Hello! I started making sourdough a little over a year ago and have got it to the point where I’m pretty happy with it and get pretty consistent results, but would love some feedback!
9 times out of 10 I get a nice ear on my loaves (second picture) but didn’t get one on the first loaf pictured this time. Not sure whether it was a scoring issue or something else?
I also don’t usually pay much attention to the crumb because my family and I all like the texture/taste regardless! But since so many people post about the crumb on here I thought I’d ask how this looks to everyone and how I could improve it.
Thank you!
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Ingredients (for 2 loaves): 250g active starter, 725g water, 25g salt
Process: Autolayse 1 hour, 4x S&Fs over 2 hours, bulk ferment in warm spot for 2-6 hours, fridge overnight, bake next morning (preheat dutch oven 250c, reduce for 220 then bake 20 mins lid on 25-30 mins lid off).
by ElkOk1069
7 Comments
How much flour per loaf? 500g?
Are you using 2 Dutch ovens, and baking at the same time, or one after the other?
Perhaps, if doing one at a time, the temperature isn’t as high for one and you’re not getting as much expansion.
Also, if doing one at a time, are you removing from the fridge at the same time, or baking directly from fridge. If you’re taking both out, and cooking one after the other, one may begin fermenting a bit longer than the first. This could cause a discrepancy.
Could be shaping. Maybe you’ve built tension better in one over the other.
Or inconsistency in scoring.
I wouldn’t worry about an ear, it’s all about the crumb and it’s nice.
You should score at a 45 degree angle
Your crumb is very good, but you want some counsel on the ear. Several things work best for ears, which include a 45 degree score before baking, and plenty of steam to improve loft.
Crumb is a bit underfermented, bulk longer
I always have trouble with visualising a 45 degree angle – I’m right handed, I angle my blade so it’s pointing at the left edge of the bottom of my loaf. I also score a bit off center, curve the ends to past the center line and I go back through the score a second time with my blade, to create a bit of a lip. I drew a quick example and attached the pic here. This method works for boule or batard. This is a 45 degree angle
https://preview.redd.it/t8zcffd6l17f1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=08ed41ec90e541ef73c1ef4f6812774ecdecaf84
Taken to the extreme, this makes quite a dramatic ear – if all the other factors of proper bulking, starter prep, etc are there.
Chiming in kinda late. The 45 degree angle everyone’s talking about is in relation to the surface of the dough, not in relation to the countertop. So depending on where on the dough you’re scoring, the angle will seemingly change. Once I figured that out I always got an ear.