WHAT AM I MISSING?
Please judge my loaf (her name is Doughy Parton). All comments and advice will be read and taken into consideration. I have been on my sourdough journey for about a month and half now, and it’s mid!
My first loaf (the one pictured) looked the best out of the 3 I’ve made so far. The second two were jalapeño cheddar so that may be why. I just am still not happy with my proofing and rise of my dough in the oven (yes, I use a Dutch oven). I will admit, I have yet to cut into a doughy nightmare, so it could be going worse!
I let the dough sit for 30 minutes before I do a round of 4x4 stretch and folds every 30 minutes (for 4 rounds). Then I plop her on my heat plate (set to 79°), covered with a towel, for 4 hours. After shaping I put her into the fridge overnight (covered in a floured towel).
I did let my dough sit out for 20 minutes before scoring and putting it into the Dutch oven in this loaf.
Please tell me your best tips and tricks for the best sourdough loaves!
#Lemon8 #sourdoughbeginner #sourdoughjourney #lemon8community #lemon8challenge
As someone who has been on a sourdough journey for a while, I understand how challenging it can be to get that perfect rise and crust every time. One key aspect I've learned is the importance of patience and slow fermentation. The OCR content’s encouraging words — 'KEEP slow... great!! GOING! one day at a time' — really resonate with the process. Taking the time to let your dough ferment slowly allows the yeast to develop more flavor and structure, which greatly improves the crumb and oven spring. Your technique of doing multiple stretch and folds is excellent for building gluten structure, but be sure the dough is developing the right strength by performing a 'windowpane test.' This simple test helps confirm if your dough is properly kneaded and ready. Also, temperature control during proofing is critical. Your heat plate at 79°F is a good start; however, slight adjustments depending on your environment could help. If the dough feels sluggish or not rising enough, a slightly warmer setting or longer bulk fermentation might be needed. Cold proofing the shaped dough overnight in the fridge as you're doing is a great way to develop flavor and control over-proofing. Just be cautious to not leave it too long to avoid over-proofing, which can cause the dough to collapse or have poor oven spring. Before baking, letting your dough rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes helps relax the gluten and improves scoring results, just as you are doing. When baking in a Dutch oven, preheating it properly and baking with the lid on for the initial phase traps steam, which is essential for a crispy crust and good oven spring. A personal tip is to experiment with hydration levels; sometimes a slightly wetter dough can help with a better rise and more open crumb, but it also requires good handling skills. Additionally, using quality flour and refreshing your starter regularly will boost yeast activity. Sourdough baking is very much a journey of trial and error. Keep notes on each bake, what you changed, and how the loaf turned out — this will help you spot patterns and improvements. Remember, every loaf teaches you something new, so continue to enjoy the process with patience and curiosity.
