Thank you for having this Baker blog. I have been using KA flour for at least 30 years. This is the first time I have needed to reach out for help...I have been baking sourdough bread for 1.5 years with beautiful results. My husband has colitis and can tolerate my bread. The last couple of months though, I get one, sometimes two large quarter to 50 cent size round holes running through my sourdough loaf. The flavor of the bread has not been compromised, just the annoying hole. I give the loaves enough time with Autolyse, bulk fermentation, pre-shape, and shape with no flour on my marble baking table for the needed tension. The loaves go into the refrigerator overnight, and then I bake my bread in an Emile Henry baking cloche. I’ve purchased a hanging thermometer to make sure my oven temp is correct. The loaves look good on the outside, but once they are cut, there is that big hole again. I maintain and feed my starter every day with 50grams of starter, 50 grams of water, and 50 grams of 50-50 bread flour. Always KA whole wheat bread flour and KA white bread flour. Except right after I make my dough for loaves and then and I use 50 grams of leaven, 50 grams of Rye flour, and 50 grams of water for a couple of days, then I go back to the 50-50 bread flour ratio. Yesterday in desperation I decided to buy a Challenger BreadWare pan, I’m wondering if it’s the cloche lid maybe not being tight enough and steam is escaping. Please advise, and thank you very much for any and all help. Corrine
April 30, 2021 at 10:11pm
Thank you for having this Baker blog. I have been using KA flour for at least 30 years. This is the first time I have needed to reach out for help...I have been baking sourdough bread for 1.5 years with beautiful results. My husband has colitis and can tolerate my bread. The last couple of months though, I get one, sometimes two large quarter to 50 cent size round holes running through my sourdough loaf. The flavor of the bread has not been compromised, just the annoying hole. I give the loaves enough time with Autolyse, bulk fermentation, pre-shape, and shape with no flour on my marble baking table for the needed tension. The loaves go into the refrigerator overnight, and then I bake my bread in an Emile Henry baking cloche. I’ve purchased a hanging thermometer to make sure my oven temp is correct. The loaves look good on the outside, but once they are cut, there is that big hole again. I maintain and feed my starter every day with 50grams of starter, 50 grams of water, and 50 grams of 50-50 bread flour. Always KA whole wheat bread flour and KA white bread flour. Except right after I make my dough for loaves and then and I use 50 grams of leaven, 50 grams of Rye flour, and 50 grams of water for a couple of days, then I go back to the 50-50 bread flour ratio. Yesterday in desperation I decided to buy a Challenger BreadWare pan, I’m wondering if it’s the cloche lid maybe not being tight enough and steam is escaping. Please advise, and thank you very much for any and all help. Corrine