Sourdough Journey #30: Learning curve of a new flour

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This is part 30 in a 31 part series: Sourdough Journey

This week, I ordered some stoneground, organic, LOCAL bread flour from 1847.ca and I am so excited!

Excited …

but

… but there is a learning curve, which I wasn’t expecting. 

This flour makes the smoothest, strongest (I think that’s the word) dough and I’m not used to it - but 

but
 .. it is beautiful and feels so wonderful when working with it.  

First loaf

The first loaf just didn’t seem to rise well and m, then, I assumed that I had overproofed it during the bulk fermentation process. 

It was gorgeous and delicious but it was dense and the too, although it had an ear, had some cracks going down the sides. 

Second loaf

Learning curve: pay attention to the rise to make sure that you don’t overproof it. 

So, I babysat it, checking on it every hour. 

What I discovered was that I had not OVERproofed it; I had UNDERproofed it. 

And, this loaf, too, would also be underproofed, I think, because I just got to tired to stay up with the new baby. 

I also learned that the little trick of putting a noob of dough in a little jar, to better monitor the rise, didn’t work for me .. or on that try, it didn’t. 

The results

The “Daily Bread” flour makes a beautiful bread.

It forms up nicely, into a gorgeous ball.

It takes way longer to proof than my all-purpose flour did. Rather than my 9 hours, it took more than 11 hours (in my 60F kitchen).



Next Experiment

Today, I am making my third load and this is including some spelt flour in the mix.

When I ordered my flour from 1847.ca, I bought the Daily Bread flour as well as some spelt and some kamut. Today will be the spelt’s turn.

I will also be carefully monitoring the dough again and will, hopefully, stay awake this time, giving it a good rise.

Any tips for working with a 13.5% protein flour?
- Debbie

a simpler life