Hi Aileen, were you able to use our Bread flour in this recipe? We've found it's a fairly critical ingredient because of the super high hydration of this recipe. I think another factor might be what size pan you use and how you distribute the oil in it. Using a smaller 7" X 10" pan, or an 8" X 8" pan, and being sure the oil is distributed evenly on both the sides and the bottom of the pan can help a lot with that first "bowl" fold. Also, a warmer environment (75-78F) helps ensure that the dough is fermenting at pace with the folds, as the growing airiness of the dough also provides necessary structure. If you house happens to be quite cool this year, using the warmer water as recommend in the "Tips" section of this recipe can be helpful, and you might also find it necessary to find a slightly warmer spot for your dough to dwell in between folds. I've found that if I boil some water on the stove and stick it in the microwave in a pyrex cup along side my pan of dough, this will keep it warm for an hour or so.
February 6, 2022 at 11:36am
In reply to This is my second attempt… by Aileen (not verified)
Hi Aileen, were you able to use our Bread flour in this recipe? We've found it's a fairly critical ingredient because of the super high hydration of this recipe. I think another factor might be what size pan you use and how you distribute the oil in it. Using a smaller 7" X 10" pan, or an 8" X 8" pan, and being sure the oil is distributed evenly on both the sides and the bottom of the pan can help a lot with that first "bowl" fold. Also, a warmer environment (75-78F) helps ensure that the dough is fermenting at pace with the folds, as the growing airiness of the dough also provides necessary structure. If you house happens to be quite cool this year, using the warmer water as recommend in the "Tips" section of this recipe can be helpful, and you might also find it necessary to find a slightly warmer spot for your dough to dwell in between folds. I've found that if I boil some water on the stove and stick it in the microwave in a pyrex cup along side my pan of dough, this will keep it warm for an hour or so.