Sourdough/bread making

I have another batch of dough proving as I type.

Undecided whether to use the tin again or go back to a bloomer (freehand) loaf.

Looking for some advice please - the bloomers I've made so far have been lovely, but seem to spread out on the second-prove (see photos in post #222 above), rather than rising up, so the slices tend to be wide but not very tall (as you can see in post #224).

Any tips on getting a bloomer to rise more, rather than spread out to the sides?

(Or am I over-thinking it?)

TIA.
 
I have another batch of dough proving as I type.

Undecided whether to use the tin again or go back to a bloomer (freehand) loaf.

Looking for some advice please - the bloomers I've made so far have been lovely, but seem to spread out on the second-prove (see photos in post #222 above), rather than rising up, so the slices tend to be wide but not very tall (as you can see in post #224).

Any tips on getting a bloomer to rise more, rather than spread out to the sides?

(Or am I over-thinking it?)

TIA.

it’s all to do with 2 things,
1. the slackness of your dough, so use a little less water to keep it tighter.
2.developing the gluten to create a strong dough, so use a really strong flour, knead more to develop it better and when you shape the loaf try googling dough stitching to see if that method helps, or,you could always use a basket or banneton to prove you’re loaf in.
 
Brilliant - thanks. I'll look up dough-stitching.

I did wonder about the water - less would make the dough "lighter", or slacker in your terms. I do try and only use enough to make sure I've got all the flour incorporated in the bowl.

When I knead, I start by just squishing it (not a very technical term) and as soon as it's "intact" I knead by holding the end nearest me with one hand and then stretching out with the other hand away from me, folding the far end back towards me and then repeating until it's all back into a kind of roll. I use oil on the worktop for kneading, not flour. Then I rotate it 90 degrees and repeat. I keep doing that for between 10 & 15 minutes, then leave in an oiled bowl, covered with cling-film until it's doubled (around 2 hours).
I then knock the air out of it, pull it out of the bowl onto the worktop (floured, this time) and flatten it out for about 3-4 minutes, then roll it into the shape I want. If I'm doing the bloomer, I put it onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment (not greaseproof paper), cover it and leave it to double again (again, 2 hours roughly). I've been covering it loosely with cling film for this, but wonder if it would be better with a clean tea-towel (I've read and seen this used, so think I might give that a go next time as it'll move with the dough as it rises, as opposed to using cling film which I wonder if it holds the dough down - hence my only covering it loosely).
 
Today got the starter going again, chilli and cheese tonight one of my favourite sourdough loaves.
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Started my first sourdough starter today:
75g Strong White Flour & 75ml water.
I’ll feed with the same amounts for the next 4-5 days.
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Lovely job look forward to seeing some more sourdough!
my starter is a bit sluggish at the moment I did make a loaf today but not a great deal of spring!
last weeks sticks were good though!
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Got my starter on the go! Watching some youtube videos, uh oh... do you recommend one of those baskets for proving in? do people use the dutch oven (har har) cooking method or just use a baking tray?
 
Great time to get a starter going !
you can use a bowl for proofing and flip out onto a baking tray preheated, then splash some water in oven, or I use a banneton and also bake in a cast iron Dutch oven,it’s not strictly necessary but helps the oven spring a bit !
either way will get you tasty bread maybe see how you get on then when the bug gets you get spending!
 
Day 5 of my starter and failed the "float test", so still feeding. Lot's of bubbles, but feels very runny.
I'll persevere.
What's the flour situation around the country - it's like rocking-horse poo here.... can't get a bag (of any kind) anywhere.
 
Nowt here, we had a brief look for yeast and flour for making donuts but no chance.

Starter coming on well, day 3...
20200322_210613.jpg
 
Don't see that to yourself - where did you find it?
 
Don't see that to yourself - where did you find it?

Local farmshop near us, had a good stock apparently but only two bags per person.
 
Ah - thanks - I had a feeling it might be, didn't recognise the brand.
 
Farm shops around here have some too, luckily for me I own a bakery but even I’m going to run out soon I think.
 
So how long do I need to leave my starter? It floats, it's quite bubbly, it smells. But it hasn't doubled up in size and then gone back down as various recipes suggest... Day 4 was lunchtime today
 
Mine worked not brilliantly after about 5 or 6 days, ditch all but 25 g mix with 25g strong flour 25g water first thing in morning repeat in the afternoon, by evening you should have a lively starter, I then use about half of this to make my ferment for the next days loaf, feed the remainder and fridge it.
 
Mine worked not brilliantly after about 5 or 6 days, ditch all but 25 g mix with 25g strong flour 25g water first thing in morning repeat in the afternoon, by evening you should have a lively starter, I then use about half of this to make my ferment for the next days loaf, feed the remainder and fridge it.

Thanks for the advice.

Is the ferment what you call the dough when you mix the starter with flour, water and salt and leave before knocking back?

Jamie Oliver seems to call this a sponge and adds more flour the following day. A lot of YouTube people just seems to mix flour starter water and then leave for 3 to 4 hours before knocking back. I guess you just go for a longer proove?
 
Yes the sponge or poolish or ferment so many names it’s confusing :)

I put 30 g of that well prepared starter in a bowl at around 10pm with 65g water 65g of bread flour cover cling film then in morning add 800g bread flour 520 warm water leave for an hour to autolyze then add 11g of salt, then stretch and fold a few times over the next few hours.
after approx 4 or 5 lots of folding and around 2-3pm shape and prove at room temp, then either bake or fridge overnight and bake in the morning.
 
I'm with you. One guy just fed his starter the night before so that it was extra ready in the morning, but the ferment is just a smaller batched version of that to some extent then.

Am I right in thinking that's a lower moisture content? Easier to work? I had seen a video where the guy talks about %-ages of the various components and he was targeting around 75%.
 
Sure start manageable I cut this down in the above recipe don’t want to put you off just yet!
add another 80g of water if you want fun :)
 
Today’s efforts, chilli and cheese and multi seed Im closing my bakery on Friday :( so will be baking here daily :)

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Haha, I saw a video on working with some high % water and it was all over the shop.

The chilli and cheese sounds great!!
 
Where’s all the isolation bread guys thought we would be full here :)

Red Leicester and halepeneo sourdough tonight even a little heart inside to show made with love :)

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