Shadow wrote:
> On Sun, 6 Feb 2011 05:35:51 -0800 (PST), Robert Zaleski
> > wrote:
>
>> I hear you on the collapse. I've been putting the bread out for the
>> final rise exactly as I plan to cook it. So If I'm making a crusty
>> round loaf, I'll lay it out on the pan to do it's rise for 8 hours or
>> so, generally in the oven with the light on. I'll pull the pan out
>> heat the oven and put it back in.
> Sourdough lactobacilli feed on the gluten.
> Gluten keeps the dough elastic and sticky.
> So try to keep it to a single rise, you'll probably find it
> no longer collapses.......

I'd like to add to Shadow's suggestion and point out that various SD
cultures behave differently. Some are faster rising than others, some get
more sour. Comparing Robert's process to mine, 8-hours in the oven rising,
with the light on, would be wa-a-ay too long for my culture. Try cutting
back to half of that or so.

As a guide to help you determine how active your culture is, along with
your loaf, put a batch of newly refreshed starter in the oven along with
your loaf during the rise period. By watching the starter rise until it
stops, will let you know when your bread is done rising, and you're
starting to make 'sour'. If it's warmer, it'll do that faster; cooler a
bit slower. But you'll at least get a metric on how fast your starter is
working.

When your starter starts to collapse, it's probably past time to fire up
your loaf. As for taking your loaf out to heat the oven, I wouldn't
bother. I know that's heresy to some reading here, but you don't need to
heat your oven to near the melting point of lead for hours on end, nor do
you need to have tons of stone in order to bake bread. Leave it in and do
a "cold start", and simply add 5-10 min to the baking time. It's quicker,
easier, and saves the cost of the wasted energy.

Um, do, however, remember to remove your starter from the oven BEFORE you
turn it on. Take that bit of advice from someone that's forgotten to do
that before...(:-o)!

But above all, HAVE FUN BAKING (and eating) YOUR BREAD!

L8r,
Dusty
--
"The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given
me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and
Truth." - Albert Einstein