When is Bulk Fermentation Done?: Episode 5 - “Impact of Starter/Leaven Percentages”

How does the starter/leaven percentage impact bulk fermentation? This video explores the impact of changing leaven percentages in a sourdough loaf. Tom bakes four loaves with different starter/leaven percentages to determine the impact of bulk fermentation times.
This breakthrough experiment provides guidance on how to adjust recipes to speed up or slow down fermentation times by modifying leaven percentages in sourdough recipes.
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Sections in this video:
0:00 Introduction
2:23 Managing Fermentation Time
3:20 The Role of Leaven
5:58 The Experiment
8:46 The Bulk-O-Matic System
11:00 The Recipe
16:05 Mixing the Dough
20:07 3 Hour Checkpoint
21:28 3.5 Hour Bulk-O-Matic Test
29:43 5.5 Hour Checkpoint
31:08 Loaf 1 (30%) Done
38:30 Loaf 2 (20%) Done
42:34 Loaf 3 (10%) Done
46:16 Loaf 4 (5%) Done
47:57 Recap of Bulk Fermentation Times
49:43 Scoring and Baking
51:42 Comparison of Loaves
57:33 Cutting the Loaves
1:02:09 Slicing the Loaves
1:03:18 Lessons Learned
1:04:25 Taste Test
1:06:32 Summary
1:10:26 Reducing Leaven %
1:11:18 Increasing Leaven %

[@dopapier]

It is so good to hear an intelligent delivery without music playing.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you.

[@queeniebeats3028]

Thank you so much for all the helpful videos. I've watched dozens of of videos and no one has been and clear as you have been. Next loaf with not be under fermented.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you!

[@hollystarks1810]

Honestly Tom, all that I can say is Thank You. You’re truly the BEST break geek alive that’s able to do the experiments AND put into words the BEST explanation for everyone. I can’t express just how truly incredible your experiments are nor how grateful I am that you share them!!! Gotta go, making a sourdough Rye ….❤

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you. I appreciate the feedback.

[@trevorphillips6636]

Man... I love your straightforward delivery. It's refreshing. Thank you for the vid!

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you for the feedback.

[@BobACNJ]

That experiment, and your presentation, was excellent!

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you.

[@n3ocl]

Wonderful study!! Thank you so much for taking the time in sharing your results.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you!

[@emrearslan1]

This guy is... The Sourdough Scientist... Thank you sir 👍

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you for the feedback.

[@santanany]

Such a great video. The in depth view of the actual experiment and how you apply the information from your conclusions to everyday baking is incredible. Great job 👏.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you. Also check out Episode 6. It is a continuation of this experiment. Very interesting results.

[@user-mp5zz4iw8e]

Your work is always admirable and awe-inspiring. Whenever I move on to the next series, I always think that this series transcends the previous one. (What stands out most is your sense of humor!) How about opening a branch of your world-class institute in Korea? 🙂🙂🙂 - A Big fan from South Korea

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you so much for the feedback. And thanks for appreciating my unique brand of humor. No plans for international expansion at this time, but it is always a possibility.

[@coffeeguru]

Love the analogy @ 56:20. I lost it at "eating a cucumber sandwiches" and felt it you nailed it at an extra educational gem @ "parties until dawn." Thanks for your videos!

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you!

[@moxxsie]

Thank YOU! Easy to follow your process and I learned a lot. Looking forward to making my next loaf

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you!

[@mikefisc9989]

This has been a fantastic video series. I have learned a great deal from your channel, which is also very entertaining and enjoyable. Thank you for all of your hard work.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you for the feedback. I appreciate it. Also check out Episode 6 for a continuation of this experiment and some of my most interesting findings.

[@bruceruan8857]

Hey, I just wanna say thank you to you. Your tutorials have given me so much inspiration. I also shared some knowledge I learnt from your videos on the social media app in my country (of course, I mentioned your channel and recommended people to watch your videos). People have been saying they learn a lot from you and your research.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you so much. I appreciate the feedback and support. Also check out episode 6 in this series. It is very interesting. And check out my new website at thesourdoughjourney.com.

