http://tinyurl.com/hur33

Okay, so this is only my second attempt at sourdough, but I think things
went very well! I used the whole wheat/water starter, and mixed it in the
Bosch mixer, then baked it on a baking stone. It rose very well and the
taste is wonderful. Nice tang. I have a question though, how do I get the
loaves to NOT split? I slashed the bread before baking, misted the oven
well every few minutes, but it still split. Is there a way to prevent this?
I know my bread is not as good (aesthetically) as the pros here, but hey, I
think it looks great, and it tastes yummy!

Cookie

CookieChick wrote:
> http://tinyurl.com/hur33
>
> how do I get the loaves to NOT split?

Cookie,

Keep up the good work.

The split is due to a shaping error. This is common, you have lots of
company. It takes practice. Get a book with pictures on
"stretching/folding" during the initial proof and "rounding" for the
final proof.

There are a few things you might consider.

1) use the Bosch to mix, not to knead. Your crumb is very tight. Knead
lightly, one minute, by hand on the counter top, no more.

2) after the dough is made, put it in the refrigerator over night. Aged
dough is better in every way: crust, crumb, flavor, color, handling
characteristics...

3) bake it a bit more, maybe another 10 minutes. It should be darker.
Not tan as in the pictures but very brown on the exterior. The crumb
should be shiny. Your bread is slightly under cooked. This does not
mean it is doughy, rather, the final gelatinization of the starch did
not occur, the whites are flat in the picture. A lot of folks
undercook, they try to approximate the color they see in grocery store
bread. Your bread has nothing in common with grocery bread except that
both use flour. Everything else, and everything important, is
different.

4) do not change recipes. Make this bread another 10 times... you need
to see how it changes with experience.

Will

"CookieChick" > wrote in message
news:PyMNf.12132$dg.11432@clgrps13...
> http://tinyurl.com/hur33
>
> Okay, so this is only my second attempt at sourdough, but I think things
> went very well! I used the whole wheat/water starter, and mixed it in the
> Bosch mixer, then baked it on a baking stone. It rose very well and the
> taste is wonderful. Nice tang. I have a question though, how do I get
> the loaves to NOT split? I slashed the bread before baking, misted the
> oven well every few minutes, but it still split. Is there a way to
> prevent this? I know my bread is not as good (aesthetically) as the pros
> here, but hey, I think it looks great, and it tastes yummy!
>
> Cookie
>
>
Cookie if you are using steam, in my experience I dont know why people
recommend misting the oven. I got that advice in the beginning too, and I
dont think it helped at all. One problem is by the time you spray and shut
the oven door each time, most of the little steam created is gone before you
even shut the door, along with alot of your oven heat. Find a pan with some
heat holding mass, an old cast iron frying pan maybe, fill it with some lava
rock like you put in your gas grill. Put this on a rack lower than your
baking stone and preheat it with the stone. A few minutes before you are
going to put your bread in, boil a cup of water. After you put your loaves
in, pour the boiling water into the heated pan (this will create ALOT of
steam and some spatter, the lava rocks hinder the spatter some) so be
careful, I use a plant watering can to do this, and I position my pan in
such a way that it is accessable without pulling it out (I bake on quarry
tiles, with one broken in half in front to give me an open doorway for my
water spout). Looking at your bread, it looks to me like it could have
raised a bit more before baking, the tight holes in the crumb, you could try
proofing a bit more to avoid crust "cracking". But then I dont use a mixer,
so there may be other factors here I cant comment on. As Will mentioned, a
bit more oven time would really bring out the color in your crust too.Yummy
is a really good sign, and counts for more than aesthetics on the table.

hutchndi

"Will" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> CookieChick wrote:
>> http://tinyurl.com/hur33
>>
>> how do I get the loaves to NOT split?
>
> Cookie,
>
> Keep up the good work.
>
> The split is due to a shaping error. This is common, you have lots of
> company. It takes practice. Get a book with pictures on
> "stretching/folding" during the initial proof and "rounding" for the
> final proof.
>

Do you know of a website that might have pictures? I am currently waiting
for some books to come in, but it will be a few weeks yet.


