This is the second batch of sourdough culture developed in a bowl in increments, careless increments, then formed into loaves and panned, fermented in cold storage for four days then brought out to proof, to overproof actually, and bake.
Shown after the third batch developed in the bowl due to its cold storage. The third batch was not stored.
I'm having trouble with this culture and it's mostly my fault by neglecting its feedings and allowing it to languish and then feeding it irregularly throughout.
This is approaching peak activity so there is hope, but I'll be trying to push it along faster by feeding it sooner than peak. And keep pushing it. If I can keep that up for a few days the bubbling should be quite active and if not then the culture will be discarded.
The flavor of the bread is excellent and I have no complaint about that, but the activity of the culture is low and slow so far and that is not acceptable. Fierce fast cultures are more fun.
The inelasticity of the aged dough and the slowness and low activity are two crippling problems with this culture if they cannot be remedied then the culture will not be useful.
The plan is to bring the activity of the culture to fully fierce as possible then use a fresh sample at its peak to inoculate a larger batch of dough, as with commercial yeast, in an attempt to prevent the organisms from consuming the wheat protein so completely as this and leaving it with exhausted gluten as happened with these first three batches.
Mind, the bread is still very good and easy to digest too, the organisms did half of that already, and a small piece of bread is near to a meal in itself, very satisfying bread, but I need more lift from the yeast culture for proper loaves.
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