what breads have you been making /ck/?
me? I've been doing sourdough bread, going off pic related and watching the listed YT videos as sort of a guide while using a simple recipe for measuring.
1st loaf - misread the recipe, used far too much water, the dough seemed to barely rise at all despite a 16-hour ferment and a 3-hour proof, it more or less deformed to an almost-liquid state, so in my apathy, I put it in a normal bread pan instead of my cast-iron pan. baked 450 F for 30 min total, it turned out better than expected. loaf was fine, except it was slightly undercooked in the middle. pop a slice in the toaster and it's perfect.
2nd loaf - used less water this time around, formed fine, proofed pretty good. I cut the surface too deep and it started losing it's shape. used the cast iron pan & lid to serve as a dutch oven. the crust baked magnificently, but it was a flat fucking bread, something more appropriate for breadsticks than actual sliced bread. I never got time to enjoy this loaf, In my stupidity I left it unsealed for four days. I ate my meals at work, but guilt kept me from using it as dessert. The bread is now the consistency of a brick.
how long does a plain-jane sourdough bread last? for that matter, what should I do to keep my bread from flattening out before or after fermentation?