> There are a few things you might consider.
>
> 1) use the Bosch to mix, not to knead. Your crumb is very tight. Knead
> lightly, one minute, by hand on the counter top, no more.
>

I also have a Kitchenaid, as well as a Viking (I'm an appliance junkie),
would it be better to use one of these on lowest speed for a minute, or
pulse it in the Bosch? I usually have a baby strapped to my hip, and its
hard to knead with one hand, lol.

> 2) after the dough is made, put it in the refrigerator over night. Aged
> dough is better in every way: crust, crumb, flavor, color, handling
> characteristics...

I did this!!

>
> 3) bake it a bit more, maybe another 10 minutes. It should be darker.
> Not tan as in the pictures but very brown on the exterior. The crumb
> should be shiny. Your bread is slightly under cooked. This does not
> mean it is doughy, rather, the final gelatinization of the starch did
> not occur, the whites are flat in the picture. A lot of folks
> undercook, they try to approximate the color they see in grocery store
> bread. Your bread has nothing in common with grocery bread except that
> both use flour. Everything else, and everything important, is
> different.

Oooohhh, okay. I was trying not to burn it, lol. I do not buy bread, I
make all our bread. So, I assumed I bake it the same as regular bread.

>
> 4) do not change recipes. Make this bread another 10 times... you need
> to see how it changes with experience.
>

I agree, I like this recipe, and I like the taste, its delicious. I will
take your advice, and keep trying.

> Will
>

Thanks very much for the advice. You have a great name by the way, my son's
name is William.

Cookie

"hutchndi" > wrote in message
news:cIRNf.45482$Dh.18330@dukeread04...
>
> "CookieChick" > wrote in message
> news:PyMNf.12132$dg.11432@clgrps13...
>> http://tinyurl.com/hur33
>>
>> Okay, so this is only my second attempt at sourdough, but I think things
>> went very well! I used the whole wheat/water starter, and mixed it in
>> the Bosch mixer, then baked it on a baking stone. It rose very well and
>> the taste is wonderful. Nice tang. I have a question though, how do I
>> get the loaves to NOT split? I slashed the bread before baking, misted
>> the oven well every few minutes, but it still split. Is there a way to
>> prevent this? I know my bread is not as good (aesthetically) as the pros
>> here, but hey, I think it looks great, and it tastes yummy!
>>
>> Cookie
>>
>>
> Cookie if you are using steam, in my experience I dont know why people
> recommend misting the oven. I got that advice in the beginning too, and I
> dont think it helped at all. One problem is by the time you spray and shut
> the oven door each time, most of the little steam created is gone before
> you even shut the door, along with alot of your oven heat. Find a pan with
> some heat holding mass, an old cast iron frying pan maybe, fill it with
> some lava rock like you put in your gas grill. Put this on a rack lower
> than your baking stone and preheat it with the stone. A few minutes before
> you are going to put your bread in, boil a cup of water. After you put
> your loaves in, pour the boiling water into the heated pan (this will
> create ALOT of steam and some spatter, the lava rocks hinder the spatter
> some) so be careful, I use a plant watering can to do this, and I position
> my pan in such a way that it is accessable without pulling it out (I bake
> on quarry tiles, with one broken in half in front to give me an open
> doorway for my water spout). Looking at your bread, it looks to me like it
> could have raised a bit more before baking, the tight holes in the crumb,
> you could try proofing a bit more to avoid crust "cracking". But then I
> dont use a mixer, so there may be other factors here I cant comment on. As
> Will mentioned, a bit more oven time would really bring out the color in
> your crust too.Yummy is a really good sign, and counts for more than
> aesthetics on the table.
>
> hutchndi
>

Thanks, I will try your suggestions. Wow, you guys are great!!

Cookie

There is a page on my website that shows step by step techniques for
doing sourdough with mixer directions. It is at:
http://www.northwestsourdough.com/techniques.html
Happy Baking
Teresa