And that's actually one of the benefits of a levain-based bread like this one...it can wait. In fact, it needs to wait. Or rather, I need to wait while it sits quietly doing its thing...reproducing, fermenting, burping, getting bubbly, rising. This recipe contains no yeast other than that contained in the levain so the turnaround time on it is much longer than an instant-yeast-boosted dough. And let me tell you, this levain was a precocious little minx --
she was ripe and ready for action after just the second feeding. Often it will take 3-4 feedings after I have taken it out of the 'fridge before she is ready for dough-making. Bordelais
Bread Flour..................................900 grams
Whole Wheat Flour..........................20 grams
Rye Flour......................................80 grams
Water.........................................580 grams (plus whatever is needed to adjust)
Salt.............................................20 grams
Liquid Levain................................400 grams
I did a 20 minute autolyse after the initial mix, but the dough was too stiff, so I added another 3/4 cup water, then did the final mix. It's a pretty sloppy dough, but with two folds during bulk fermentation it tightened up somewhat.
I did a 20 minute autolyse after the initial mix, but the dough was too stiff, so I added another 3/4 cup water, then did the final mix. It's a pretty sloppy dough, but with two folds during bulk fermentation it tightened up somewhat.
So it fermented (on top of the 'fridge) for two hours (with a fold each hour) but it was getting late so I covered it and let it chill in the 'fridge overnight. Well, over two nights really, because I didn't get to it last night either. (Like I said, this bread might be nicely sour.)
Finally, it came out of the refrigerator and sat in the bowl in the kitchen all morning to warm up, then I divided in in half, preshaped it, rounded it
and plopped it into the floured baskets for the final rise...
Finally, it came out of the refrigerator and sat in the bowl in the kitchen all morning to warm up, then I divided in in half, preshaped it, rounded it
and plopped it into the floured baskets for the final rise...Now let me say, I don't love alot of things, but I adore these german baskets. 
Nik and I found them at a store in San Francisco; they were way too expensive but Nik told me to go for it...like he always does when I find something on vacation that is too expensive. So we hauled them around the city in our daypacks that day, to the zoo and then to the Buena Vista, then all the way up and down those hills from the wharf to Nob Hill and back home to our favorite little hotel, The Golden Gate. 
That's just one reason that I love these baskets.
Nik and I found them at a store in San Francisco; they were way too expensive but Nik told me to go for it...like he always does when I find something on vacation that is too expensive. So we hauled them around the city in our daypacks that day, to the zoo and then to the Buena Vista, then all the way up and down those hills from the wharf to Nob Hill and back home to our favorite little hotel, The Golden Gate. 
That's just one reason that I love these baskets. So then it rises for another 3 hours or so and finally gets baked. I put it in at 460 for 10 minutes and then turned it down to 400 for another 20. It probably could've gone another 5 minutes - OR - the baking stone could've been on a higher shelf so that the tops would brown a little more. 
Marti is coming over for our first rehearsal tonight, so we'll try the bread at dinner. She's said she can always count on carbs when she eats here...and is there something wrong with that?
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