Thanks for this reminder that this is not a simple process. Could I ask a beginner baker question? I tried out your Loaf Classic recipe (75/25% ratio) and ended up with an inconsistent crumb structure, ie. REALLY big holes some places and tighter/compact structure in others, particularly along the bottom of the loaf. I have distracting kids in my baking environment, so I might have messed up on timings here and there but would be grateful for any thoughts you have.
Jessica - this is a tough one to diagnose on minimal information. Feel free to email me an example and I'll see if that helps make sense of what's going on.
Thanks for this Andrew, as this is exactly what I've found to be true. I'm still struggling with my damm starter, knowing when it's ready, should I feed it, to fridge or not to ridge, and finally, why do I now have two batches of starter in the fridge. After making about a half dozen loaves of the same recipe, I'm no longer getting starter all over me, the cupboard doors, the floor, etc, etc, etc, and while the process is still taking as long and never seems to be ready to do anything until just before I want to go to bed, I'm feeling a bit more confident. I've had a few loaves very nicely soured and a few hardly at all (??) I'll keep plugging away, figuring the more I make, the more I'll learn. Luckily I have a husband who, no matter what I put on his plate, says "this is the best bread I've ever eaten!"
Current Events are heartbreaking. Thank you for the links.
Andrew, I’ve been baking breads and learning bread longer than (fill in the blank). Yes, I aim for open crumb on an appropriate bread. Yes, there is a time for fine-grained, soft (or firm) bread. And above all, I enjoy drilling down on a particular loaf to understand what is going on. All the above is why I’m subscribed to You.
Carry on! I’m still learning, and enjoying the prose on the way.
So much affects our work in the kitchen... Love Trevor J Wilson, thanks for mentioning his work and Open Crumb Mastery, it deserves consideration. Throughly enjoying your newsletter and insights.
Excellent advice. I've been focusing on three recipes: your sourdough pizza crust and your oatmeal-maple porridge sourdough, and a whole wheat sourdough that's hard to work with but is well worth the trouble. I concluded a while back that whatever recipe I choose, there are nuances introduced by my kitchen, the weather, my mood, and various unknowns, and that I must learn these nuances. Perhaps someday I'll understand and adjust for the wild variables, but that understanding can only come from repetition. Meanwhile, I've messed things up many times, but only once produced a loaf I considered inedible!
Yes! Thanks for reminding me that I have Trevor's book and need to re-read it. I bought it when I was still making UFOs and a lot of it went way over my head, but hey! I might get more out of it now! Looking forward to class on Sunday! Will you sent a link?
Sabine - you should have gotten a reminder email from me just yesterday, so look out for it. You also should have gotten an email just after signing up, and it will have included the link.
Thanks for this reminder that this is not a simple process. Could I ask a beginner baker question? I tried out your Loaf Classic recipe (75/25% ratio) and ended up with an inconsistent crumb structure, ie. REALLY big holes some places and tighter/compact structure in others, particularly along the bottom of the loaf. I have distracting kids in my baking environment, so I might have messed up on timings here and there but would be grateful for any thoughts you have.
Jessica - this is a tough one to diagnose on minimal information. Feel free to email me an example and I'll see if that helps make sense of what's going on.
Thanks for this Andrew, as this is exactly what I've found to be true. I'm still struggling with my damm starter, knowing when it's ready, should I feed it, to fridge or not to ridge, and finally, why do I now have two batches of starter in the fridge. After making about a half dozen loaves of the same recipe, I'm no longer getting starter all over me, the cupboard doors, the floor, etc, etc, etc, and while the process is still taking as long and never seems to be ready to do anything until just before I want to go to bed, I'm feeling a bit more confident. I've had a few loaves very nicely soured and a few hardly at all (??) I'll keep plugging away, figuring the more I make, the more I'll learn. Luckily I have a husband who, no matter what I put on his plate, says "this is the best bread I've ever eaten!"
I, too, would like to keep my peanut butter off my lap.
It's not often that one finds a reference to absolute geometry in a discussion about bread.
Such beautiful writing!! Inspirational well beyond bread baking.
Current Events are heartbreaking. Thank you for the links.
Andrew, I’ve been baking breads and learning bread longer than (fill in the blank). Yes, I aim for open crumb on an appropriate bread. Yes, there is a time for fine-grained, soft (or firm) bread. And above all, I enjoy drilling down on a particular loaf to understand what is going on. All the above is why I’m subscribed to You.
Carry on! I’m still learning, and enjoying the prose on the way.
*clapping*
So much affects our work in the kitchen... Love Trevor J Wilson, thanks for mentioning his work and Open Crumb Mastery, it deserves consideration. Throughly enjoying your newsletter and insights.
Excellent advice. I've been focusing on three recipes: your sourdough pizza crust and your oatmeal-maple porridge sourdough, and a whole wheat sourdough that's hard to work with but is well worth the trouble. I concluded a while back that whatever recipe I choose, there are nuances introduced by my kitchen, the weather, my mood, and various unknowns, and that I must learn these nuances. Perhaps someday I'll understand and adjust for the wild variables, but that understanding can only come from repetition. Meanwhile, I've messed things up many times, but only once produced a loaf I considered inedible!
Yes! Thanks for reminding me that I have Trevor's book and need to re-read it. I bought it when I was still making UFOs and a lot of it went way over my head, but hey! I might get more out of it now! Looking forward to class on Sunday! Will you sent a link?
Sabine - you should have gotten a reminder email from me just yesterday, so look out for it. You also should have gotten an email just after signing up, and it will have included the link.