Foodtography: Pandemic Baking: Sourdough #20, #21, #22

Amy is joining us for the first time to get the stretch and fold experience.
We are making three loaves today.
Amy gets her own dough to work on.

This time, we took the starter out at midnight the night before and let it sit out on the counter.
When we woke up the next morning, we found the starter was very hungry and has grown a little bit even, waiting to be fed.

Starter is hungry and wants to be fed

The starter was fed at 7:30AM, and grew to more than double by 11AM.
Amy is coming at 12 noon to mix the dough, so we waited for her.

Starter is ready to go to work

At 12 sharp, we started mixing the dough with Amy.
For all 3 loaves, we are sticking to 75% hydration.
She picked up the techniques for stretch and fold really fast, and as a matter of fact, did an amazing job turning the dough over.
Amy agreed that feeling the texture of the dough was very addictive.
We had a nice lunch from 12 to 2pm, interrupted by the sessions of stretch and fold.

At 8pm, we pre-shaped and at 8:30pm, we shaped the dough and in the banneton baskets they went.
They retarded until the next day.

For the baking time, we have decided to put two ice cubes in the Dutch oven, and experimented with the baking time a little bit based on our readings on the internet.

Scoring Amy's loaf using her design selection

Sourdough #20 (Amy's) baking time is the control:
1. Preheat the oven until the temperature reads 460 deg F (set at 500 deg)
2. Score using Amy's design selection
3. At 3:52PM, we put the dough and two ice cubes in the Dutch oven and reduce the setting to 450 deg for 15 minutes
4. We rotate the Dutch oven and wait another 15 minutes (temperature reads at 440 deg F)
5. We remove the lid and wait 7 minutes (temperature reads at 440 deg F)
6. We rotate and wait 5 minutes (temperature reads at 440 deg F)
7. We take the Dutch oven out and put the loaf on the bare rack then switch to convection for 2 minutes (temperature reads at 425 deg F)
8. We rotate the loaf and wait for the final 2 minutes

Sourdough #20 final weight: 763g

Sourdough #20 (75% hydration) with 2 ice cubes

Sourdough #20: Amy stretched and folded and picked the scoring design

Sourdough #20: crumb not completely dehydrated

It looks like baking time for sourdough #20 needs to be extended somewhere (longer bake time with lid on or lid off?)

Onto sourdough #21.
Note that Sourdough #21 seems to be the least puffed up of the three, when compared in the banneton baskets.

Sourdough #21 baking time with a slight modification:
1. Preheat the oven until the temperature reads 460 deg F (set at 500 deg)
2. Score a fancy Honu with a Plumeria flour imprint
3. At 5:07PM, we put the dough and two ice cubes in the Dutch oven and wait 15 minutes
4. We rotate the Dutch oven, vent the lid, reduce the setting to 475 deg F and wait another 15 minutes (temperature reads at 450 deg F)
5. We remove the lid and wait 7 minutes (temperature reads at 430 deg F)
6. We rotate and wait 5 minutes (temperature reads at 435 deg F)
7. We take the Dutch oven out and put the loaf on the bare rack then switch to convection for 2 minutes (temperature reads at 440 deg F)
8. We rotate the loaf and wait for the final 2 minutes

Sourdough #21 final weight: 782g

Sourdough #21: 75% hydration, 2 ice cubes and venting the lid at 15 minutes

Sourdough #21 (75%): great oven spring considering not a great rise in the banneton

Sourdough #21 (75%): crust is extremely thin and crispy but the crumb is still wet

It looks like venting the lid did wonders for the crust, but additional adjustment is needed to cook the crumb through.

We will try to extend the baking time for sourdough #22 as follows.
Sourdough #22 baking time:
1. Preheat the oven until the temperature reads 460 deg F (set at 500 deg)
2. Score
3. At 7:15PM, we put the dough and two ice cubes in the Dutch oven and wait 15 minutes
4. We rotate the Dutch oven, vent the lid, reduce the setting to 475 deg F and wait another 20 minutes (temperature reads at 460 deg F)
5. We remove the lid and wait 7 minutes (temperature reads at 430 deg F)
6. We rotate and wait 7 minutes (temperature reads at 435 deg F)
7. We take the Dutch oven out and put the loaf on the bare rack then switch to convection for 2 minutes (temperature reads at 440 deg F)
8. We rotate the loaf and wait for the final 2 minutes

Sourdough #22 final weight: 782g