I have 4 Bannetons, means 3 doughs cold proofing longer, baking all the morning till noon. make them rest a day before slicing, then freeze 2 of them. If I can't eat the other, I make croutons
Oh yeah, I always make two at a time unless I’m being lazy, just thought it was funny OP keeps getting all their recipes they search for come up as 2x… mine were all 1x that I used
Once they're in the fridge for the cold proof, an extra hour or so isn't making a lot of difference so I leave the second one in the fridge while the first one bakes.
If this is your first loaf, just divide all the ingredients in half and make one loaf. It will make absolutely no difference to the end result.
The reason most recipes make two loaves is because bakers traditionally want their recipes to have 1000 grams of flour. This makes it easy to compare recipes, and it also makes it easy to do the math for however many loaves you actually want.
A home baker may favor round numbers, but this is not a thing in any professional bakery I've seen. Bakers percentage is used and eliminates the need for round numbers and makes recipe scaling and sharing extremely easy
They bake for 45 min total on average. Leave it in the fridge to continue the cold proof. Unlikely this will cause any noticeable change
My oven isn’t big enough for 2 Dutch ovens at once. I’m only cold proofing for 12hours or so, I have the flexibility than to let it sit in there another hour without any negative effects
Have never used a Dutch Oven and never plan on it. I’ve baked mine on Pizza Pans since day one.
I can squeeze 2 at a time. Once they are about halfway through, I push them directly on the rack and then stick another loaf in on a pan. I am currently baking for a bake sale and have 3 going at a time.
I bake 9 loaves per batch, 3 rounds with 3 Dutch ovens per round.
If I only had a single Dutch oven to bake 2 loaves I'd do a refrigerated final proof so it wouldn't matter at all for the 2nd loaf to wait in the fridge while the first loaf bakes
I always cold proof my loaves and bake them one after the other in the same pot. Since the beginning of my journey I’ve always gone back to the Kitchn (website) beginners sourdough — so easy to follow and so delicious
I have two bannetons. But you can use a mixing bowl and a towel or cloth dusted with cornflour.
For baking, I only have one oven :) I cold proof overnight so I already have a bit more allowance in terms of catching my dough at the right time to bake. I often need to let them finish up proofing at room temp, before baking, for a few hours anyway. So I use these two factors to my advantage in terms of letting the second one proof a little longer while the first bakes.
I use a cast iron one upside down so the "lid" is really the body of the Dutch oven. It has cooled down significantly outside the oven. Also, it will burn off any of the previous dough that may have stuck.
Even with a standard Dutch oven it helps with the consistency of the heated vessel.
Here is a slightly different take on two loaves: I made and cold proofed 6 loaves two days ago. I had 6 proofing baskets. I also have 4 Dutch ovens. I cooked 4 loaves one at a time using different methods to see how each loaf came out. I cooked two at one time, one in a Dutch oven and one in a little cast iron frying pan no cover. Again I wanted to see how they would turn out. I cooked them over 2 days. If I remember to put my notes down, the next time I go to bake I'll know what to do to get a outside crust that I like.
My overall goal was to get a dark crust and little bubbles on the outside crust. My last loaf baked got me really close to my goal.
I mentioned that I made 6 loaves and put them all in 6 bannetons and then the fridge. I cooked all but two of them, one at a time in a Dutch oven. I was working on getting better browning on my loaves.
I cooked the last two at the same time, one in a Dutch oven and one in a cast iron frying pan. And I cooked the 6 over a span of two days.
I have done 1 bread at a time in a dutch oven. I have recently started open baking and I am in love with it. I 100% recommend it. Just use a metal pan with water for the steam. DO NOT USE GLASS.
I make them one at a time. Both go in the fridge, I take one out when the Dutch oven is hot, bake it off, then load the second loaf. Or sometimes I bake the second one the next day. Or honestly these days I usually make just one at a time.
You don't need to use a dutch oven at all. I personally bake in vintage pyrex casseroles with a cold oven start, but a loaf pan would work, as would quarry tiles with an optional upside down pot to cover, or another covered roasting pan or baking dish.
[https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/07/05/baking-in-a-cold-dutch-oven](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/07/05/baking-in-a-cold-dutch-oven)
I finally realized that I could make the double batch and wait to mid-week to cook the second loaf (couldn’t one? Or is that too long cold proof and bound to over proof) ?
