Finally picked sourdough over commercial yeast for my baguettes

I always used instant yeast for baguettes because it's faster, but last month at a bakery in Chicago I tried a 24 hour sourdough version and the crust was way better. Made the switch for my Sunday bake and the flavor depth is insane even though the timing is trickier. Has anyone else found sourdough worth the extra wait for lean breads?

3 comments

3 Comments

angelarivera1mo ago

Wait do you mean a 24 hour bulk fermentation or a 24 hour final proof? Because if you let sourdough baguettes proof for 24 hours you're probably gonna get overproofed dough that collapses in the oven. That 24 hour window is usually for the bulk ferment at a cold temperature, not the shaped baguettes themselves. For me the real trick is keeping the dough cold enough during that long ferment so the yeast doesn't run out of food before baking. I've had batches turn out flat and sticky when I got the timing wrong. The crust gets that deep caramel color though for sure.

king.val1mo ago

You're spot on @angelarivera, that 24 hours is definitely for the bulk ferment at fridge temps, not the shaped loaves. I made that mistake once and ended up with baguettes that spread out like pancakes in the oven. The crumb was all gummy and dense instead of airy. For me the trick has been keeping my counter around 65 degrees during shaping and doing the final proof just until they're puffy but still spring back quick when poked. That cold bulk ferment does give you such a nice deep color on the crust though, almost like a dark amber. It's a fine line between perfect and overdone but worth dialing in.

evan_cooper731mo ago

You ever have a batch just go totally sideways on you? I had a batch of ciabatta once where I got the bulk ferment timing wrong and the dough was basically soup when I tried to shape it. Ended up scraping it into the trash and ordering pizza instead. @king.val that 65 degree counter tip is solid, I've been keeping my flour in the garage during winter to keep things cooler. Works like a charm for the final proof.