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Sourdough

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  Sourdough Peter Flynn <peter@silmaril.ie> - 2025-02-08 20:50 +0000
    Re: Sourdough Graham <g.stereo@shaw.ca> - 2025-02-08 15:20 -0700
    Re: Sourdough bp@www.zefox.net - 2025-02-09 01:01 +0000
    Re: Sourdough Nyssa <Nyssa@logicalinsight.net> - 2025-02-09 10:49 -0500
    Re: Sourdough "Carol" <cshenk@virginia-beach.com> - 2025-02-09 20:30 +0000

#13724 — Sourdough

I love the taste of sourdough, but pretty much everyone who makes it 
seems to want a loaf with a VERY thick and VERY hard, cracky crust. I 
used to love that crunch too, but at my age my teeth won't deal with it. 
That "crunch" noise is probably a denture fracturing :-(

Is making that hard of a crust A Thing with sourdough bakers? Or just 
coincidental? Does anyone bake sourdough loaves with a crust that is 
thinner and friable without being unchewable?

Peter

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#13725

On 2025-02-08 1:50 p.m., Peter Flynn wrote:
> I love the taste of sourdough, but pretty much everyone who makes it 
> seems to want a loaf with a VERY thick and VERY hard, cracky crust. I 
> used to love that crunch too, but at my age my teeth won't deal with it. 
> That "crunch" noise is probably a denture fracturing :-(
> 
> Is making that hard of a crust A Thing with sourdough bakers? Or just 
> coincidental? Does anyone bake sourdough loaves with a crust that is 
> thinner and friable without being unchewable?
> 
> Peter
I bake mine in closed casseroles, i.e., the Lahey or New York Times
Method. The usual way is to bake with the lid on for about 25 minutes
and a further ~20 minutes with the lid off to brown the loaf. I think
if the lid-on time were extended and the lid-off time shortened, the 
crust might be thinner, but it would also be paler. Putting a couple of
ice cubes in the pot for the initial baking might also help.
Graham

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#13726

Peter Flynn <peter@silmaril.ie> wrote:
> I love the taste of sourdough, but pretty much everyone who makes it 
> seems to want a loaf with a VERY thick and VERY hard, cracky crust. I 
> used to love that crunch too, but at my age my teeth won't deal with it. 
> That "crunch" noise is probably a denture fracturing :-(
> 
> Is making that hard of a crust A Thing with sourdough bakers? Or just 
I suspect it's a fad, and maybe a side effect of using an extremely hot
oven in an effort to promote oven spring. 

> coincidental? Does anyone bake sourdough loaves with a crust that is 
> thinner and friable without being unchewable?
> 

Yes, it's easy. Put the dough in a covered casserole until final
rise is complete. Put the covered casserole in a cold oven. Set
the thermostat to 350F, Let it bake. The crumb seems to cook through
in 30-40 minutes, with a pale crust. Take off the lid (I also turn
the temp down) and wait for a crust color you like. I usually give
it 15-30 minutes more at around 325F. Depends on your oven and the
loaf size. My dough weighs 500g and the oven is a Whirlpool electric.

hth,

bob prohaska

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#13728

Peter Flynn wrote:

> I love the taste of sourdough, but pretty much everyone
> who makes it seems to want a loaf with a VERY thick and
> VERY hard, cracky crust. I used to love that crunch too,
> but at my age my teeth won't deal with it. That "crunch"
> noise is probably a denture fracturing :-(
> 
> Is making that hard of a crust A Thing with sourdough
> bakers? Or just coincidental? Does anyone bake sourdough
> loaves with a crust that is thinner and friable without
> being unchewable?
> 
> Peter

I don't make sourdough, but my pop taught me 'way back
when that if you want a crunchy (some would call it
"tough) crust to brush the bread with water before 
shoving it into the oven.

He also taught me that if you want a softer crust, to
brush the just baked loves with butter so it will sink
into the crust and make a softer loaf.

And yeah, I think a lot of chefs/bakers seem to be proud
of how chewy and crisp their crusts are and go to great
lengths to make it so.

Sort of like in the software world: they consider it
a feature, not a bug.

I'll opt for a chewable crust, not a layer of cement
over the loaf...or near enough like it.

Nyssa, who goes for somewhere in between unless she's
making something like dinner rolls that demand a soft
crust that's barely there

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#13735

Peter Flynn wrote:

> I love the taste of sourdough, but pretty much everyone who makes it
> seems to want a loaf with a VERY thick and VERY hard, cracky crust. I
> used to love that crunch too, but at my age my teeth won't deal with
> it. That "crunch" noise is probably a denture fracturing :-(
> 
> Is making that hard of a crust A Thing with sourdough bakers? Or just
> coincidental? Does anyone bake sourdough loaves with a crust that is
> thinner and friable without being unchewable?
> 
> Peter

Not for me, I want a nice crust but not that hard.  I haven't dipped my
toe into 'real sourdoughs' because when I try, I get uneven yeast loads
which don't work well with bread machines that need a static dependable
rise vs. time.

I did get a decent rise with a commercial package of 'instant
sourdough' (a red star product) but the flavor was almost 'over done'.

It says 'yeast plus sourdough culture'.  I plan to try 1/2 the packet
plus 1 tsp yeast (directions are to use the whole packet).  It's in the
'experiment with me' pile.

BTW, I have significant spine issues that are progressive slowly.  This
makes the machine use required now.  My right arm has been painful for
6 weeks with the current incident.  Normally the pain passes in 4
weeks.  Oh well.

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