In my last post I wrote about my struggles with making bread. Proving (aka letting it rise) is my nemesis. It seems like I’m always a bit to anxious to stop the prove and do the next step. So I decided I would use every last minute of proving time the recipe said was POSSIBLE to see if this made a difference in the final product.
Part 1 – the starter. I mixed everything together covered and left on the counter overnight. It looks and smelled really good.
Part 2 – First rise. I mixed and kneaded the ingredients for the 10 minutes as instructed. Then went to the gym and grocery store for the FULL 2 hours of possible proving time.
Part 3 – Shape + second rise. I barely touched the dough when I shaped it being super careful not to lose the air from the rise. I shaped one loaf this time instead of two. Left for the full 90 minutes to rise again.
Part 4 – Bake. After the final proof the loaf LOOKED really good and super puffy. But when I cut it open it was denser than I hoped for. After doing some reading I’m starting to think that I might be over-proving the dough.
So I’ll be making another attempt. In the meantime, my family is getting to eat lots of less than perfect leftovers as I’m trying to figure techniques out.