Re: Sourdough

Peter Flynn <[email protected]> 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