Sorry I’ve been so quiet these past couple of months!
We’ve had a bad run with coughs and colds (I’ve had three since the beginning of March) and it’s been hard to get the momentum up to blog.
That said, I’ve still been baking every week, and Priscilla has been in fine form, producing loaves with wonderful texture and flavour. In many ways, her winter loaves are even tastier than her summer ones (I think it’s the longer proving time)…
Here’s the shaping trick I use these days to achieve a holey crumb – adapted from a technique taught to me by the son of an old Italian baker. Emilie has a similar method in her book as well (Artisan Sourdough Made Simple).
Small Man, with his rock steady magician’s hands, took this video for me…
Start with a high hydration dough – I use 100g starter, 750g water, 1kg bakers flour and 18g sea salt.
Once the dough has proved overnight, divide it up, roughly shape each piece into a ball and allow it to rest on a well dusted bench (I use fine semolina) for about 15 minutes. When it’s time for the final shaping, flip the ball seam side up, then flatten it out. Now wet your fingers in cold water and shake off the excess. Push your fingertips right down to the bench top (but not through the dough) dimpling the dough as you might a focaccia. Then shape into a loaf, prove and bake as per normal. It works a treat! ♥
very interesting technique, and the video is super helpful – I have a hard time shaping a batard with more pointed ends, and with this shaping in mind I’ll go at it this weekend!
I don’t always want holes but it’s useful to know the dimpling technique. I’m pleased you have come out the other side of your run of respiratory lurgies. Fingers crossed, only a month of winter remaining, stay well ♡
Thankyou, I will give this technique a go for sure :-) Also is your lovely Priscilla available to purchase please?
I’m sorry, but I don’t sell my starter and I don’t have any to give away at the moment!
Always so helpful, thank you 😘😘😘
Hi Celia Hope you feel much better My Starter ‘ died ‘ a couple of months ago and I want to BUY another from you.. I’ve bought my son and his girl all the gear they need to start Baking as they now live in the Blue Mountains so I’ll give them half with the instructions on how to get it frothing and bubbling like the witches of Macbeth Please allow me to send you some bucks and I’ll be eternally greatful
Thanks so much
Len
Sent from my iPhone
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I’m sorry Len, but I don’t have any starter to share at the moment. I’ll let you know when I do!
So sorry to hear you have been so under the weather Celia. So pleased you back up and at ’em. Beautiful holey loaf.
Have a beautiful and happy day.
:-) Mandy xo
Sorry to hear about your cold and coughing issues, hope you will be back in full energy soon. It’s a real hot summer here in California, USA, so I didn’t feel like turning on the oven for baking bread. I love the technique you are suggesting here. Have to revive my lovely Priscilla again. Much blessings to you and your health.
Nice one Celia, hope you feel better soon. Coughs and colds seem to hang on longer these days. So many wild black berries on the rail embankment behind my house behind a high wall we are plagued with fruit flies and they love starter. I prefer autumn and winter for sourdough so just doing overnight sponges.
I hope you are now fully recovered.
Great video thanks for sharing.
Hi Celia.
Very helpful video, thank you.
I’m also finding the longer proving time changing the texture and flavour of my bread. I love the way making bread is always a little bit different throughout the year.
To those asking for sourdough starter.
Be brave and have a go at growing your own, it’s not as difficult as you might think.
I’ve had good success with mine and have had it for a couple of years.
Stay healthy everyone 🙂
Sue
I always love your bread posts Celia. Lovely technique and such vibrantly alive dough.
Three colds this year, that sounds bad – so debilitating when your immunity is down and you can’t fight them off. I’ve had my first cold this year, one that travelled via my granddaughter through my husband, then was mutated through the jetstar aircon, developed a little further through the coughy windy Balinese cold season, then added to further by more jestar aircon.
Get well soon and rest more, however boring that is.
Ooh dear, Echinacea Forte I think is the go, liquid is the best absorbed quickly. Either that or some pollution free air down here in Tassie.
I also need a new starter do you have a good recipe to get one going? I like bread with holes but do find them messy, the butter and marmalade drip through. I just have to resort to licking fingers I guess.
Hi Celia, I hope all of your ill health of late is now behind you. Thanks for this beautiful new video on holey bread, which I’ll be doing tonight when I shape my loaves. Regarding sourdough starter, I have some that I want to dry and then post to a friend in Tasmania, but she insists that the postal system won’t allow it for bio-security reasons and says that both of us (sender and receiver) will be fined. I’m wondering if you ever posted some of Priscilla to Tas and if this is correct? Writing about my experience and struggles with sourdough on my blog recently, I’ve posted links to your blog again as I think it’s one of the best for learning about the skill, and the visuals of your wonderful videos.
Cheers from Sally at Jembella Farm
Hi Sally, I’ve never had a problem posting dried starter anywhere including Tasmania, but I guess if your friend is worried then you shouldn’t do it. Thanks for the link love! :)
Hi Celia,
Thanks so much for the video – extremely helpful. It made sense of this excerpt from Giorgio Locatelli’s book, Made In Italy: Food and Stories, sent by a fellow sourdough fiend (‘friend’😉), to help me understand the Italian dimpling technique: “Instead of kneading, most of our breads involve a technique of “folding”, the Italian way of incorporating more air into the dough, to help and speed up fermentation and lighten the finished bread. We call it the colomba, which means “dove”, because it is as if we are folding the “wings” of the dough. We spread the dough out into a rough rectangle by pressing down with the fingers (hold the fingers vertically, not at an angle), stretching and dimpling the dough at the same time, to create pockets in which air can be trapped. Then we fold the top third of the dough into the centre, and dimple it lightly again. Next we fold the bottom third of the dough over the top, dimple again. Then we turn the dough 45 degrees and repeat.”
I always look forward to your posts, and the comments too – thanks again!
P.S. Re posting fermented items such as sourdough starter, kefir grains etc., another friend who was overwhelmed by the prodigality of her water kefir grains that she posted some to me. Feeding beforehand and adding a little water she wrapped the grains several times in cling wrap, sealed them, then placed in a padded bag. It arrived a week later, package a little puffier than when it left home, but none the worse for its adventure. Conclusion: I don’t think there is any problem with posting sourdough starter in Australia, wet or dry! 😅
I am going to try this Celia, thank you to you and Small Man x
Your bread is always so beautiful! Just getting my starter back to full strength after having been away from it for 4 months.