[@KongKong945]

Thank you Tom and your team’s hard work. Your experiments are very valuable.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you. Also check out Episode 6. It is an interesting continuation of this experiment.

[@librocortarjamonacuchillo7899]

I thought there was some very good sourdough bread teaching videos until I came across yours….absolutely excellence. Many thanks for such an amazing work so well explained. Muchas gracias desde España!

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you so much for the feedback! Also check out episode 6 of this series. It is an interesting continuation of what you saw in episode 5.

[@LivityLessons]

Thanks for sharing

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you.

[@hp-cs7mx]

I began making sourdough last summer, now it is winter and my kitchen is cold and my sourdough rubbish! I’m not great at scientific method, measuring temperature and volumes etc, but I can get much better at the “art” of sourdough using theses criteria. So much fun watching bubbles! Thank you from Oz.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thanks!

[@gershhayes796]

Man this is good stuff.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thanks. Check out episode 6. A continuation and even better.

[@RoseBelaAmigurumis]

Thank you very much for such important information you got from this experiment. I started making sourdough bread in July and I've been having a hard time to understand when the bulk fermentation is done. From now on, I will pay more attention to the dough instead of paying attention to the time. Greetings from Brazil.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you. Also check out my website for more info. Thesourdoughjourney.com

[@cbkeneipp]

Thanks!

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you.

[@barrychambers4047]

An absolutely incredible experiment! A whole lot of work too. Thank you for doing it Tom. So, the question I'm left with now is whether a 35 or 40% inoculation rate would lead to an even higher rise? What do you suppose this experiment tells us about our leaven inoculation feeding rates? I love your deadpanning sense of humor, keep it up!

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you for the feedback. Once you start to go above 30% the acid load starts to get pretty high and you’ll start to see more gluten breakdown early in the process. I’ll need to do another experiment to demonstrate that!

[@ollimommy]

At what point will you be time traveling us out of the other journey we are all on that isn’t nearly as fun as the sourdough journey? Thank you for all of the fine work you do at the institute!

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you! Maybe we’re all just searching for that other dimension where everything makes sense. And sourdough baking is just a metaphor.

[@kgbforce]

Thank you for your videos. Super helpful. I'm having a hard time knowing when bulk ferment is done bc I'm doing low % innoculation to maximize sourness. How valuable is the droop test? It's not in the bulkomatic but seems easy to do. What are you looking for when you don't?

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thanks. Keep watching the episodes. 6, 7 and 8 build on what you see here. Episode 8 is especially helpful as it introduces the impact of dough temperature. That may help answer your question. The “droop test” is a bit more subjective than others and you can’t really reverse course easily once you’ve done it. It’s another good observation point, but I don’t suggest it as an official test criteria. Similar to the way I shake the shaped dough in the banneton. But at that point you’ve already shaped the dough.

[@GJK1948]

Thanks for the work you put into these videos Tom. Using the information you've provided (most notably the "Bulk-O-Meter") has improved my bread way beyond my expectations. I do have one off-topic question. The 1/2 loaves you use in the tests look to be the perfect size for me to bake regularly. Can you provide some information such as the size or name of the proofing containers you're using for them? The results are so good I may give up pre-shaping and shaping altogether!

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you for the feedback. The loaves are 250g flour weight and I'm using loaf pans with a wooden insert I custom made to reduce the inside size of the pan. I show these in one of my other videos. Let me find it and I will also post the specific dimensions. I could not find loaf pans that fit the size of the loaves, so I made the inserts in my shop.

[@corteltube]

Awesome.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thanks.

[@KongKong945]

Thanks

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you.

[@TheDuckofDoom.]

