would work as well on a higher hydration loaf? Say 85%?