For those of you still working on getting your "perfect loaf", please keep track of everything, even the exact volume percentage rise! Once I started keeping a detailed record of that, I finally figured out that I need at least an 80% rise in my dough before I preshape to get the crumb I want, (yes even if the dough is 74°). I guess my refrigerator is much cooler so when I would adjust the target rise based off the temperature of the dough, I was getting inconsistent, under proofed results. Now, I don't give the temperature of the dough too much attention, but just that I'm getting to an 80ish % rise which usually takes about 10hrs with the dough being 74-72 degrees. And I'm getting a pretty consistent crumb!
This has worked for me even with different recipes (all bread flour vs part wheat part bread, 68% hydration vs 72%). Below are pictures of my recent loaves. All use bakers percentages of 2% salt, 20% starter, 68-72% water, 100% flour. I'm slowly increasing hydration percentage.
by JCJ23
6 Comments
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Super nice crumb!!!
I’m LITERALLY facing the same problem nowadays, cant time the end of BF in this cold based on temp alone, and it almost never rises in the fridge proof. Now i shape at 50% rise and keep it on the counter for 2-3 hours then cold retard. AND STILL this:
https://preview.redd.it/urxp21hgbrxd1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ee185ad72dbecb97ff254767d486fb5fb18f082b
Hey , keep it up , you’re doing great and it looks magnificent!
These are pretty much perfect.
Excellent