This Instagram Recap is a compilation of posts I made way back in December and January of 2018/2019 (see this post for more info about these recaps). I made a 10 part series focused on the importance of bulk fermentation and its role in the structural development of a dough. It seemed to me at the time that a fuller, more nuanced discussion of the subject would be helpful for many of the folks who were following me since it’s often the case that problems in the final loaf can be traced back to problems with the bulk fermentation.
Now, the first two posts in this recap weren’t actually a part of the series — they are the posts that immediately preceded the start of the series. But it was the discussion in those two posts that led up to the creation of the actual series so I feel they rightfully belong as part of this recap. Consider them the prelude.
For this series I was trying to relay some of the information that could be found in my book, “Open Crumb Mastery,” but in a more condensed form better suited to the space limitations of Instagram. It’s not an easy task. Still, judging from the response, it seems that many folks found it quite helpful. Hopefully you will as well . . .
Link to Instagram post (12/11/18)
Let’s talk about shape, height and volume. I often discuss these three qualities as indicaters of fermentation, structure building, and dough handling. For reference, this is the same 85% hydration loaf as my last two posts. To get a better look at the height and shape of this loaf, see the cut video from two posts back.
Shape: Is the loaf round and voluptuous? Limp and saggy? Is it nice and even or misshapen? Prominent ear or no ear? Symmetrical or lopsided?
Height: Is the loaf tall or flat? Is it the same height from end to end? Taller on one side than the other? Or is it tall in the center with sloping shoulders and short ends?
Volume: How much space does the loaf take up relative to its weight? Does the loaf feel light and airy, like a balloon? Or does it feel heavy and dense, like a bowling ball?
Taken together, these three qualities reveal much. A tall, round, voluminous loaf indicates proper judgment of fermentation, solid structure building, and skilled dough handling. A flatter, limper and denser loaf shows the opposite.
Crumb is not everything. A loaf might have a wonderful open crumb when looked at in a crumb shot, but may have a flattish profile or significantly sloping shoulders when seen from the side. The crumb itself may indicate good fermentation, but the flat profile and sloping shoulders may indicate a lack of appropriate structure building or insufficient shaping. The wetter the dough, the more difficult it is to get it to stand tall and hold a round, full, even shape. Therefore, vigorous fermentation, structure building and dough handling become all the more important. Cheers! 😎 #opencrumbmastery
Link to Instagram Post (12/12/18)
Open crumb is not everything. I know that may sound a little funny coming from the guy who wrote “Open Crumb Mastery” (there’s a link to it in my profile 😉), but it’s true. As I noted in yesterday’s post; shape, height and volume are also important factors in the quality of a loaf. What good is a nice open crumb if the rest of the loaf is flat, misshapen or sloped?
One of the key elements to achieving enviable shape, height and volume is structure building. How much dough structure you build, and the way in which you build it, will have a huge effect on the quality of the final loaf. Most structure building takes place during bulk fermentation. How you manage bulk determines not only the shape, height and volume potential of your loaf, but also the openess and pattern of the crumb – – different strategies will produce different results. So it’s important to use an intelligent and *intentional* approach to bulk fermentation in order to achieve whichever qualities you are looking for.
Suffice it to say, managing bulk is primarily a matter of fermentation activity, percentage volume rise, and folding strategy. Each of these three factors are, in themselves, composed of many interconnected variables, so it’s important to understand these variables if you want to manage bulk intentionally.
And because of all these entwined variables, there are many potential ways of managing bulk so as to attain the specific qualities you desire. The subject is much too deep and complex to cover in a single post (which is why I wrote the book), but perhaps another series might be called for in order to help cover some of the specifics. What do you think? 🤔 #opencrumbmastery
Link to Instagram Post (12/14/18)
This is Part 1 of a new series. But first, I want to say a big “THANK YOU” to everyone who contributed comments, suggestions and advice in my last post. You’ve given me much food for thought, and plenty to research and consider. I greatly appreciate it! 👊😎 Now then, this series will continue the recent theme of how bulk fermentation and structure building contribute to shape, height, volume, and crumb. These qualities are all interrelated so there’ll be some overlap, and I may jump around a bit, hopping back and forth between subjects. Let’s start with shape…. A full round and pleasing shape is easy to come by with stiffer dough, but more difficult to attain with wet dough. Stiff dough likes to hold form whereas wet dough likes to spread. The key to achieving a nice full shape with wet dough is to minimize spread. We do that with proper structure building during bulk.
