Kitchen
The bread and baking side of Field Notes — what works, what didn't, and the numbers.
Weekday sourdough, the current version
October
- 500 g flour (450 white, 50 whole rye)
- 375 g water, 100 g levain, 10 g salt
- Bulk 4–5 h at 24 °C, four sets of folds
- Cold retard 30–36 h, bake 20 min lid on at 250 °C, 22 min lid off at 230 °C
The long retard is doing most of the flavour work. Rye above 15% makes the crumb noticeably tighter.
Feeding the starter less often
September
A stiff starter (50% hydration) in the fridge survives a week between feeds and wakes up with one refresh the night before baking.
Focaccia for a crowd
August
Same dough at 80% hydration, a generous pour of olive oil in a half-sheet pan, dimpled twice. Rosemary and flaky salt only — it does not need more.