Those are beautiful! I am curious, have you tried the no-knead bread recipe? Usually you let it age for 12-18 hours but the longer you age it the more it takes on the sour dough flavor. When I make bread it is my only method- so easy and it provides a very nice open crumb texture and a nice hard crust. A Dutch oven is the only must have to make it. The lid is removed in the last 15 minutes or so. Prior to that the closed lid traps the moisture which gives the nice hard crust. My guess is you probably already know all about this stuff.I’m always looking to better my product, but sometimes those new things I think might improve it have the opposite effect. I think I have those new methods integrated, now. Making really good sourdough bread involves a lot more factors than one might think. Kinda like a good audio system.
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All this time I attributed that quote to the wrong author. Learn something new every day. In any case, some nice sharp aged cheddar is a nice addition.
I have to admit that I raised an eyebrow at the idea of no-knead sourdough bread, since building the gluten bonds is generally accepted as an important part of the process. Looking at a recipe for it at the King Arthur website though, I notice that it still calls for stretching and folding the dough a fair amount, even if they don’t technically call it kneading. I also use an 18-hour retarded rise so it does take two days, but I consider it worth the time & effort. We almost never buy bread.
Realistically, I don’t recommend getting into sourdough bread making for anyone that isn’t pretty serious about it. Starter is a living critter - it has to be fed regularly (even if kept in the refrigerator) or it dies like anything else, and sourdough bread can be tricky. Once you figure out how to balance all the relevant factors it isn’t rocket science, but I made a lot of bricks in the process of learning.
I've never tried my hand at sourdough, or any other type of 'regular' bread. I do make a mean banana bread, and date loaf though.
That is a large batch for sure. I’ve never thought about using it for pizza dough. I like it because of the very open crumb it produces along with the hard crust. However I have made a focaccia type flat bread with it.
Have you ever used "dough enhancer"? I want to make Banh Mi buns and the recipe calls for it. Says it is a must to prevent deflation. Your thoughts? I ordered some just so I can follow the recipe to a T. But I also make a Scandinavian pastry dough for cinnamon rolls so it might help there too. Your thoughts?Your dad is quite a resource. You’re lucky to still have his knowledge available. Unfortunately, I was self taught, which really means that I spent a lot of time reinventing the wheel.
That Bittman project bread looks interesting. It’s not sourdough, since it uses commercial yeast, but it doesn’t use much and has a long fermentation to allow the flavor to develop. I may give it a try when I don’t want to have to invest the effort to make real sourdough, since I imagine it’s quite good. Thanks for the link.
