Loaf 18 – Another Sourdough Failure
My sourdough class is another two weeks away, but I thought I’d try another loaf with my starter (which I’ve been feeding and keeping alive in the fridge). I used the same recipe from Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day that I used for Loaf 15, and the resulting failure was almost identical.
I thought my starter was going to work this time – it had risen properly last time I feed it, and continued to grow slowly in the fridge. I added all the ingredients which made for a wet dough. A couple of stretch and folds brought it together very nicely. I put it in a rising container, and after 2 1/2 hours at room temperature it hadn’t really done anything. This was 1/2 hour longer than the recipe recommended, but my kitchen is pretty cool. After a night in the fridge (18 hours, actually) the only change in the dough is that it was less hydrated – the flour had absorbed all the water, but the yeast had not taken hold. After 2 1/2 hours more at room temperature with no change, I shaped the dough into two boules. Two hours later there was still no change, so I gave up on the yeast working and baked them anyway to test the flavor.
There was a small amount of oven pop, and the crust came out beautiful. But the loaves still weighed about a pound and a half each (I’m not fat, I’m just short for my weight!). The flavor, however, was really nice. It definitely had a sourdough flavor to it, a bit of tang but not overwhelming. After the brief tasting they went into the compost bin.
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- Mother starter awaiting flour and water.
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- A wet ball of dough after mixing and some kneading.
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- About 1/2 hour after mixing, ready to sit out and rise.
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- Reference for starting room temp rise time.
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- The next morning, after a night in the fridge, no significant change.
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- A long room temp rise, shaped, still no rise. I gave up and baked them anyway.
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- They are pretty, except they weigh about a pound and a half each. Ugh.
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- Very dense inside with a few holes in the middle. Nice flavor, but not edible.
