A Sour Dough Trip (up?)

My adventures of bread making are getting a bit better, but I think after this last loaf, I’ve come to a bit of a bread making impasse. One of my main goals of bread making is to bake good ole rustic crusty bread, whether that is sour dough or of Italian/French style.

This most recent recipe I used did come closer to my goal, but I think I may have tripped up a bit on the kneading process. This leads me to believe I really need to find out if I can take a Bread Baking 102 class or something of the like. For the fancier rustic breads, I’m starting to doubt myself on the look and feel of the dough and that's a bit frustrating to me right now. But I won’t give up as I am determined to get to my end goal.

Don’t get me wrong, this recent trial came out very good and delicious, but the internals of the bread did not come out as airy as I expected and was not really all that sour. I love crusty bread with lots of holes in it. This first try, the internal came out a bit denser, which is what ultimately led me to believe I over worked the dough. But the Crust!!!-OMG, this came out extremely well and I am very, very happy with that result, so I must be getting closer. 

One other nice thing about this recipe is that the overall time to make is pretty good.  If I don't include the Sponge Ferment time, this takes about 3-4 hours from the initial knead to taking it out of the oven.  About 1 1/2-2 hours is Resting and Proofing and then total baking time is 50 minutes.

This loaf will supply my toast ration this week (maybe I will make a bruschetta to eat the bread with) and I will eventually cube it up for croutons. As per another recipe that I tried out a few weeks back, I will attempt to make this again, making the necessary adjustments to which I have learned from. For those who are a bit more trained in bread making, this is a good recipe and has great tips for those who are still learning like I am. One of the best tips I have seen is about storing rustic bread after it is cut…As the recipe/notes state, it really does work! So next time you make or even buy a rustic Boule or other crusty loaf, try it out. It will last longer!

KAF Quote:

“Just a Hint...

Store crusty hearth loaves uncovered, but with their cut side down on the counter. This is one of the best tips we've come across in some time. Though this doesn't work on baguettes, rolls, or other small loaves, it works beautifully on big boules or freeform loaves. The moisture in the bread's interior gradually migrates to the surface, but since the cut side is covered, it can't escape there; instead, it must navigate its way through the thick crust, a much slower process. This keeps the bread's interior soft, and the crust hard and crunchy.”

KAF Recipe Link for: In Search Of The Perfect Rustic Loaf