At last, my loaf has come along

As previously mentioned, I did not add 95° water during the auto-lyse. After the auto-lyse I added the levain, mixed, and took a beat before adding the salt, and still the bulk ferment needed twenty one hours. Fortunately Rin came over so we could drink mezcal together and talk about our feelings and when I showed him the dough, the bulk ferment having gone ten hours at that point, he said “It’s cold”. Indeed, it was.

The dough clocked in at 66°, which was perplexing as the general temperature of the kitchen per the laser thermometer, was around 70°. Even more reason to 1. use 95° water, and 2. use the heating pad next time. Assuming I can remember. I have written these things on a post-it note, so I have at least documented them.

Again I turned and folded the loaf and gave it an hour for the final proof. I dusted the top of it with rice flour. I had been dusting my loaves with wheat flour for the first twenty loaves and changes to rice flour for the last five. Rice flour works so much better. I proved at room temperature (high 60s) for an hour then baked the loaf at 450 for 30 minutes with the lid on and another 30 with it off. This loaf had more rise than the last twenty-one hour loaf.

Dough
400 g bread flour (Central Milling Brand Organic)
100 g whole wheat flour (Central Milling Brand Organic)
400 g h2o
80% hydration
10 g salt

Levain
10 g starter
50 g all purpose flour (Central Milling Brand Organic)
50 g water

What I did right:
I turned and folded the loaf without fear, and fear is the mind killer.
What I did wrong:
I relied on muscle memory to guide the loaf, following the steps I knew how to follow, without thinking beyond that. The kitchen is cold, so I will need to account for that going forwards.
What I learned:
Temperature is an ingredient. It’s not a new learning, I’ve read as much and heard it said before. But sometimes we must learn the hard way, or in this case, the long way.