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Sourdough Batard

Sourdough Batard

Sourdough Batard

Sourdough Batard


I have been wanting to bake smaller batards as it is nice size to slice.  This is my 6th attempt.  I tried different shaping and baking methods and this is the best that I could achieve so far.  I will continue trying to improve and will share any new findings in future. 

I baked these in steam with my home oven, using the technique learned from The Perfect Loaf.   Baking in a cast iron pot will be easier and the result is more predictable.  However, it will take a longer as I will only be able to bake one loaf at a time.  

I am sharing this recipe as a reference. This recipe and method worked for me but it may not work for everyone.  

If you have any questions regarding this recipe or any other post, please leave me a comment in the “LEAVE A COMMENT” link and I will reply you as soon as possible.


Recipe - Sourdough Batard


Total flour:  350g + 35g (from levain)

INGREDIENTS:

280g bread flour (I used Japanese high gluten flour - 12.2% protein) - 80%
70 whole wheat flour - 20%
258g water (reserve 10g for salt) - 76% final hydration 
8g salt - 2%
70g active sourdough starter (100% hydration) – 20%

Ambient temperature after adding in levain:  24C - 25C 

METHOD:
  1. Feed starter - I fed my starter before go to bed at ratio of 1:10:10 (starter:water:flour) and use the next morning when its peaks (around tripled).
  2. Autolyse - Mix flour and water, stir until there is no more dry flour with a spatula and clean the side with a scrapper.  Cover and leave for 1 - 2 hours at room temperature (28C - 30C).  After 1 - 2 hours I checked the window pane stage.  The dough was very extensible when I pulled on it.
  3. Levain - Wet your hand, add 70g sourdough starter to the dough and hand mixing until incorporated, about 3 - 4 minutes.  Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  4. Sea Salt - Dilute sea salt with the balance of 10g water.  Pour on top of the dough, use hand to mix in the sea salt water.  It takes about 5 minutes until it is fully incorporated.  Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
  5. Stretch & Fold -  Pull and fold the dough 5 - 6 times.  Round it up with the smooth top facing up.  Put dough in a new dish (square pyrex dish).  The reason to use a square dish is because it is easier to judge how much  the dough has spread.  Cover and rest for about 30 - 45 minutes or until dough spreads.  
  6. Coil Fold 1 -  At this stage, the dough is weak and extensible.  Fold the dough in the dish. Cover and rest for about 45 - 60 minutes or until dough spreads.
  7. Coil Fold 2 -  At this stage the dough still extensible but stronger compare with the dough  before the 1st coil fold.  Fold the dough in the dish.  Cover and rest for about 30 - 45 minutes or until dough spreads.
  8. Coil Fold 3 -  At this stage, the dough is quite strong and not so extensible and will be the last coil fold.  However, if the dough is still quite extensible and spread a lot, then you will need one or two more coil folds.   Fold the dough in the dish.  Cover and rest for 60 - 90 minutes or until dough rise 40 - 50% in size since you added the levain.  
  9. Preshape - I rounded up the dough about 4.5 hours after adding in the levain. Transfer dough onto floured top and divide into 2 equal portions.  Round up the dough and cover with kitchen towel.  Rest for 20 minutes.   
  10. Shaping - Please watch the "how to shape batard video".  Tranfer the dough onto a parchment paper and place into the prepared proofing couche as shown in the diagram and video.  Put in a a plastic bag.
  11. Proofing - Proof at room temperature for 10 - 15 minutes.  
  12. Retard - Then retard overnight in the fridge (4C) for 12 - 16 hours.  This bread is about 15 hours.
  13. Baking -  
    1. Preheat oven with baking stone and lava rock at 250C (top and bottom heat) for 60 minutes before baking.  
    2. After 45 minutes or 15 minutes before baking, pour hot water over the rolled up kitchen towel in a rectangular pan.  Place inside oven next to lava rocks.
    3. Once the oven is ready, take dough out from the fridge.  Transfer the dough (together with parchment paper) to a pizza scrapper.  Score the dough.
    4. Try to act quick on the below steps to avoid the more heat of escaping.
      1. Open the oven door, slide dough (together with parchment paper) on baking stone.  
      2. Place a baking tray on 1st top rack (above the baking stone) as heat shield.  
      3. Pour hot water into the lava stone.  
      4. Close the oven door immediately.
    5. Bake with steam for 12 minutes.
    6. Remove the lava stone, rolled kitchen towels and baking tray (as heat shield).  Lower the temperature to 230C (fan-forced) and continue bake for another 13 - 15 minutes.
    7. Remove breads from oven.  Slice the bread while it is still hot.




