Re: Sourdough

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