This loaf is 85% hydration, yet it holds a lovely tall round shape. In the second picture, note how the loaf remains an even height across almost its entire length, and then drops like a cliff at the heels. This allows tall even slices throughout its entirety.
This is in contrast to a loaf with sloping shoulders – – tall in the center, but gradually sloping down towards the shorter edges. Sloping loaves provide a couple tall slices in the center, but then slices get shorter and shorter as you move closer to the ends. Good luck making a sandwich with a mismatched tall center slice and short end slice.
Looks like I’m just about out of space here, so tomorrow I’ll discuss more of the specifics about how bulk fermentation and structure building can be used to minimize spread and maximize shape. Cheers! #opencrumbmastery
Link to Instagram post (12/15/18)
Part 2 in this series about bulk fermentation effects on shape, height, volume and crumb. Continuing from yesterday’s post about shape…. This loaf is 85% hydration. Please note its tall, round and full shape. This loaf is not limp, saggy, flat, or sloped. It has a pleasing shape and fairly even height from end to end. This shape shows good structure. As noted yesterday, the key to such nice shape lies in minimizing spread. Spread is what causes sloped shoulders and flat saggy loaves. Spread is mainly caused by three things…. 1) Underfermentation. If you missed my series about underfermentation a couple weeks back then go read it. Underfermentation is probably the most common cause of spread. Remember, fermentation creates gas bubbles which are the bricks in our structure (gluten is the mortar). Poor fermentation = no gas bubbles = no structure = excessive spread.
2) Excessive hydration. Understand that the term “excessive” is relative. What’s excessive for one may not be excessive for another. A skillful shaper can create more surface tension than a less skilled shaper. More surface tension = less spread. There is no benefit to making wetter dough than you can comfortably handle. It will only result in excessive spread, flat loaves, poor shape, and frustration.
3) Poor structural development. Wetter dough requires more structural development to hold a nice shape than stiffer dough. Fermentation is one component of structural development. Folds are another. Folding organizes the dough and creates tension. More tension = less spread. The wetter the dough, the quicker it will release tension, and so the more frequently folds should be performed (up to a point). Even a very skilled shaper will be hard pressed to create a tall round shape from wet dough that was given no folds. Even if that dough was properly fermented, it will still suffer from lack of structural development relative to its hydration.
If your dough suffers from excessive spread, then it is likely due to one of these three causes (or some combination). Cheers! #opencrumbmastery
Link to Instagram post (12/17/18)
Part 3 of this series about bulk fermentation effects on shape, height, volume, and crumb. Today let’s talk a bit about crumb. This is just an introduction to help develop the right mindset and prepare you for further discussion in a later post.
In order to effectively discuss how bulk fermentation affects the crumb of our loaf, we first need to identify particular traits in our crumb so that we can trace them back to their cause. Simply saying that crumb is open or not open isn’t very helpful. After all, there are many patterns of open crumb – – and the methods that produce one result may not necessarily produce another.
It is for this reason that I categorized four different patterns of crumb in my ebook (there’s a link to it in my profile): open irregular (classical artisan), open and even (honeycomb), molten (Tartine-style), and underfermented (fool’s crumb). I also included a 5th quality of “lacy” that can sometimes be found amongst the other patterns (except for in Fool’s Crumb). With these definitions in hand we can begin figuring out cause and effect. But it’s important to understand that baking bread is a complex and dynamic process – – results are determined by a vast combination of interconnected variables. Cause and effect cannot be perfectly predicted because when you change one variable you inevitably affect a multitude of other variables. But patterns *can* be discovered, if you are observant. So it’s best to think in terms of “tendencies” or “inclinations” rather than absolutes.
How we manage bulk fermentation plays a huge role in the crumb we achieve. And if you understand which variables tend to lead to certain effects, then you can intelligently and *intentionally* design your methods to better your chances at achieving those effects. Cheers! #opencrumbmastery
Link to Instagram post (12/18/18)
Part 4 in this series about bulk fermentation effects on shape, height, volume, and crumb. Continuing on from yesterday’s introduction to crumb patterns…. This is just a collection of old crumb shots to give you an idea of the various crumb patterns that can emerge. It is only a tiny fraction of what’s possible. Note that some are fairly even while others are more irregular. Some have deep holes, others have shallow holes. Some have larger gas cells, others have smaller. And the thin translucent webbing in the last picture demonstrates what “lacy” is all about. Your approach to bulk fermentation can help select for some of these traits. If you prefer an irregular structure you can develop that. If you want a honeycomb crumb you can have it. It’s all in the process, and bulk fermentation is a huge part of that process.