Something else to consider is that the enzyme activity is directly effected by temperature(keeping pH constant). So if a long slow fermentation is desired then it may be better to use a full dose of starter and reduce the temperature. This will slow the amount of lacobacter growth and enzyme quantity as well as the activity of the enzymes that are produced. Though temperature can also change the type of bacteria being favored. Something I figured out recently is that increasing the starter to 26% and pushing bulk rise closer to 40% is very helpful in the cold season as my kitchen trends 58-65f. Even though I have a proofer set to about 78f and start with 82f dough, I get less carryover fermentation because my cold kitchen and work surfaces quickly slows the dough during the divide, preshape, rest, and shape stage, and that is where the high inoculation rate helps compensate. Then my fridge is 34f even on upper shelves, so I also need to wrap the proofing loaf in a single layer of kitchen towel so it isn't retarded too quickly. (Alternately I can leave it on the counter for an hour before refrigerating.) For the adjustment of recipes I find it much easier to designate starter by its flour weight rather than wet weight. So assuming 100% hydration starter, your 20% starter is my 10% starter-flour. This makes it easy to calculate both percentage changes to starter quantity, different flour mixes, and compensate for different starter hydrations; the water added to the dough by starter is then an easy calculation at the end.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thanks! Helpful tips.

[@yarnexpress]

Thanks for the cold kitchen hints--live in NH in a drafty 250 yr old house. My refrigerator temp is also at 34 F. Will be using your techniques next fall.

[@joelkorotzer8806]

Hi Tom, Fantastic presentation. A quick question somewhat off topic. Why is it necessary to do the 30 minute bench rest before retarding the dough?

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Good question. The recipe calls for a 30 minute bench rest between pre-shaping and final shaping. I'm not doing the shaping steps but if I skipped the bench rest I would underproof per the recipe by going directly into the fridge. So I leave the bench rest time in. This is accounted for in the 30% rise target in that recipe (which is low), because the dough is warm you need to account for that 30 min extra fermentation before it goes into the fridge. Thanks for asking. This is probably confusing for many.

[@jimfromri]

Truly useful experiment. Sorry you had to be up in the wee hours but that shows your commitment to sourdough science. I wanted to ask about one of your comments. You said something to the effect that if a baker wanted to use a low percentage of starter and have a long bulk fermentation, that it’s important to begin with a strong starter to help avoid the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from running over the yeast. So does that mean the proportion of yeast:LAB varies by the “strength” of the starter? Is it definitional? That is, is a strong starter strong because it has proportionately high yeast to LAB?

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Good question. When most people talk about a “strong” starter, they are simply talking about the rising strength of the yeast. The LaB population typically is ignored when discussing “strength.” My definition has evolved over time, but in my most recent videos, when I talk about a “strong” starter, it now means a high yeast population and low LAB population. It still focuses on the rising power because if a starter has a high LAB ratio it actually slows down the yeast production. Yeast is less productive in an acidic environment, so a high LAB ratio essentially curbs the yeast’s productive power. Long answer to a short question, but you’ll find that de-acidifying your starter is key to maintaining its “strength.” This is a subtle point that is rarely discussed, but if you read the pros books and watch their videos, they are continually doing this (deacidifying their starter) but never actually describing it as such. Here is a great example. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJauq5aFmpuqldE If you watch this video really closely, you’ll see what a starter looks like as the ratio of yeast to LAB increases over 6 feedings. She never uses the term “deacidify” but it’s essentially what is happening with each successive feeding. The yeast population is growing relative to the LAB population. I just was this video for the first time yesterday and realized it is very similar to what I did in Episode 6 of this series. You can also measure the acidity of your starter with a good pH meter, but they cost about $200. But there are a few videos out there from other bakers who do use a pH meter on their starter and dough. I’m planning to buy one this summer and will be doing some experiments on this topic.

[@Breadhunter2001]

Do you feel that the loaves would have been improved had you shaped them before putting them in bannetons? Could be that extra handling might have lessened the quality of the crumb? Very informative. Thank you.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Good question. I have done some other videos where I compare shaping vs. not shaping. The overall loaf shape usually looks better after shaping, but the shaping often introduces irregularities in the crumb. I generally would shape the loaves, but in this case I really wanted to compare the degree of proofing of the crumb and this can be very difficult to discern once you shape the loaves. I just eliminate that variable to get a better sense of the proofing, without shaping.

[@drewa.8156]

Interesting video, thanks for putting the time into these! Have you considered getting your hands on a copy of Modernist Bread? It is ridiculously expensive, but there are some portions of it floating around on the internet (some of it is on Library Genesis); I was able to convince my university library to get a copy. An extraordinary wealth of scientific research on breads and breadmaking, which seems right up your alley.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thanks! I have looked into Modernist Bread but haven’t bought it yet. It is on my list of future investments.

