So… my hope is to convert the 90% hydration Sodo starter to 100% hydration, make a load that is both well-shaped and has the signature large holes of a sourdough, and then do away with the 50% hydration starter (1 rye and 1 wheat sourdough starter is enough!).

I was planning to try this next weekend but it’s Sourdough Surprise next weekend, and I’ll be doing a rye sourdough soda bread and we don’t need 2 loaves of bread on a weekend, but more importantly Soph has made lemon curd, and that needs to be spread on some tasty toast!

Converting the starter to 100% hydration is just adding a little extra water, so the refresh will be:

• 250g fridge starter
• 175g white bread flour
• 50g wholemeal bread flour
• 25g rye flour
• 250g water

For the production sourdough I’m going to add 50g of water, which takes me from 100/60/40 flour/starter/water to 100/60/50. Not much of a change, but I don’t want to end up with the Bread Matters sloppy goo that fell of the baking stone!

• 500g flour
  • 350g white bread flour
  • 100g wholemeal flour
  • 50g rye flour
• 300g starter
• 250g water
• 10g salt

Also I’m going to adjust the technique. Rising and proofing above the radiator means I don’t think I need quite as long as I did last time. Plus I’d like to do the stretch & fold a couple of times during the process. So I’m going to try:

• Refresh starter
• Leave for 3 hours
• Make production sourdough (and put excess back in the fridge)
• Knead
• Leave for 1 hour
• Stretch and fold
• Leave for 1 hour
• Stretch and fold
• Roll into ball, roll in wholemeal bread flour
• Into banneton
• Proof for 2 hours
• Oven to 230C fan (max) to heat bread stone for 1 hour
• Turn out dough onto floured baking sheet
• Score really deep
• Into oven, on bread stone, turn down to 200C fan
• Bake 10 mins
• Down to 180C fan
• Bake for another 30 minutes
• Test temp
• Cool on rack

Making the dough with the extra water didn’t look that different…

I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to stretch and fold because it would be too dense. However it turned out not to be a problem :)

After the second stretch-and-fold it feeling nice and airy, and it’s into the banneton.

It was at this point that apple pie got in the way in the oven. Oops. So there was an extra hour of proofing…

Anyway… after baking all is looking great!

Inside it looks more like it should :) But maybe it could be better…