San Joaquin Sourdough // dmsnyder @ Fresh Loaf

Formula here: San Joaquin Sourdough ("best yet" version).

 

This was a particularly interesting bread to make because it was a followup, conceptually, to making the Thom Leonard's Country French -- both use a small portion of rye flour and both use a firm starter (mine is the one described by Maggie Glezer in Artisan Baking). In fact I made a levain based on Thom Leonard's Kalamata Olive Bread instead of strictly following dmsnyder's instructions (though sticking pretty close for the rest).

The bread takes a couple of days. First the levain rises (two days ago), then the bread rises at room temperature (I started mixing it yesterday morning, let it rise till noon or so), and then it ferments in the fridge for about 20 hours (coming out this morning to be shaped). 

I continue to have trouble shaping my loaves tightly, which the following picture reveals:

The diagonal cuts show where I slashed the loaf, and the arc at the top shows where the loaf went ahead and split by itself. (Also, the droopy bits show where I sort of bungled the transfer to the hot stone.)

Here's a picture of the bottom to show how much trouble I have with seams:

The multiple folds tell the story. At least this one did not produce a bread-goiter!

The holes are nice and open (didn't expect to get them), and the flavor is about as close as I've ever gotten to a San Francisco-style sourness. Mm!