Pandemic Baking: Sourdough #8 and #9

Today we felt bold enough to double the amount of dough preparation and bake two loaves back to back. We even worked the dough on a rainy day!
If they come out well, they are earmarked for our friends Do/Nat and for Amy.

We started the process by feeding the starter on Friday morning for baking on Saturday morning.
We maintained 65% hydration level, same as the successful #7.
We also retarded the dough overnight after shaping so that we would bake first thing in the morning, and deliver the loaves to their recipients during the day.

We made slight adjustments during baking in an attempt to brown the loaves evenly all around:

• Oven and Dutch oven preheated for one hour at 500 deg F
• Reduce oven setting to 475 deg F when putting the dough in the Dutch oven
• Bake bread with lid on for 18 minutes
• Rotate the Dutch oven 180 degrees
• Continue to bake with lid on for 11 minutes (for a total of 29 minutes with the lid on)
• Remove the lid and bake until the coloring is good (about 17 minutes with the lid off)

Sourdough #8 came out beautifully, with a new scoring design

Sourdough #8: nice even coloring, 65% hydration

Sourdough #8: classic cross

Sourdough #9 was just as beautiful

Sourdough #9: beautiful scoring, 65% hydration

Sourdough #9: great oven spring

We have conquered our fear of working the dough on a rainy day!
Whoo hoo!