I've been lurking on here a good while and have been constantly trying to make a great loaf since first starting my starter 3 months ago. Today it finally happened! I'm sure it's not perfect, but it feels very close. Any further tips or tricks or improvements I could make would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Ingredients:

Marks & Spencer Strong White Bread Flour
Marks & Spencer Strong Brown Bread Flour

Recipe:

Take dormant starter from fridge (approx 40g)

Feed 60g lukewarm water and 60g wholemeal flour (I change type most feeds)

Stir and leave for 3 hours until fully active

All mixings are done via conventional bread machine on dough setting.

Mix 400g strong white bread flour, 100g strong wholemeal bread flour and 360g of lukewarm water (72% hydration) together for 30 seconds. Leave to stand for 45 minutes.

Add 10g salt and approx 120g active starter. Mix for 20 minutes.

Place in bowl, apply first stretch and folds (approx 6-8) and leave covered with tea towel, stretching and folding every 30 minutes for two hours, five sets total (0-30-60-90-120). 

Leave out on counter covered by tea towel for further 4 hours (until bounce back test is complete i.e. wet finger creates indent that visibly but slowly returns to normal).

Turn dough out on to floured worktop, apply light folds for initial shaping, and placing smooth-side down in to floured banneton. Cover banneton and place in fridge overnight. 

Next morning; pre-heat oven with pot inside at 230c for 1 hour.

Remove dough from fridge and turn-out of banneton on to baking paper. Score deeply with razor around top lip with the blade flat to the floor (i.e. sideways cut).

Remove pot from oven, add dough to pot and return to the oven with the lid on. 

After 25 minutes remove lid.

After another 25 minutes turn oven off and open door, let sit for 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and fully cool on wire rack before cutting. (Approx 4.5 hours)

by edson_bsx

19 Comments

  1. Sharp-Ad-9221

    Nice! Now you’re hooked. 😊

  2. MrSprockett

    It’s a beauty! I’m baking my 3 loaves later this morning 🤞🏻

  3. Fuzzy_Welcome8348

    Looks fantastic! Love the color of that loaf

  4. Formal-Tradition6792

    Very nice! I like it. I use my bread machine also to mix dough.

  5. KingArthurBaking

    You could go surfing on that ear!