Third time is the charm. The crumb finally opened up, and the crust cracked the way it is supposed to. I have been chasing this loaf since the start of spring, and it turns out the fix was mostly patience.
What changed
Two things: a longer cold proof, and a much wetter dough than felt sensible. The kitchen scale helped too, because guessing flour by the cup was quietly ruining every bake.
Trust the dough, not the clock.
The method
- Autolyse for one hour.
- Fold every thirty minutes, four times.
- Cold proof overnight.
Next loaf I want to push the hydration a little further and see where it breaks. If the dough turns to soup, the oven is set to 230C and we call it flatbread night.