In general (for reasons explained in my ebook – – link in profile), the younger the dough at the time of shaping, the more irregular the crumb will be. And the proofier the dough, the more even it will be. Of course, this is relative to all other factors (such as flour, hydration, dough handling, etc.). So a 30% rise in volume during bulk will tend towards more irregularity than a 50% rise in volume, all else being equal. Meanwhile, folds are another consideration that can help organize and strengthen your dough. More folds = more strength/organization = more even crumb structure. And vice versa.
Managing bulk fermentation is a matter of deciding how far you want to let the dough rise, and your approach to folding. Between the various combinations of those two factors you can help pre-select for a wide range of crumb characteristics and structures. Cheers! #opencrumbmastery
Link to Instagram post (12/19/18)
Part 5 of this series about bulk fermentation. Let’s consider this post an interlude, a helpful refresher in understanding dough structure. After all, it is the structure of our dough that is primarily responsible for our loaf’s final characteristics, including shape, height, volume, and crumb.
Dough structure is formed when gluten entraps gas. That means there are 2 necessary components to form a wheat-based dough structure: 1) gluten, and 2) gas. Gluten alone is not dough structure. It is not until it begins to fill with gas bubbles that structure emerges. There are, of course, other components to dough structure (such as starch), but in practice it is the gluten and gas that we most need to concern ourselves with when building structure.
If we return to the analogy of the brick wall, gluten is the mortar and gas bubbles the bricks. Mortar holds the bricks, and bricks hold the wall. It is therefore the gas that is the supportive component of dough structure. Without a sufficient accumulation of gas there will be no effective support – – dough structure will suffer and dough will spread.
No matter how strong your flour, no matter how well you develop the gluten, if you do not properly ferment your dough you will not generate the necessary gas to hold that dough up. A brick wall cannot stand without bricks. Remember this as we progress through the rest of this series. #opencrumbmastery
Link to Instagram post (12/20/18)
Part 6 in this series on bulk fermentation. If you missed yesterday’s post then go back and read that first – – it is important to understanding the rest of this series.
Now then, how do we know when bulk fermentation is complete? It’s a common question, but one of the most difficult to answer. Because what’s “ready” in one case may not be ready in another. It has much to do with the dough in hand, and the priorities of the baker on that day for that loaf. There are many considerations.
Is your dough wet or stiff? Is it rising fast or slow? Is your flour strong or weak? White or wholemeal? Do you want an irregular crumb or an even honeycomb crumb? How important is loaf shape to you? How about height and volume? Will you be proofing the loaf in a tight banneton, a spacious banneton, or on a couche? Are you retarding your dough? If so, are you retarding it during bulk, after shaping, or both?
That’s just a small taste of what needs to be considered when deciding if bulk is complete. The structure you build during bulk will affect many of the qualities in your final loaf, and so bulk is only complete when you’ve built your desired structure. That last sentence is important, so I suggest you internalize it. I’ll discuss signs and specifics in my next few posts. Cheers! #opencrumbmastery
Link to Instagram post (12/22/18)
Part 7 in this bulk fermentation series. Video by @campbell2664 – – the same guy who makes those sexy black nonstick bench knives I use (you can DM him if you want to order or learn more). His gallery features some of the best bread videos on Instagram (especially his time-lapses of baking bread). Definitely worth checking out!
Now then, this is some lovely dough. It displays many of the qualities you might look for to determine if bulk is complete. There are two main things I look for: 1) Signs, 2) Volume rise.
1) Signs include things such as bubbles (in wetter dough), doming (rounding like a balloon as it inflates), jiggle (indicating sufficient gas accumulation), and a glossy sheen. And note how the dough is smooth, cohesive and comes away clean from the (lightly oiled) container.
2) Volume increase is a measure of how much the dough has risen. It’s easiest to estimate when using a clear straight-sided container (you can mark the initial dough level with a line and watch it rise from there). I typically prefer a 30% to 50% increase in volume for the style of loaves you see in my gallery.
How high you let your dough rise during bulk, in combination with your approach to folding (which I’ll discuss next post) will form the base of your dough structure. A 30% rise will create a different dough structure than a 50% rise (which I’ll discuss more in a future post). And your dough structure will determine many of the qualities of your final loaf. Cheers! #opencrumbmastery
Link to Instagram post (12/26/18)
Part 8 in this bulk fermentation series: Intro to Folding. This is an old video demonstrating a “coil” fold, so named because it folds loose dough into a tight coil. Folding has 3 notable effects:
1) Develops gluten. This is often touted as the primary benefit of folding, but if you mix to full (or near full) gluten development then folding’s contribution to gluten is minimal. This effect tends to be more important for those who mix by hand.
