I have been baking bread for about a year now, and I'm /starting/ to
get a handle on the various factors that influence the flavor and
texture of a sourdough bread. However, most recipes and books I have
read are geared towards producing loaves with an extremely crisp,
crackly crust. While I definitely love this style of bread, my
girlfriend prefers bread with a softer texture & crust (her main
criteria for picking out bread in the grocery store is "squishiness").
In the interest of seeking a compromise, I am trying to figure out
how to produce a sourdough loaf with all the sour flavor & keeping
quality, but without the extreme crackly crust. I imagine it would
be possible to conduct dozens of experiments to come up with an
answer, but I am hoping to draw on the considerable expertise of this
mailing list. Here are some factors that I have considered:
Possible factors:
* Baking on a sheet pan rather than stone. This one seems promising,
but will it impact oven spring? I would prefer not to lose bread
volume, if possible.
* Baking at lower temperature for longer time. Would this give a softer crust?
* Duration of final proofing. I have been retarding the dough in the
fridge overnight before baking in order to increase flavor. But does
retarding also result in a crisper crust?
* Hydration of dough. It seems like a dryer dough would have a softer
crust, but I'm not sure. (I'm basing this on the extra-crisp crust of
high-hyrdation breads like ciabatta, but I can't really grasp the
physics or chemistry of why this should be so
* Oven steam. Would adding less steam result in a softer curst? Or is
it the other way around?
* Adding fats. I would prefer to avoid this one, but would adding
milk, oil, or butter influence crust texture?
Obviously, a basic requirement is not losing the great flavor of
traditional sourdough. If anyone has any expertise or insight into
the best manipulation or combination of factors, I'd certainly love
to hear about it!
Thanks,
-Chris