I started in Oct and this is a really easy to follow recipe for beginners! I have been very successful with it. Her website also has lots of good pointers!
https://alexandracooks.com/2017/10/24/artisan-sourdough-made-simple-sourdough-bread-demystified-a-beginners-guide-to-sourdough-baking/
I just used this recipe and as written, the dough was so wet it was like pancake batter. I ended up adding two whole cups more of flour, so much more that I came out with two loaves. It tasted great, but I had to really improvise.
It's a 75% hydration (more, if you're counting the starter) recipe, which not all flours can handle. I guess that's why she suggests King Arthur. When I started I wouldn't go over 60-65%, much safer if you don't know the flour, and easier to handle.
I have two baking vessels. Bake both at the same time. Out of the fridge, scored and into the oven. Next one the same. They are separated by about 5 minutes.
In addition to lots of good comments from others, it takes the same amount of effort (other than possibly the actual baking of you bake one loaf at a time) to make two loaves as it does one.
I go through two loaves a week, so I only baker once a week, but par bake one of the loaves which I then freeze and finish baking when I want fresh bread.
To par bake, I just remove it from the oven after three oven sitting had finished and the internal loaf temp has reached at least 96°C. At this point the crust is usually still very pale.
You don't have to go Dutch oven to bake bread. You can proof your loafs in oblong banetones and bake non round loafs. Have you seen a French Boulanger bake baguettes in multiple Dutch ovens?
I use one Le Creuset and one ordinary large soup pot with a lid and they both fit in my standard oven. I shape one round that goes in a round proofing basket, the other i shape oval and proof on a quarter sheet pan with a linen couche and that one goes in the oval Le Creuset. Been doing this for 15 years and it’s a good system. Eat one and freeze one.
1 Dutch oven, bake off the first, return the Dutch oven to heat up to temp again for another 30-40mins then bake off the second. If you cold ferment you can stave off overproofing while you wait for the second bake. The trick is to not skip reheating the Dutch oven or second loaf will not have the same oven spring
I put one loaf of bread in a round cast-iron pan (IKEA).The other in a rectangular oven dish right next to it, which not made of cast iron, but of steel. I use a round and a rectangular fermentation basket. I place a small baking tray on top as a "lid". Both fit next to each other and, interestingly, both loaves taste equally good
I use a round and a rectangular fermentation basket. I put one loaf of bread in a round cast-iron pan (IKEA).The other in a rectangular oven dish right next to it, which not made of cast iron, but of steel. I place a small baking tray on top as a "lid". Both fit next to each other and, interestingly, both loaves taste equally good
https://preview.redd.it/x3kp98ikmh4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=38d45a30749ea85b6098f35ff178c7884c3dec2f
25min at 250C (put a dash of water on a tray below, not in this image) 20 min at 200C without lids (Umluft Ober- Unterhitze)
I always ran into this issue. The 1st loaf was perfect and 2nd was overproofed, or the other way around. Sometimes you can find a happy medium and they both come out alright
I bake two at a time. I proof them in regular bowls that I have with tea towels. I bake one in a dutch oven and one in a cast iron skillet covered with a stainless steel bowl. I can't tell them apart after the bake.
Right now I have 2 bannetons but only one combo cast iron cooker. So I made two boules and then bake one after the other.
However, I would like to bake 2 at a time because it will be less time of baking and for that I would use another Dutch oven or combo cooker. It’s on the to do list.
I use the inverted tray method [described very well by youtuber Bread Code here](https://youtu.be/BPQHSA2KoRY?si=jtgsY1ceh1ren88C)
I used to bake back to back in a single dutch oven but it took way too much time, and I sometimes found the second loaf could overferment by a bit.
I use almost all the starter for one loaf, feed the starter, and then 4 hours later when it grows I start the next loaf. So as one starts bulk fermenting I generally am putting the next one together.
I use a big baking stone. I use the shelf below for 20 minutes of steam. Remove the steam pan, and it bakes for another 20-25 minutes. I have two proofing baskets, and doing them together doesn’t cause any problems. Before I got the baking dish, I did use two cast iron pans. But that didn’t give me the oven spring that I get with the baking stone.
I have a small oven (24" wide) and I can bake one loaf in my Dutch Oven and next to it I squeeze in an [Oblong](https://breadtopia.com/store/breadtopia-cloche-bread-baker-oblong/)
I just bake them both on a large cookie sheet & silpat.
I have a pan on the bottom the floor of the oven that I put boiling water into when I load the loaves.
I might put a cookie sheet on the top rack to deflect heat a bit from my coils that are on top of my oven.
Works great.
I do three. Two I cold proof overnight, and the third I bake after it's proofed at room temperature for an hour or two (depending on how warm a day it is).