[@Levrifon]

Hello ! thank you for your very detailed video (i am currently at the summary) but what surprise me is that the last bread is called "overproofed" so I am a little confused of what under/over proofed is really because I watched your other video "Underproofed or Overproofed" which talks about tunnels; IN my case , I have tunnels and compact gummy (so I don't know really where am i) however, with your videos I understood that I must have a quite warm sourdough (it's cold in my house and I think I don't go over 20°C) so I guess I have the same problem as a sourdough with 5% innoculation rate : long time to wait so deterioration at the end (I'm at 20% innoculation); Before I waited like 6 hours and I had very flat , I waited then 7h and last time 8 hours which seemed to be less flat I will try to keep a good temperature If I can reach your level of breads, but since few months I have very flat results (like the 5% bread even worst haha) Thanks !!

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Good question. With loaves that take a very long time to rise, they will show signs of both under and overproofing. The overproofing indicators are the collapsing of the gluten structure which produces a very flat loaf. The crumb of an overproofed loaf actually will show a lot of activity, many small holes that look like a honeycomb on close inspection. Underproofed loaves usually have a more dense, gummy crumb. They may be flat but have a stiff, undeveloped gluten structure, and the telltale tunnels. If you watch Episode 2 of this series it shows four examples of this, due to using a weak starter. You will see signs of both under and overproofing. It is a great example.

[@Levrifon]

@@thesourdoughjourney Thank you very much for all your explainations I will watch the Episode 2 to better understand the problem :) I think from all combination and experiences you makes it's much better than some videos not really understanding the problem but just saying "wait longer" "add more starter" here I feel that we better understand rootcauses with your videos so very appreciated !! thanks again !

[@DANVIIL]

Tom, you must be rolling in dough with all of the licensing fees for the "Bulkamatic System" created at the International Center for Sourdough Science or does that cash go to your foundation the way that Gates and Buffett handle these things? I used the Bulkamatic System yesterday with 7 lbs of dough (80% bread flour land 20% Rye flour and they came out great. Are you measuring the 30% rise from the end of S&F's or from the point that you mix the starter? I usually measure from when the levain goes in. Another great video!

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thanks. I measure from after S&Fs but I know from making this recipe that it does not move much prior to that. I also know my initial mixed dough volume because I make the recipe so often, so in some ways I’m doing both. I mark my bowl with the initial mixed dough volume, but don’t really look at it until after S&Fs. Regarding the license fees, I’m still trying to just pay for my flour. 🙂

[@thesourdoughjourney]

And wait until you see what happens in Episode 6!

[@pineapplesnoopy1876]

Could do with you running our country right now (I am in England) - we need someone sensible in charge. Come to think of it, would be good of you were running your country right now!

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Haha. Thank you for the feedback. I recently retired and am enjoying my limited responsibilities at this time. (I was dabbling in Coronavirus epidemiology for a while).

[@laurieliner6635]

What is the cause(s) of a loaf where the crumb flat (squished ) on the bottom. I would like to send a photo but it seems that’s a no go on u tube

[@thesourdoughjourney]

If you are on Facebook you can send me a photo through messenger. Tom Cucuzza, Cleveland OH.

[@PeKlim]

I use percentage of starter as percentage of flours. How much flour is from starter versus how much flour is from recipe self. Starter can be many hydrations, and innoculation is still the same.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Yes, correct. I should have been more clear that the starter is 100% hydration. The percentage I'm using here is the "simple" bakers percentage of starter weight divided by dry flour weight (excluding the flour in the starter). However, I was careful when I modified the starter percentage to ensure that it did not change the overall hydration of the recipe. You can see the exact formulas I used at 14:27 in the video. And the footnote at the bottom (in small print) indicates that the starter is 100% hydration.

[@goattactics]

In Jeffrey Hamelmans book he states that using a higher inoculation will make a more sour bread. Do you think that is only the case if using a higher inoculation than used in this experiment?

