Sourdough Musings

Using finely milled flour to create light and airy whole meal sourdough loaves.

Flour selection is of course a very vital part of getting consistent results. When it comes to the whole meal (whole grain) flour I find a great difference in the end result when it comes to the coarseness. In my opinion you still keep a lot of taste and aromas intact, even when the entire grain (with sprout, bran, kernel) is very finely milled. From what I’ve picked up from several sources (like the brilliant @ceorbread on Instagram), the flours ability to bind water is affected, thus the development of the dough, leaving you a mass with greater potential for a lighter and more open crumb.
I mill most of my whole meal flour myself, with my bench stone mill. I do two runs – first at a coarser setting, then at the finest possible. This is also, in my experience, affecting the dough development qualities in a positive way. I’m still learning the chemistry behind this, if you’re familiar with it I’d be glad if you pitched in!
I know a lot of you mill your own flour (and if you don’t you should) so keep in mind to let the flour cool before mixing. The friction of milling twice will leave it quite hot (and this can mess with the activity of the dough in a negative way).
The best type of whole meal flour I’ve baked with comes from Vortex/Whirl milling (such as from Warbro Kvarn here in Sweden). It’s whirled into a very fine dust-like powder, without increasing friction significantly.
This is in my experience also true for 100% rye bread. The finer the milling the lighter crumb loaf you’ll get.
The loaf with crumbshot featured in this post is a 50% whole meal loaf, using very finely ground whole wheat grain. Packed with taste and nutrition and a very pleasing texture, from a while back.

I’ve basically been having a dough rising every day during the last years. Most often in a bowl or a box, and if not; in my thoughts.
Along with the coming week’s posts I will share 10 of the most valuable insights I’ve had that’s lead to more consistent result in baking high quality, beautiful goods from home (in no particular order).
Would love it if you comment or DM with questions, I always do my best to answer!

Make distinct patterns possible by storing the shaped dough cold and open to air.

How the dough will bloom when put into a hot steamy oven is a sum of all things that have happened so far in the process. It’s not all about how the blade cuts the surface of what’s to become the crust.

With all thing being equal up to the point of the loaf being shaped and ready for the second rise, there are some details that (to me) makes a huge difference. This is what this tip is all about. Storing the shaped loaf in a way that it can be exposed to a moderate amount of circulating air, for an extended period of time. This gives you a surface that holds a little less water. A sharp blade will have an easier time getting distinct cuts.

I’ve experimented with a lot of different materials and timings here and I find cane baskets a good alternative for letting air come in contact with the dough. Using a cloth of cotton or linen (or a mix) with a light weaving also helps (too tight and thick and the moist will stay at the surface). By storing it cold in the fridge the dough will be exposed longer and the surface will dry more.

Please note that how the dough then rises in the oven after the scoring could be dramatically affected by other variables then the cuts on the surface, such as fermentation, structure, tension, heat, steam and more (on danlarn.com I have an extensive 2-part scoring guide if you want to learn more).

Let’s talk a little bit about the loaf featured in this video too. I would say that the surface could have been a bit drier, and that it would be better to score less if the goal was a higher rise. The jagged fallen leaf still turned out very nice if you ask me! Had this dough been stored in a sealed bag, it might have been too difficult to score cleanly.

I’ve basically been having a dough rising every day during the last years. Most often in a bowl or a box, and if not; in my thoughts.
Along with the coming week’s posts I will share 10 of the most valuable insights I’ve had that’s lead to more consistent result in baking high quality, beautiful goods from home (in no particular order).
Would love it if you comment or DM with questions, I always do my best to answer!

Get that round shaped pizza with fluffy Cornicione (edges) easily by using an individual container for each dough ball.

By putting the shaped pizza dough ball in a round and very slightly oiled container, with lid, you will make the whole pizza process a delight! In my experience, this method will help you keep shape and gas. Something easily lost when lifting and separating proofed dough balls.

• Just turn it upside down and let gravity do its thing (shake it lightly to help if you’re impatient). Oh, and in the video I’ve cut ahead to the release to spare you the shaking.
• Let it land upon a pile of flour and put some more on top.
• Pat it gently to open it up a little at a time to preserve its original round shape.
• Lift it away from the pillow of white dust and dust it off lightly to lose some of the most excess flour, then put it on a cleaner surface. I like using a cutting board to reduce the cleaning time.

How you proceed from here Is up to you to make the pizza open up as evenly as possible. I’m currently practicing at the method in the video. Just feels good (once again working with gravity as my tool).

Also, the longer you’ve proofed the ball, and the more water and weaker flour you’re using, the easier will the ball open up into a pizza ball.

Today’s dough was made from 80% Caputo Tip 00 (Blue bag) and 20% strong wheat flour (Kvalitetsvete Berte). It usually turns out very slack, so I tend to put it in the fridge for some time before the shaping phase, to gain a little more control.

No matter what, the trick with the round container will make it easier and that’s what’s at focus here. 0,5-liter containers fit very well for dough balls up to 250g. I prefer around 220g (such as in this video) to make it bake faster.

The pictures shows two pizzas baked in a home electrical oven (on a steel). The first one after a 24-hour rise, the second after another 16 in the fridge.

I’ve basically been having a dough rising every day during the last years. Most often in a bowl or a box, and if not; in my thoughts.
Along with the coming week’s posts I will share 10 of the most valuable insights I’ve had that’s lead to more consistent result in baking high quality, beautiful goods from home (in no particular order).
Would love it if you comment or DM with questions, I always do my best to answer!

The Sourdough Starter! Expect consistency in result by treating your starter with consistency

Feed your starter at the same timings each day, with the same type of flour, at the same ratios and keep it at the same temperatures!

Your aim should be to have a starter that doubles in size over the same period of time. Adapting the variables above slightly over time to reach this when you notice the change in timings.

I myself am a living thing. I like food and I like to have regularity in the intake of energy. Breakfast, lunch and dinner at about the same time each day makes me happy. And some snacks in between of course. I enjoy eating food I’m used to and like. I like being moderately warm and I really don’t like being cold! All this is of course very natural to you and me as human beings.
And my greatest tip to keeping an active healthy starter is to give these things also to your millions of living yeast bacteria.
Do not cut corners over a long time. Of course, I could starve for a couple of days too, In a cooler. I’d survive that and function, yet I wouldn’t be very happy or productive. Your starter will probably function to leaven a dough too, with inconsistency in the feeding, yet the full potential wouldn’t be reached!

The 1st picture shows the crumb of yesterday’s sourdough loaf. 25% fresh milled organic Ölands wheat and the rest organic bread flour from my region (Limabacka kvarn). 74% hydration and a long healthy fermentation, starting with an active and happy starter!

The 2nd picture shows my starter in regress on a warm day, after peaking and having a high acidic load.

The 3rd picture shows my starters rise in progress from today (a couple of hours in).

I’ve basically been having a dough rising every day during the last years. Most often in a bowl or a box, and if not; in my thoughts.
Along with the coming week’s posts I will share 10 of the most valuable insights I’ve had that’s lead to more consistent result in baking high quality, beautiful goods from home (in no particular order).
Would love it if you comment or DM with questions, I always do my best to answer!