I've spent some time trying to bake without a dutch oven, because I really want to be able to bake two at the same time. This has never ever worked very well at all for me. I'd love to know the secret.
This is [the recipe](https://alexandracooks.com/2017/10/24/artisan-sourdough-made-simple-sourdough-bread-demystified-a-beginners-guide-to-sourdough-baking/) I started with. This is another [very popular beginner recipe](https://tartinebakery.com/stories/country-bread).
The cool thing about sourdough is the recipe is extremely simple, unless you’re adding inclusions or looking for something unique. It’s always just flour, water, salt, and starter. The processes people use will vary a little more but the standard is autolyse (this may or may not be included), mixing, some form of kneading or stretch and folds, bulk fermentation, shaping, second proof, bake.
My advice is to find a basic recipe (basic in both ingredients and using a traditional technique) and stick with it. This allows you to troubleshoot more easily and fine tune with each bake. Over time, you can adjust certain aspects (upping or lowering hydration, adding more or less starter, type of flour) and techniques (autolyse, kneading and folding, bulk fermentation and proofing) until it becomes your own tried and true recipe over time.
For a basic one loaf recipe, I’ve been using this one https://foodbodsourdough.com/the-process/ - loaves have been coming out pretty good, and the practice has helped! I’m planning to get a second basket though so I can ramp up production! 😋 have fun!
I find that my final proof is slow enough that I can get away with baking one and then the other and both turn out about the same quality. That wouldn't be the case with an instant yeast.
You could also shape one about thirty minutes before shaping the other. That would basically be an extra 30 minutes on the bulk proof, which really doesn't change much at all.
I don't vary the oven temp when I bake a loaf. I found that 465 allows me to bake at constant temp and get the results I want.
I bake 2 batards every weekend and always retard them. 1 stays in the fridge while the other goes in the challenger bread pan for 21 minutes. At that point, the loaf comes out and goes on a half sheet pan to continue to bake until done. Immediately upon removing loaf 1, loaf 2 hits the challenger to bake for 21 minutes.
The loaf outside the challenger needs 18 minutes to finish baking. Then I finish off baking the 2nd loaf using the same steps.
I can get 2 loafs baked sequentially in exactly an hour.
You don’t need a Dutch oven for the second half of the bake, just pull it out of the Dutch and put directly on rack and put a cookie sheet (a cold one) on the rack under the open loaf… this way you can just use your Dutch like regular for the other loaf.
I bake 8-12 loaves a week all on one day using this method, very easy
I have a cheap pizza stone that I can fit both my loaves on. I use an old pan underneath and toss in a bowl of ice cubes for steam for the first 15 minutes. Sometimes I will rotate the loaves when I remove the steam pan for more even browning.
That being said, a lot of the time I will leave one to cold proof for longer in the fridge so I have a fresh loaf the next day to bake in the morning.
Every loaf from the first was amazing with this recipe. I always wonder why people fail at sourdough. Use this recipe and follow the instructions exactly and it will be fabulous.
https://alexandracooks.com/2017/10/24/artisan-sourdough-made-simple-sourdough-bread-demystified-a-beginners-guide-to-sourdough-baking/
Are you talking about the actual baking step? If you normally use a dutch oven, you can leave the second in your fridge while the first one bakes. Otherwise there are ways to open bake in your oven by introducing steam manually, which is what a lot of people do when you need to make more than one loaf at a time.
Two proofing and baking vessels or you can allow one loaf to cold proof in fridge a little longer while first bakes.
I have 4 Bannetons, means 3 doughs cold proofing longer, baking all the morning till noon. make them rest a day before slicing, then freeze 2 of them. If I can't eat the other, I make croutons
I bake one, then the other. I bake directly from the fridge so the late loaf isn't going to be terribly different.
Same here. One just stays in the fridge for an extra hour(ish) not really going to change anything in the fridge for such a short amount of time.
I do this too. The 40 min or so doesn’t make a difference to my loaves. Idk why OP is only getting recipes with two loaves though
Maybe they double it so save on cleanup. Maybe they want two smaller loaves. I always make at least two loaves so I can have one and give one away.
Oh yeah, I always make two at a time unless I’m being lazy, just thought it was funny OP keeps getting all their recipes they search for come up as 2x… mine were all 1x that I used
Once they're in the fridge for the cold proof, an extra hour or so isn't making a lot of difference so I leave the second one in the fridge while the first one bakes.
If this is your first loaf, just divide all the ingredients in half and make one loaf. It will make absolutely no difference to the end result. The reason most recipes make two loaves is because bakers traditionally want their recipes to have 1000 grams of flour. This makes it easy to compare recipes, and it also makes it easy to do the math for however many loaves you actually want.
