As promised, pictures of attempt #4! Went with one long loaf instead of two small round, followed the same recipe as #3, but changed the process a bit to give more time to ferment. AP flour and starter.
Results:
- I like a medium sourness to my sourdough, so I threw in 1/4 teaspoon of Rapid Rise yeast. I know, that is not pure sourdough, but it makes it rise fast enough to avoid a 12 hour rise/ferment and reduces the sourness without negating it.
- It also went into the oven about 2 inches tall after about 90 minutes of 2nd rise, and in the first 10 minutes of baking shot up to about 6 inches! This loaf is rather massive. I have no idea why it expanded like that. Was it the tiny bit of Rapid Rise yeast going haywire in the steamy oven, or just the steam? I like the puffiness.
- I bake about 35 minutes and in that time do 4 oven/bread mistings with water bottle. Nice chewy crust came of it. After super hard crust(#2), I greatly prefer soft crust.
- I need to learn how to do those slits on the top of the bread. They're supposed to expand and be all fancy-pantsy, but mine didn't. I think I didn't cut deeply enough. It just looks like I wanted to paint lines on it. Oh well, still considering this loaf a success. Even if the end of it looks like it's got butt cleavage!