[@thesourdoughjourney]

20% inoculation rate is very common among sourdough recipes. I've seen some go as high as 30% but that is less common.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

There are differing schools of thought on this. Many bakers indicate that you will get a more sour loaf with longer slower fermentation (I've found this to be true), so lower inoculation rates (and cooler temperatures) will generally produce a more sour loaf. However, there are some recipes that use a large pre-ferment and a very high inoculation rate with the pre-ferment for a more sour loaf. Check out the Extra Tangy Sourdough Recipe on the King Arthur Website if you are interested in this method. I've seen a few recipes recommend up to 30% starter inoculation, but I'm not sure that's what Hamelman is recommending. 30% starter is pretty high and the dough gets very acidic very quickly. What page on Hamelman's book did you find this on? I'll re-read it.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Also, check out Episode 6 of this series where I repeat this experiment with a stronger starter. The results are really surprising. One of the most interesting experiments I've ever done.

[@goattactics]

I have the 3rd edition of Bread. It's on page 148 titled "Mild or Tangy." It precedes his Vermont Sourdough recipe which I tried. It has a 40% inoculation and preferments 15% of the total flour. I could smell the acidity right after mixing and it was pretty sour. Thanks for your insight, im on the path to making good sourdough now. It's taken me a while to get the flavor im after.

[@yarnexpress]

I'm looking to reduce bulk fermentation time & eliminate the cold retard. I want to go from mix to oven in 1 day to lessen the tang. I'm thinking I could create my levain favoring yeast production over LAB--been researching how to do so. (Still on a mission to convert yeasted doughs to sourdough. Current project Julia Childs Pain de mei). BTW It's a fun adventure & the resulting breads are usually quite good. Thank you for all your hard R&D work!

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thanks. Check out the Tartine method with same day countertop proof option. Very mild loaf.

[@krisharrison7969]

How do I access your bulkomatic guide

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Just take a screen print at this time for your personal use. I will not have a written guide until I test it out a few more times. I explain its use in much more detail in Episode 3 of this series.

[@krisharrison7969]

@@thesourdoughjourney - thank you. I shall go and watch episode 3.

[@klaskristian1]

Haha! Funny guy! Great video! There is another variable i have been thinking of. The Ph of the starter. If you have a more sour starter the dough would be overfermented much faster? It can be tricky to know the ammount of bacteria vs the ammount of yeast in the starter. If the starrer is too sour the dough will not rise but it will be overfermented anyways cos of bacterias. I have experienced this manuäy times when i started to bake with sourdough. My doughs did not rise, so i continued to ferment and the dough became a sticky mess. I am no expert and i dont know the optimum relation of bacteria and yeast, but i think around 50/50% or more yeast vs bacteria. Please give me your view on this!

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thank you! Yes, this is definitely a factor. (I guess I need to buy a pH meter!) The bacteria actually outnumbers the yeast cells by 100 to 1. That is why the yeast population needs to be super strong so the bacteria does not "out run" the yeast production. That was evident in this experiment that this was happening in the background.

[@klaskristian1]

@@thesourdoughjourney yes. Thats why i always build up my keaven for many days. Very dissipointing to get "panncakes" Another thing i have wondered about is to put the dough into the freezer for half an hour or something to quickly chill down the dough and stop the fermentation before you put it in the fridge to cold proof. What do you think of that? Teorethicly it should make diffrence? Un restaurants one gave special freezers for quickly chilll down meat and other foods.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

@@klaskristian1 Yes, I've done that with summer baking where I've had "runaway" loaves fermenting very quickly at very warm temperatures (90F/32C).

[@adek86]

@@thesourdoughjourney That's why you should refresh your starter 8 hours before baking, with 1:5:5 ratio (old starter : flour : water). This brings down the acidity and helps not to destroy the gluten too soon.

[@klaskristian1]

@@thesourdoughjourney aha! Ok. Yes i will try this. I feed my starter mostly whole grain wheat and spelt. Sometimes i feed it all purpous flour. But when building my levain i also feed it rye. What do you personally like to feed your starter? Do you have diffrent starters and how old are they/it?

