My weekend baking continues and I have a few notes to share:
* Experiment with adding a bit more flour to the sourdough starter when feeding. This adjusts the water/flour ratio to allow it to develop and hold the gluten structure better. In my experience it allows the sourdough culture to hold a better flavor.
* With the seemingly more flavorful (sour) sourdough starter, experiment with adding less starter to the dough when mixing. I've been adding between 50-80g instead of the normal 100g to my normal batch.
* Chicago Metallic Professional Nonstick Perforated Baguette Pan's are my new favorite way to bake. These things are amazing and produce GREAT mini baguettes.
* With smaller loaves the bake times are shortened, I normally bake for 14 minutes @ 450 degrees, rotate and then bake for another 14 minutes. This allows for an amazing golden crust that can't be beat.
* Always use sharp razors to slash the dough. It has been a continual surprise to me how quickly dough can dull a razor blade.
* Usually when baking without a dutch oven you should steam every minute for the first three minutes. This can be a bit annoying. I've found that cutting up week-old bread and making croutons during the first 10 minutes of baking actually allows quite a bit of steam to be slowly released from the stale bread and help 'set' the crust of the fresh bread. It's just like recycling!
* When in doubt, bake blueberry muffins. I'll post a recipe later.
-Matt the weekend baker
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