This is a lovely recipe Edd and much appreciated in our bread obsessed household. I do want to ask a question to the baking community though - for this and the speedy sourdough recipe that both use a mixer I end up with a dough that is more like....batter! And that is with following the instructions to the letter. My starter is mixed to your ratios, and the mixer is a KitchenAid. My instinct told me to add flour, which i did and quite a lot. Obviously this changes the hydration. What is going on? Is it my flour? I’m baking with Wessex Mill white strong flour.
I’ve made this again with exactly the same issues. Dough is batter. I have to add 100g of extra flour to combat the issue.
I mixed the flour with the liquids first by hand, when i added the starter and mixed by machine is when the issues happened. So perhaps a thicker starter is needed with the flour i am using.
Hi Laura, definitely strange that your dough resembles a batter because this dough is only 65% hydration so should be fairly easy to handle and not too wet at all. Can I ask how you are measuring ingredients? With a scale, measuring jugs etc? It should be the flour, Wessex Mill is 13% protein and they themselves suggest a bread dough with similar hydration. Also, how long are you kneading the dough for in the mixer?
i have a weighing scales for liquid and dry goods. And mixing for about 12 minutes. But the texture stays wet and doesn’t improve with strength. My suspicions lie with my starter.
The first time I made this loaf, my oven died the day I started the levain. I had to refrigerate the dough for nearly 20 hours before I could bake. This loaf was still delightful! Terrific recipe! (I used 30 % white flour, 70% wheat flour)
Sounds like the perfect sourdough for my mum, who can’t get her teeth into the crunchy sourdoughs I try and encourage her to love! Thanks Edd. Really loving having a look through your Substack x
This is the second time I’ve made this bread and like others it has required extra flour. Otherwise it’s wonderful.
Do you bake in a sandwich loaf tin with the lid on or off?
For this one I bake without the lid
This is a lovely recipe Edd and much appreciated in our bread obsessed household. I do want to ask a question to the baking community though - for this and the speedy sourdough recipe that both use a mixer I end up with a dough that is more like....batter! And that is with following the instructions to the letter. My starter is mixed to your ratios, and the mixer is a KitchenAid. My instinct told me to add flour, which i did and quite a lot. Obviously this changes the hydration. What is going on? Is it my flour? I’m baking with Wessex Mill white strong flour.
Using FoodGeek’s dough calculator, the hydration is just shy of 70%. I added 120g more flour, but would try 500 flour /295 water next time.
I’ve made this again with exactly the same issues. Dough is batter. I have to add 100g of extra flour to combat the issue.
I mixed the flour with the liquids first by hand, when i added the starter and mixed by machine is when the issues happened. So perhaps a thicker starter is needed with the flour i am using.
Trials and tribulations of bread making!
Hi Laura, definitely strange that your dough resembles a batter because this dough is only 65% hydration so should be fairly easy to handle and not too wet at all. Can I ask how you are measuring ingredients? With a scale, measuring jugs etc? It should be the flour, Wessex Mill is 13% protein and they themselves suggest a bread dough with similar hydration. Also, how long are you kneading the dough for in the mixer?
i have a weighing scales for liquid and dry goods. And mixing for about 12 minutes. But the texture stays wet and doesn’t improve with strength. My suspicions lie with my starter.
Hi, do you have a directions for how you make starter? Thanks!
The first time I made this loaf, my oven died the day I started the levain. I had to refrigerate the dough for nearly 20 hours before I could bake. This loaf was still delightful! Terrific recipe! (I used 30 % white flour, 70% wheat flour)
This is good to know about the refrigeration as I like to cold proof doughs overnight so I can bake first thing in the morning!
My next adventure was to add whole grains to made a multigrain bread. I chose muesli and it was a delight. This is the best recipe
Sounds like the perfect sourdough for my mum, who can’t get her teeth into the crunchy sourdoughs I try and encourage her to love! Thanks Edd. Really loving having a look through your Substack x