Hah! Here's a good one and shows that the float test doesn't mean it's ready (like I used to believe): The other day I made a levain to mix into 1,000 grams of flour, etc. (to make two loaves of bread). After mixing the flour, water and starter for the full amount of levain needed, I split it into two separate jars to rise and set them next to each other to get ready for baking (my thought was that two smaller amounts of levain would rise faster than one large one). After 5 hours, both had more than doubled in size with tons of bubbles (big and small) as well as a domed shape on the top of each. I did the float test on both -- one floated beautifully and the other sank like a lead weight!!! So ... from now on I will go by at least doubling in size with tons of bubbles and a domed top!!!!
September 25, 2020 at 6:31pm
Hah! Here's a good one and shows that the float test doesn't mean it's ready (like I used to believe): The other day I made a levain to mix into 1,000 grams of flour, etc. (to make two loaves of bread). After mixing the flour, water and starter for the full amount of levain needed, I split it into two separate jars to rise and set them next to each other to get ready for baking (my thought was that two smaller amounts of levain would rise faster than one large one). After 5 hours, both had more than doubled in size with tons of bubbles (big and small) as well as a domed shape on the top of each. I did the float test on both -- one floated beautifully and the other sank like a lead weight!!! So ... from now on I will go by at least doubling in size with tons of bubbles and a domed top!!!!