I baked 8 loaves today – open baking is the way to go

Ingredients:

1st four:

* 200g starter

* 1500g water

* 1800g bread flour

* 200g whole wheat flour

* 43g salt

* (dried cherry additions at shaping)

2nd four:

* 200g starter

* 1500g water

* 1800g bread flour

* 200g rye

* 43g salt

Process (applies for each batch):

* Mix all ingredients. I start by mixing water and starter, then adding the rest.

* 4 stretch and folds every 30 minutes

* rest at room temp (~69F) for about 10 hours/ raised and bubbles appear.

* divide into four, shape once. Rest 30 min.

* second shape, place in proofing baskets and into the fridge. Cold proof 12-24 hours.

* preheat oven to 550F. Place one pizza stone on each rack and a cast iron skillet on bottom of oven.

* wait until oven is preheated, then take loaves out of fridge

* place loaves on individual parchment, score, place two loaves on each pizza stone.

* pour boiling water into cast iron skillet.

* immediately close oven, drop temp to 450F – bake 20 minutes

* drop to 425F, rotate loaves so insides face out, bake another 15 minutes

* check loaves to ensure internal temp between 190 and 205F

* let cool on racks

Notes:

First four loaves used 20% whole wheat and were shaped in bannetons.

Second batch of four were 20% rye and cold proofed/baked in loaf tins.

On a whim, I added dried sweetened cherries to two of the whole wheat loaves at the shaping phase.