Super Active Black Death!
I have recently been delighted to receive the "Black Death" starter from Zourdough and, I have to say, it is THE most active starter I've ever handled. It makes a loaf that is truly sour. I've bought sourdough bread from supermarkets before and wondered what the fuss was all about. I've made my own starters and wondered why the bread didn't taste particularly sour, but the loaves I made with Black Death, having left the levain in the fridge overnight, were really sour and it's that sourness that I'm after! I rehydrated the starter using stoneground wholemeal flour and then used strong white bread flour for the actual loaves.
Although the dough is very active in the rising stages and easily fills the large bowl I am proving it in, I haven't yet managed to get a good oven spring so, on Chris's advice, I'm going to switch to usingā¦
Update on this: I do make a kneaded recipe (one from KA, slightly modified) though I tend to hand knead...
But one night I was baking and ended up having to run out of the house, and my almost done loaf sat in the fridge for a day and a half. Pulled it out to shape and bake, and it blew the biggest holes it's ever made? Like massive holes, beautiful gassy thing, actually ripped open despite being scored cause it expanded so much in the oven. Same everything else input wise, same taste to the loaf, but the holes...
I'll have to run a few trials to see if it's consistent, but I might have an answer? What kind of scientist would I be if I didn't try to repeat it? Oh the horror, more bread...