2) Builds structure and organizes the dough. As I see it, this is the main benefit of folding. Folding builds layers of structure within the dough. Different folding techniques build different structures; and the more folds you perform, the more structured and organized your dough will be (which may or may not be beneficial, depending upon the requirements of the baker). 3) Creates tension in the dough. Tension is temporary and fades with time. The amount of tension developed by a fold depends upon the folding technique utilized, and the qualities of the dough itself. The more tension that is developed with a fold, the longer the dough will hold that tension before it fully relaxes. Tension can affect the dough and final loaf in several ways, and is therefore a useful variable for bakers to learn to adjust.
This post is just an intro to these concepts – – I will go into detail in future posts. And because the effects of folding are also relative to the degree of fermentation present in the dough (volume rise), we’ll be jumping back and forth between the two subjects. Cheers! #opencrumbmastery
Link to Instagram post (1/1/19)
Part 9 of the bulk fermentation series. The relationship between folds, degree of proof (volume rise), and dough tension.
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This is an old folding video. I used a “tension pull” at the end in order to build more tension into the dough.
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The proofier your dough at the time of folding, the more tension you are capable of producing. So folding a dough risen 50% in volume can produce more tension than a similar fold at a 30% volume rise, all else being equal. That’s because you are “wrapping” the same amount of material around a greater volume of air. Imagine it like wrapping a rubber band around a balloon – – if the balloon is fully inflated then the rubber band will be more stretched out and tense than if the balloon is only half inflated.
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Young dough is more extensible than proofy dough – – it can stretch further. In order to maximize tension in a young dough you will need to stretch the dough further than you can with a proofy dough. Young dough also releases tension quicker than proofy dough, and so it may need to be folded more often until it has risen a fair bit – – hence the common method of folding every 30 minutes for the first two hours and then maybe only hourly (or less) after that.
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Dough tension can be considered a form of strength. It develops elasticity (as opposed to relaxed dough which allows for extensibility). Elasticity resists stretch, extensibility allows stretch. Elastic dough that resists stretch can hold a shape better than extensible dough which tends to spread.
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How high your dough rises during bulk, and how much tension you develop via folding will influence the method of shaping that works best for your dough, and the quality of shape your final loaf will exhibit. Extensible dough may require “stitching” to hold a shape, whereas elastic dough might work best with “cinching”. And different shaping methods can develop different qualities of shape. In bread baking, variables are always interrelated. Change one and you affect all the others. Cheers! #opencrumbmastery
Link to Instagram post (1/2/19)
Part 10 in the bulk fermentation series: Variables Affecting Folds. This is a repost of @season_adam performing a “coil fold.” He’s one of the best (and most entertaining) bakers out there – – give him a follow! —
1) Degree of proof at the time of fold. See yesterday’s post for more info.
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2) Folding method. Different methods of folding produce different effects. A coil fold performed in the tub is not the same as a letter fold performed on a floured bench. Different folds create different structures and develop different amounts of tension. Therefore, one style of folding may be preferential over another given the needs of the baker.
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3) Strength of the fold. A strong fold is one meant to develop lots of tension. A light fold is meant to develop less tension. You can manipulate dough tension by manipulating the strength of the fold. You adjust the strength of the fold by how far you stretch the dough before folding it over. The further the stretch, the stronger the fold – – and therefore the more tension it will develop. Some folding methods are inherently stronger than others. A coil fold naturally produces a lot of tension, even if you are not stretching it out that far. But stretching and folding in the bowl (Tartine style) – – even if stretching the dough as far as possible – – develops significantly less tension. Not every dough (or style of bread) benefits from maximum tension, so adjust the strength of your folds as necessary.
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4) Frequency of folds. Folds performed frequently during bulk will develop more strength, structure, and tension than folds performed infrequently. Again, whether this is a good thing or not is dependent upon the needs of the baker.
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5) Timing of folds. This is closely related to variable #1 from above. Folds early in the bulk have a different effect than folds late in the bulk. The proofier the dough when you fold it, the greater the effect on strength, structure, and tension that fold will have. A four hour bulk with three folds at 30, 60, and 90 minutes will create a different dough (more extensible, less structured) than if folds were instead performed at 60, 120, and 180 minutes. Cheers! #opencrumbmastery