[@BF40JOE]

Every time I have tried this recipe to 30% rise, my loaves have come out very underproofed. All indicators on the Bulkomatic are in "the zone", but alas, hockey puck loaves. WHen I try other recipes to higher rise rates like 50-100%, however, no problem and no underproofing... Drives me nuts. Weak starter the problem here? I follow ALL timelines for rests, bakers percentages, etc. and yet EVERY time I bake Tartine I come up short if I follow the rise % guidance and I cannot figure it out.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

It could be your starter or flour. It may be that your refrigerator is very cold and shutting down too quickly the final phase of fermentation that happens in the refrigerator. There's no magic to 30%. If 30% underproofs, go up to 40%. If that underproofs, go up to 50%. You can usually dial it in in about 3 tries. Then it shouldn't change. With some flours I use, I go up to 40%, and with one type of flour I need to go up to 50% rise, with the exact same recipe. But now it is repeatable every time for those specific flours.

[@BF40JOE]

@@thesourdoughjourney great point, could just be flour… starter seems to do just fine following other guidelines, duhhhhhh, I’ll try a 40% on one and 50% next time around. Fridge shouldn’t an issue it doesn’t appear to cool down faster than expected nor at a lower temp than expected. Thanks again!

[@mirazimi]

Asking all the right questions, and setting the experiments perfectly. Point taken regarding ignoring the clock. But what’s missing is *taste. Include, perhaps in future videos? I do 30-40 hr retard with delicious results. You sacrifice shape / spring for flavor development it seems. PS: have you played with the bench rest before refrigeration variable? - A hungry former physicist!

[@thesourdoughjourney]

I do a taste test at the end of this video. The 5% and 10% leaven loaves were much more tangy than the 20% and 30% loaves in this experiment. You may also like my video, “The Long, Cold Proof,” where I do taste tests of long cold proofed loaves from 1-5 days in the fridge. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6jQZoKqopKFirM I also look at the bench rest before fridge in “Tartine Bread - Art and Alchemy,” where I do 30, 60 and 90 minute rests before the fridge. I find the crumb becomes very irregular when doing 90 minutes or more before the fridge. And the bench rest does not do much for added flavor. Most of the differential in flavor comes in the fridge.

[@jackskalski3699]

As a non native English speaker I wonder what is tangy flavor. The dictionary tells me tangy is an adjactive for sharp or very pronounced flavour but it could be anything really... Is it the tang if yeast or the tang of sourness hmmm thinking

[@thesourdoughjourney]

“Tangy” comes from:the acid. Think of something with a little vinegar flavor, like sauerkraut or even yoghurt. It’s nit the sharp, acidic flavor of pure vinegar, but in that same family of flavors.

[@jackskalski3699]

@@thesourdoughjourney ok thanks. I was kind of lost because it seems you can say tangy taste of sea salt or tangy taste of garlic for example. I always thought tangy is only used for something related to vinegar.

[@jackskalski3699]

@@thesourdoughjourney you know what I rewatched @ 5:20-5:40 I think you make a difference and say that longer fermentation yields vinegar flavour and shorter fermentation yields tangy flavour. I think you ment quicker ferment gives more yeasty or more dairy flavour, right?

[@corteltube]

And can I borrow that time machine and go back and fix my last loaf.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Haha. It is fully operational only at The Institute.

[@corteltube]

@@thesourdoughjourney damn....😂🤣

[@pierrepiko651]

Great video as well, however I believe you are making a mistake about gluten deterioration. Time is not really deteriorating the gluten (not yet!) but gluten progressively is relaxing. So for the same level of proof, your dough with lower levain has progressively lost strength. A fold or two (or shaping) would bring it back to the same levels as the other loaves. This is really the approach of Respectus Panis, which uses closer to 0.5% of levain. Have a look if you are not familiar.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thanks for the info. I will look into that.

[@thesourdoughjourney]

Thanks. I just looked into Respectus Panis. Very similar to how I make an overnight whole grain loaf with low inoculation at cool overnight room temperature. In this experiment, my dough was at 79F/26C throughout so I believe it was building up a higher acid load and more proteostasis than a cooler ferment. But my “weak leaven” may also have been closer to what is called for in Respectus Panis.

[@pierrepiko651]

@@thesourdoughjourney agreed! Actually Respectus Panis is usually closer to 3-4% levain, not 0.5% I was mentioning.