Sourdough Bread: Day 1 Baking

Levain (yellow) & Autolyse (green)

*I started my Sourdough Bread about 5:30 pm today ended at 11:30 pm - that is 6 hours I have put into my bread tonight - not counting the 7 days I made then babied the levain.

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Overview of tonight's Sourdough Bread making:

It took 7 days for Fred (my levain) to ferment and be ready for using. Not too bad at all. 

I had to prep the levain by adding more flour and water to it and letting it rest to almost double in bulk. While that was going on, I autolysed my flour with salt and water - let it sit until the levain prep was ready for used.

The levain prep (took about 1 to 1 1/2 hours) & autolyse (while the prep was fermenting). - They where mixed together, then rested about 20 minutes.

Next step is the bulk fermentation - that took about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to complete.

Then I preshaped the dough, let rest, then did a final shaping and finally put the bowls of the dough in the fridge for overnight (8 to 16 hours) in order to"retard the dough". Tomorrow I bake the breads.

 The levain prep & autolyse mixed together - resting before I started the bulk fermentation.

The bulk fermentation process - stretch and folding the dough.
 You can see how the dough is stretched out and folded over itself. 

This is done 3 times and let rest 30 minutes in between each set.
 
Mine passed the window pane test after the 4th bulk fermentation.
Then it's time to lest rest 2 1/2 hours.
 

*If it doesn't pass the window pane test
- more bulk fermentation is necessary until it passes the test.

After a 2 1/2 hour fermentation. 

I divided my dough into 3rds because I only have a small toaster oven to work with

therefore only small oven proof pots and pans. 

 Divided and then build gluten membrane on top of the dough.
Coax the dough into boules or balls using your bench scraper.
(Might make batards or loaf-shaped next time).
When done, cover and let rest 20 minutes.

Then I was finally able to put the bowls of the dough in the fridge for
overnight (8 to 16 hours) to "retard the dough".

The bowls I used to form/shape the dough.

 Top-side View

Side View

I do not have bannetons so I just used bowls that I have to put the loaves in for shaping.

They are lined with baking parchment paper and then floured (rice flour).

That method works fine - but would love to own the bannetons.

The balls of dough ready to go into the fridge.

 

Now I'm done for the night. Dough in bowls in the refrigerator & covered in plastic bags.
They will be cooked tomorrow. Now to decided which sore for each of them.
Many designs to use - I will use 3 different patterns. 

I also put "Fred" to bed.

 He's in the freezer - so I don't have to keep feeding him. 

I can thaw him out and take 4 to 7 days to feed him again when I'm ready
to make more Sourdough Bread. - then test it for floating 
- if it passes the test then it's ready for use again.

*Some people will put their levain in the fridge 
and feed once a week to have some on hand all the time.

Source: FoodGeek