bubbles.

I run experiments whenever I can.

Different shapes, different slashes, different fermentation, rising times etc.

The best ones so far are the ones to do with slow rise - which means once the dough have been mixed and shaped, I retarded the dough in the fridge before baking - for 24 hours and 48 hours. So at each go, I have at least 3 loaves to sample :

- Day 0 old dough (mixed with sourdough starter, proofed and baked on same day itself),
- Day 1 old dough (mixed with sourdough starter but sent to the fridge to retard for 24 hours and then baked after),
- Day 2 old dough (mixed with sourdough starter but sent to the fridge to retard for 48 hours and then baked after)

The difficult part of it is, believe it or not, the eating. Because not only have I got to taste the dough I prepared but also the control - which at the end of the day means there is a lot of bread to be eaten.

I want to taste just the crust to see how much more caramelisation there is and also the center of the loaf and in the case of a rye loaf, there is the loaf fresh from the day itself and then there is the loaf a day after (which is always best. There are places in Europe where they will refuse to sell day fresh rye loafs simply because it is not ready to be eaten.)

Sunflower ryes compared.

Background Day 0 old dough baked. Sporadic bubbles on the surface.

Day 1 old dough baked (retarded 24 hours in fridge) - a lot more gas bubbles on the surface of the loaf.

Even with the retardation, which is slowing down the fermentation process, a lot of acid builds up. It makes the Day 0 bread taste sweet in comparison (even though it is by any measure a true and proper sourdough). Day 1 bread (retarded 24 hours) is noticeably acidic, giving it more flavour, you could say. Day 2 bread (retarded 48 hours) has an even more pronounced acidic taste. So much so it was sensitive on my teeth but that could very well be me and my low calcium.

When you go into a shop that claims to sell slow fermentation bread, look at the surface of the loaves, it should have bubbles which is a sign of the gas forming and trying to escape during the process.
They should be there regardless of how long it has been fermented for.

Day 2 old dough baked (retarded 48 hours in fridge). Undisturbed, much bigger gas bubbles forms in the process.

The rule is, the longer it is, the more bubbles there are and they are bigger too. The longer the fermentation, the uglier and more pockmarked the loaf will be. But you should be able to see some bubbles always.  In comparison, square loaves that are often bought in plastic bags are smooth and consistent. That is your indication of how they have been made, amongst other clues.

Know what you are paying for.