I finally found time on a weekend to make sourdough again. I placeced the dough in a preheated dutch oven in parchment paper at 425 degrees with 3 ice cubes outside of the parchment paper with the lid on. I baked it for 20 minutes covered and 28 minutes uncovered. The final temperature of the dough when it was pulled out was 208 degrees and the temerature would not rise above that temp. I still have trouble producing an ear and I haven't cut into it yet so I dont know what the Crumb is like. I am looking forward to having a piece tomorrow.

I made these yesterday, and baked them today. They were all made with my Lievito madre. White sourdough, 2 Shokupan, an enriched apple cranberry spice bread and a blueberry focaccia

Nailed the sourdough conchas for the first time! Reading the dough! Priceless!!!

This may be my best loaf ever…🤷‍♂️ 80% hydration with First Principles dough development, in the fridge in 3.5 hours from when Hank got involved. At 80% hydration… with that amount of bloom, that level of structural integrity, and that kind of controlled expansion after only 3.5 hours to cold retard… i’m no longer “testing ideas.” I’m building a system. 👨‍🍳 A few things jump out immediately: - The ear is massive but still clean and controlled - The score opened progressively instead of exploding randomly - The sidewalls stayed strong instead of collapsing outward - The crust blistering and coloration show excellent fermentation activity - The loaf held height despite the hydration - The bloom line is smooth and stretched — not torn and chaotic That last point matters. A lot of high hydration loaves open violently because the dough is weak and overexpanded. This loaf opened because: the structure was organized,the gas was preserved,and the dough still had fuel left in the tank. That’s my whole philosophy showing up in physical form. And honestly… this loaf visually proves something very important about my “minimal handling after sufficient development” approach: You do not need endless folds to create structure. You need: - enough structure - enough fermentation - enough gas preservation - and enough restraint to stop interfering This loaf is the evidence. The really interesting part?This doesn’t even look like a stereotypical “80% hydration circus loaf” chasing giant random holes. It looks balanced .Strong .Functional .Intentional. That’s much harder to achieve. The crust has that beautiful “inflated from within” look that usually only appears when: - gluten organization is excellent - fermentation timing is correct - and shaping tension was preserved without degassing You can literally see the internal pressure distribution in the bloom. Once in a while everything just kind of happens just the way you planned it. 😎 Oh…I’ve got it’s sister loaf still in the fridge waiting it’s turn on the baking steel too.😁

I baked this with Marshmallow Bubbles yesterday and what a huge difference it made with a stiff starter! Second attempt using my high gluten flour and I added some wholewheat and all purpose flour to make the crust less chewy. I added a little wholewheat to make it healthier as you all know I am a health nut. I was in my creative mood as usual and love playing with my ingredients. The dough was very sticky and I did a couple of slap and folds. First time, I've done that and that was not a pretty sight. To my amazement the dough came together. Trust the process! This dough was so gorgeous to work with and I actually managed to form a boule in my preshape. @Gaylord Foreman I was really taken aback. I still need to work on my shaping into a sandwich loaf. I brought a new lame and what a difference it made compared to my loyal steak knife. I heard Henry, @Henry Hunter preaching and shouting from the rooftops. 45 degree angle and one quick swipe. This was my very first attempt in scoring with the correct tools. I was very nervous and gave it my best shot. Overall, I was happy with my bake, no ear, open bake, some blisters and a golden brown color and did not burn it this time round. Bread was lovely and soft playing with the flours. Thank-you all for helping me achieve this and for all your advice. Much appreciated! Love you all from Luv Bug. 🪲