Please read the below notes before baking for beginner.

GENERAL NOTES

SOURDOUGH STARTER

A healthy starter is very crucial as advised by Baking with Gina.  It is advisable to feed your starter daily if you want nice big crumb bread that rises nicely and to use the starter (levain) at its peak.  Refresh your starter few days before baking if you don't feed your starter daily.  If the mother starter is not strong, the bread dough will not rise much even though the starter is used at its peak.

How I judge my starter is healthy?  My starter usually tripled in size (or at least double) in within 3 - 4 hours at room temperature (27C - 28C) for feeding ratio of (1:1:1 = starter:water:flour)

When is a starter at its peak?  My sourdough starter is usually at its peak when it is tripled in the jar. The surface of my starter looks bubbling and uneven.  It usually stays at its peak within 1 hour before it starts to reduce/fall.  

Why use starter at its peak?  This is when the starter is most active and it will result in a better rise for your bread in general.  By the way, you can use when it is doubled/before its peak too.  But, not it starts to fall.

I learnt making sourdough starter from "How To Make Starter From Scratch" by Full Proof Baking.  Thank you to Full Proof Baking for the detailed video which proved invaluable.

BULK FERMENTATION

Bulk fermentation starts when you add in levain to the dough and ends when the dough is ready for shaping.  

TEMPERATURE DURING BULK FERMENTATION

Ambient temperature plays a very important part in sourdough baking.  It will affect the dough temperature and eventually affect your fermentation time. Warm ambient temperature will shorten the fermentation time while cooler ambient will extend fermentation time.  For this bread, we prefer a longer fermentation as this allows you to have more time to develop the gluten structure . Therefore, short fermentation in  warm ambient doesn’t allow you to work the dough as well.  Credit to Janet The Soprano

The ambient temperature that worked for me is between 24C - 25C and bulk fermentation time is between 4.5 hours to 5.5 hours.  At the end of bulk fermentation, my dough would have increased 40% - 50% in volume. 

But, my kitchen ambient temperature (without air-conditioner) was 29C - 30C.  So, I have to bring down the temperature. 

How to bring down ambient temperature?
  1. Air-conditioner room - Rest the dough in air-conditioner room during bulk fermentation.  I used this option sometimes.  I turned on my air-conditioner when I added in levain and try to maintain temperature between 24C - 25C.
  2. Home oven (that's turned off) -  Place ice cooler packs inside along with an ambient temperature thermometer.  Then place your dough during bulk fermentation in the oven. Keep an eye on that thermometer and try to keep between 24 - 25 C.
  3. Cooler bag - Place ice cooler packs inside a cooler bag.  Then rest the dough inside the cooler bag during bulk fermentation.  Try to maintain temperature 24C - 25C.
DOUGH STRENGTH AND EXTENSIBILITY

The number of coil folds is not fixed and very much depends on the strength and extensibility of the dough.   Over-working the dough may affect the crumb structure and oven spring.  

As demonstrated in an experiment by Kristen (Full Proof Baking) the over-worked dough rose super tall but was smaller in overall size and had a more dense crumb while the control dough rose tall during the oven spring and had a better overall result.

How do we know when it is enough and no more coil folds are needed? 
We usually do 3 coil folds for this method.  However, if by the second coil fold the dough is strong with less extensibility as you lift up a part of the dough then it should be the last coil fold, or just do a half coil folds instead of full. The resistance of the dough to being folded should be an indication to refrain from folding further.

How do we know when to do the next coil fold or stretch & pull?
When the dough spreads. Please do not rely on the time given in the recipe as it is just a guideline.  Please watch your dough and not the clock.  


SALT

You may wonder why most of the recipes asked to add salt after autolyze and adding levain.  Salt will tighten the gluten and make it harder to stretch. 

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