Sourdough anybody?

[FrenchBoule]

Just started baking my bread, anybody else keen on the taste and willing to exchange some tips?

Also recently started baking sourdough. Found the UK sourdough FB group to be welcoming and helpful.

Here's my latest bake using this easy recipe; www.baked-theblog.com/everyday-sourdough-bread/

Fed the starter this afternoon, going to feed it again in the morning, autolyse and s&f. Shaping in the evening, bake tomorrow after overnight fridge proof

That’s a good looking loaf. Recipe?
This is my current go to recipe which I start the day before.
150g active starter (teaspoonful in a glass of water to check it floats)
100g rye flour
400g white bread flour
350g room temperature water (I use bottled as very hard water here)
10g sea salt
50g of seeds (pumpkin, sunflower are my favourites) (optional)
Mix and lowest speed with dough hook in Kenwood Chef bowl for 4 minutes then at medium speed for 6 minutes.
Tip out onto floured surface and knead briefly, folding dough like an envelope and creating some tension on the topside.
Place in bowl in warmish place, covered with a plastic shower cap for at least 2 hours, during which time there should be an obvious rise.
Repeat the hand kneading to create a boule shape and place upside down in banneton, with the shower cap on top.
Refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, remove from the fridge and pre-heat the oven to highest setting. Place baking sheet on oven shelf at about the middle position. Mine is aluminium (Mermaid).
Place a metal roasting dish lower down as oven gets to temperature and half fill with boiling water.
Remove top tin and sprinkle semolina or rice flour on it.
Invert the banneton over the sheet and hope the dough comes out under the force of gravity.
Slash dough to your pattern.
Bake for 15 minutes at top temperature, then lower to 200 another 15 and another 10 minutes at 180.
Remove and place in a canvas bag or inside a tea towel until cool.
Slice and enjoy.
It freezes well in slices, if it lasts that long!
If you want it quicker, you can bake at about 2 hours into the second rise but I’m getting a better result with the overnight fridge rise.

Ooh place marking for Granny’s amazing recipe.

Does the bottled water really make a difference? We are also in a hard water area.

No idea but I read somewhere that it does and at 17p for 2 litres from Aldi I’ve made the executive decision to use it, lol.

Soft water here so I just take tap water, let it stand for a while to get rid of chlorine and add some boiled water from the kettle to get it to tepid temperature.
@GrannyD57 I use exactly the same ratio of flour/water and about 150g of levain.
Great tip about temperature, thank you very much as I was keeping it a bit high.
I also put additional dish underneath casserole dish that bread goes in. It was getting overdone at the bottom too quickly( your tip to lower the temperature might sort this problem @GrannyD57 ,thank you)
I like rye flour, it gives my bread wuite distinctive taste. I also use a mixture of high protein white and wholemeal bread flours.
Last batch I flavoured with herbs and caramelised onions. It was delicious( note was)
I love it. Bread and butter makes best sandwich, just waiting for my tomatoes to grow

@FrenchBoule, glad to be of help but frankly I get a different result every time! Did a quick mix before running at 8am, second rise about 2 hours later and then baked about 3.5 hours after that. Lovely loaf with lots of air holes. Every time I go into the kitchen it mysteriously gets smaller!
Tell us more about the caramelised onion etc and when you add them.
Very excited that DH has booked me a sourdough baking course in August as an early birthday present. Hoping to learn more and particularly about slashing which I am rubbish at.