Well, I don't know where to start. To say I am impressed by Dick Adams'
Billowy Sourdough Loaves © Instructions would be a great understatement.
http://home.att.net/~carlsfriends/di...ctions_Rev.doc
I must take my hat off and bow to the Master!
That has to be 'The' best bread I have ever baked.
It worked out pretty much exact as advertised for timing the grows by a
3X volume so my bread went into the cold oven at hour 23-24.
I got the 5X loaf grow with about a .25 volume oven bounce still after a
6 hour last rise. Impressive.
The crumb is well, 'Billowy' would be a good word with a real nice sour
bite to it. Super soft! Totally sour! I have never even come close
using only the 3 basic ingredients before.
This stuff is so soft my new and very sharp bread knife still won't cut
through it easy today, 12 hours cold! I use this knife for the raw
dough slashes, so you know how sharp it is...
I used Five Roses brand unbleached 'all purpose' or 'bread' flour with
it's 13.3% protein count and 'boiled and set-a-while open' (24+ hours)
tap water and table salt.
My only mixer is my right arm instead of a machine mixer so I made the
mix wet (3.5 cups flour) to start and stirred it aggressively with a
wooden spoon until the gluten came up and the spoon wouldn't stir it
anymore. (or my arm wouldn't) likely 5 minutes. I then mixed in enough
flour to keep it balled up and 'softly' hand kneaded in the last of the
flour. I 'was' a little light on the flour, I didn't work in the last
1/2 to 3/4 cup so expected a loaf that might spread a bit.
I got around too much spread by putting a 9" spring-form pan rim,
greased and dusted with cornmeal, around the big loaf and a cover on
that to prevent drying during the long rise. I removed this before baking.
My smaller loaf held it's oval quite fine though so I don't know that I
'needed' the rim containment.
My pans are greased and dusted with cornmeal.
I might make different shapes next time, but I got exactly what I aimed
for this time.
I also made too much of this starter with the intent of a SD Pizza.
Once again, I take my hat off to Dick, the crust is just something else.
So light and airy and sour. Yes, the 'sour' comes through 'very'
well. Even my wife, when she got off work at 11 and had a just had a
'nibble', got into it 'and' went back for more , and she doesn't
normally eat Pizza.
I have put up the photos he
http://www.mikeromain.shutterfly.com
Thanks again Dick, for a grumpy old fart, you 'sure' do make good bread.
;-) (grin)
Mike
What have you folks baked lately?
Mike