Hi all!
Longtime lurker here—after many failed sourdough attempts, I think I’ve finally landed on a process that’s almost working, but I’m still struggling to get the proofing just right. I’d love to hear what you think might need adjusting!
Here’s my process:
Starter:
I feed my starter with 80g starter, 80g warm water, and 80g all-purpose flour.
Bread recipe:
I’ve been using this recipe as a base: Alexandra Cooks Sourdough. I follow it pretty closely, but I adjusted the hydration because the dough felt too wet for me.
500g King Arthur bread flour
100g 100% hydration starter
275g warm water (original recipe calls for 375g)
11g salt
Process:
Mix ingredients and let rest for 30 minutes
Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart
Bulk ferment in a proofing box at 82°F until dough rises about 50%
Shape and cold proof in the fridge for 24 hours
Bake in preheated Dutch oven (preheated at 550°F for 1 hour):
30 minutes at 450°F with the lid on
15 minutes at 400°F with the lid off
I feel like I’m really close, but something’s still off—especially around timing and proofing. The dough never feels quite right after the cold proof, and I’m not sure if I’m under or over-proofing. Any feedback, tips, or tweaks you’d suggest would be so appreciated!
by Numerous-Jeweler-9
16 Comments
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Actually, your bread looks great to me (downvote galore expected)
It looks pretty well proofed. What kind of crumb are you looking for? Your hydration may be what you want to experiment with a bit more. I use a similar recipe but around 340g water and I have a more open crumb but still get good rise and a crispy ear.
It’s Goldilocks, maybe slightly over. If you are looking for an open crumb you do need more hydration
That is essentially a perfect loaf based on crumb structure IMO. Letting the dough come up to room temp. could help you get a better feel for the fermentation in your dough. When it’s cold straight out of the fridge it’ll just be stiff. Which still makes a great loaf, but may not be the best representation of how much gas is inside the dough. Letting the dough come up to room temp. would just be another gauge of where it’s at in the fermentation process. You should be able to bake it exactly the same way regardless of dough temp.
It‘s not bad. Try to have a longer initial fermentation phase or resting stage (after mixing) bevor giving the bread and the second fermentation phase.
It looks nicely proofed to me, but I would as suggested lowering the temp a little and increasing the water. I use 325g water with my 500g of bread flour.
This is actually the recipe I use too. One thing I’m wrestling with for this recipe is having a browner crust and I feel like the change in temp may be the issue. Going to try to have the lid off at 425 rather than 400 to see if that makes a difference. About to put a loaf in. Oven is preheating with the Dutch oven right now.
Hmm… try giving it a tad more time on the counter before putting it in the fridge, it looks very slightly under fermented. So if you’re going for 50%, maybe your fridge is super cold, maybe give it a 55-60% rise and then into the fridge.
I think it looks great, but I see where you want to do better. I think this small tweak can work for you.
My fridge is not very stable and gets very cold before coming back to a normal fridge temp, so cold proofing for me is where it all goes wrong. Giving a tad more time on the counter helps with this in my kitchen.
Neither
It looks like you just need some compliments! Looking good enough for me, anyway!
No, it is not.
looks perfectly fermented just has a tighter crumb but doesn’t look dense.
I’d say it’s just a bit dry. You’ve got 59% hydration. 75% is my minimum and could be pushing 90 with a little whole wheat. Also nice to be starter with a heartier flour for more flavor.
My favorite flour is central milling T85 malted…use this for feeding and baking. But ultimately, with all white flour that’s about as good as its going to get.
I usually do 30 minute autolyse. Then salt. Then a lamination followed by a few folds. From first mixing to shaping is about 5.5 to 6 hours. Then fridge for 18-24.
Good luck
Try 375 hydration and 8 salt.