So as not to confuse myself and the readers, I will call the '100' gm culture in the fridge- "Culture"
The mix that is prepared with culture to make bread, calling it Starter
All ingredients are proportional to amount of flour used. Let the flour amount be for this example be 1000gm
Starter will 20% (220gm), Water called hydration level (I set it at 75% your hydration can be lower 65% all the way to sticky 100%)) and salt is 2%- 20gm
Starter
For 500gm, starter** needs 33gm culture, 33gm water and 33 gm flour (total 99gm close enough to 100gm that is required)
Mix well and leave on the worktop. With active culture, the starter will more than double in height in around 5 hours at this time of the year. Warmer days will make the reaction faster, colder temperature reaction will be longer hence culture kept in the fridge else it would need feeding everyday
** Remember you have removed 33gm from culture jar. To restore the 'loss' add 16.5gm flour and 16.5 gm water and mix well. Return culture container to the fridge.
The culture will become active feeding on the flour mix, the surface of the mix will become convex as the mix rises. The surface will then go flat when the reaction peaks and as the food source for the culture is exhausted, surface goes concave and mix starts to collapse
When stater is at its peak, add 375gm of water to it and mix well. Pour mix onto the flour and mix well ensuring no dry flour base of container. Let the dough rest (Hydrate) for an hour
Add salt 10gm. Work salt into the dough. Remove dough out of the container and stretch and fold the dough till you notice the laminations created by salt addition are removed. Look at youtube clips on this process. Return dough to the bowl
After half an hour, grab hold of the dough in the container, stretch it (not breaking the dough) and fold it over the dough, do this around the dough five or six times. Gluten bond is being stretched, dough starts to resist the stretching action
This action is carried out every half hour, total 5 or 6 times. Now let the dough rest.
from time dough was made , 5 hour later the dough will have risen and will be jiggly like jelly. Search finger poke test
Youtube for further viewing
Next stage youtube for guidance on how to shape dough ready for baking
Whatever shape final dough, store in fridge overnight or till ready to bake. This is where flavours will be enhanced.
Baking option for me is two cast iron pots. I preheat the oven to 250 degrees with pots in the oven
When oven at temperature, remove pots and place dough in the pot. Score the dough surface to create weakness, lid on, into the oven. Temperature reduced to 220. Bake for 30 minutes. Lid off further bake for 15 minutes. remove pot and loaf. Enjoy
Other option is Create steam in the oven during the 30 minute bake by placing ice cubes, water bath or various other options. Reason for this is to stop formation of crust during oven spring till the final bake.
Cast iron pots- dough bakes in dampness that is trapped in the pot during lid on bake
The mix that is prepared with culture to make bread, calling it Starter
All ingredients are proportional to amount of flour used. Let the flour amount be for this example be 1000gm
Starter will 20% (220gm), Water called hydration level (I set it at 75% your hydration can be lower 65% all the way to sticky 100%)) and salt is 2%- 20gm
Starter
For 500gm, starter** needs 33gm culture, 33gm water and 33 gm flour (total 99gm close enough to 100gm that is required)
Mix well and leave on the worktop. With active culture, the starter will more than double in height in around 5 hours at this time of the year. Warmer days will make the reaction faster, colder temperature reaction will be longer hence culture kept in the fridge else it would need feeding everyday
** Remember you have removed 33gm from culture jar. To restore the 'loss' add 16.5gm flour and 16.5 gm water and mix well. Return culture container to the fridge.
The culture will become active feeding on the flour mix, the surface of the mix will become convex as the mix rises. The surface will then go flat when the reaction peaks and as the food source for the culture is exhausted, surface goes concave and mix starts to collapse
When stater is at its peak, add 375gm of water to it and mix well. Pour mix onto the flour and mix well ensuring no dry flour base of container. Let the dough rest (Hydrate) for an hour
Add salt 10gm. Work salt into the dough. Remove dough out of the container and stretch and fold the dough till you notice the laminations created by salt addition are removed. Look at youtube clips on this process. Return dough to the bowl
After half an hour, grab hold of the dough in the container, stretch it (not breaking the dough) and fold it over the dough, do this around the dough five or six times. Gluten bond is being stretched, dough starts to resist the stretching action
This action is carried out every half hour, total 5 or 6 times. Now let the dough rest.
from time dough was made , 5 hour later the dough will have risen and will be jiggly like jelly. Search finger poke test
Youtube for further viewing
Next stage youtube for guidance on how to shape dough ready for baking
Whatever shape final dough, store in fridge overnight or till ready to bake. This is where flavours will be enhanced.
Baking option for me is two cast iron pots. I preheat the oven to 250 degrees with pots in the oven
When oven at temperature, remove pots and place dough in the pot. Score the dough surface to create weakness, lid on, into the oven. Temperature reduced to 220. Bake for 30 minutes. Lid off further bake for 15 minutes. remove pot and loaf. Enjoy
Other option is Create steam in the oven during the 30 minute bake by placing ice cubes, water bath or various other options. Reason for this is to stop formation of crust during oven spring till the final bake.
Cast iron pots- dough bakes in dampness that is trapped in the pot during lid on bake
Still planning on making my own though.
