Making bread, answering questions

>>7831026
What so you do to keep your oven humid?

Usually I put a sheet pan in the bottom of the oven as it preheats and then pour a cup or two of water onto it when I put the loaf in. Is there a better way?

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>>7831358
I just use an oven tray with boiling water, 2 cups won't do.

mail me some?

>>7831410
Shipping would be prohibitive, and for what? You can make your own for cents.

>>7831394
That bread looks nasty.

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>>7832132
Needs baking.

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>>7832132
>It Came From The Fridge...

>>7832185
Crumb's way too tight

I've never made sourdough before but I plan on trying to this weekend. Some recipes say just flour + water but some mention using pineapple juice, have you ever heard about it? Thoughts?

>>7833102
Novice baker here. Does that mean it's underproofed? What caused that?

>>7833577
more water/moisture for a more airy crumb

sourdough does not use pineapple juice...

OP, what's you hydration ratio and what temp did you prove at?

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>>7834102
My hydration ratio is precisely reached when it feels like dough and not like batter or sandstone. The temperature varies, but it's kind of warm right now, maybe 60 at night and around 80 during final proofing.

I keep it covered in inverted bowls to preserve humidity and avoid a draft.

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>>7833537
No ingredients besides water and whole flour. I've heard of baking yeast, pineapple juice, yogurt, even vinegar. This is probably owed to housewives trying to recreate the flavor without understanding the microbiology. Don't try fancy shit. Just keep feeding your starter a spoon of flour twice a day. Wash it every two weeks to remove alcohol. And do NOTHING ELSE to it.

It is a culture of yeasts and lactobacilli, it needs time to find a balance, adjust to the feeding schedule, and displace any contamination. There's no way to hurry it along.

If for whatever reason you cannot grow your own starter then buy a commercial product that mimics it. Those won't survive, but they'll make your bread. You will be paying good money for something that is free, but you will get better results than with pineapple juice.

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>>7833102
>>7833590
The outer layer is cut to allow it to rise more in the oven, see >>7831394
To make it more humid would undercut its ability to hold the shape. It would sag and turn out wider and more flat. It doesn't improve the texture.

But these are nuances and either way will make good bread.

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>>7833537
Use twice as much salt as you'd expect to. It doesn't impede the yeast as much as some people seem to believe. And if you salt it like a yeast bread or some baking powder muffins it will taste a bit sour.

Sourdough is supposed to have a sour tinge, that's what makes it good, but too much is too much. And the salt fools the tongue over the acid. Case in point: fresh tomato with or without salt?

Running out of pics here. This one is an early attempt without pizza stone or steam. The crust lacks severely. Still good to eat, just not crunchy and lacking Maillard browning in flavor.