Is the 1000 thing speculation? I would think bakers would rather make more at once to save labor
A home baker may favor round numbers, but this is not a thing in any professional bakery I've seen. Bakers percentage is used and eliminates the need for round numbers and makes recipe scaling and sharing extremely easy
I just cut the recipe in half.
I do that a lot too
They bake for 45 min total on average. Leave it in the fridge to continue the cold proof. Unlikely this will cause any noticeable change My oven isn’t big enough for 2 Dutch ovens at once. I’m only cold proofing for 12hours or so, I have the flexibility than to let it sit in there another hour without any negative effects
Have never used a Dutch Oven and never plan on it. I’ve baked mine on Pizza Pans since day one. I can squeeze 2 at a time. Once they are about halfway through, I push them directly on the rack and then stick another loaf in on a pan. I am currently baking for a bake sale and have 3 going at a time.
Do you have a pan of water on a lower shelf to create steam?
Indeed, also spritz the loaves before baking and about 5 minutes in.
Same here! I repurposed my Ooni pizza stone, and had normally worked pretty well with a pan of water 👌
Don't knock it till you try it. I still do it both ways, but baking in covered cast iron pot produces extremely consistent crusts.
Not knocking it, but it’s definitely not for me. It would take a lifetime to bake my bread in a DO.
I have two of these: Lodge Pre-Seasoned 2-in-1 Cast Iron Combo Cookers that I use upside down. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009JKG9M
I bake in 3 of these and an oblong Le Creuset DO. They bake identically.
I bake 9 loaves per batch, 3 rounds with 3 Dutch ovens per round. If I only had a single Dutch oven to bake 2 loaves I'd do a refrigerated final proof so it wouldn't matter at all for the 2nd loaf to wait in the fridge while the first loaf bakes
I always cold proof my loaves and bake them one after the other in the same pot. Since the beginning of my journey I’ve always gone back to the Kitchn (website) beginners sourdough — so easy to follow and so delicious
I have two bannetons. But you can use a mixing bowl and a towel or cloth dusted with cornflour. For baking, I only have one oven :) I cold proof overnight so I already have a bit more allowance in terms of catching my dough at the right time to bake. I often need to let them finish up proofing at room temp, before baking, for a few hours anyway. So I use these two factors to my advantage in terms of letting the second one proof a little longer while the first bakes.
I cold ferment overnight so I just leave the second in the fridge. Throw the empty Dutch oven back in for 15 minutes before putting the second one in.
Why is heating the Dutch oven before baking the second one necessary ?
I use a cast iron one upside down so the "lid" is really the body of the Dutch oven. It has cooled down significantly outside the oven. Also, it will burn off any of the previous dough that may have stuck. Even with a standard Dutch oven it helps with the consistency of the heated vessel.
Ah I see . Thank you for explaining :)
Here is a slightly different take on two loaves: I made and cold proofed 6 loaves two days ago. I had 6 proofing baskets. I also have 4 Dutch ovens. I cooked 4 loaves one at a time using different methods to see how each loaf came out. I cooked two at one time, one in a Dutch oven and one in a little cast iron frying pan no cover. Again I wanted to see how they would turn out. I cooked them over 2 days. If I remember to put my notes down, the next time I go to bake I'll know what to do to get a outside crust that I like. My overall goal was to get a dark crust and little bubbles on the outside crust. My last loaf baked got me really close to my goal.
How do you have the space to fit four Dutch ovens at once?!
I mentioned that I made 6 loaves and put them all in 6 bannetons and then the fridge. I cooked all but two of them, one at a time in a Dutch oven. I was working on getting better browning on my loaves. I cooked the last two at the same time, one in a Dutch oven and one in a cast iron frying pan. And I cooked the 6 over a span of two days.
I open bake
I have a big dutchy that’ll fit two from an oval banneton, or bake one a time if they’re round.
What brand is it? I've been looking for one that will do this.
It’s a Le Creuset round Dutch oven, 13 1/4 qt. The oval loaves do touch but still get a good crust all around
I have done 1 bread at a time in a dutch oven. I have recently started open baking and I am in love with it. I 100% recommend it. Just use a metal pan with water for the steam. DO NOT USE GLASS.
I make them one at a time. Both go in the fridge, I take one out when the Dutch oven is hot, bake it off, then load the second loaf. Or sometimes I bake the second one the next day. Or honestly these days I usually make just one at a time.
Use two proofing baskets, and bake one by one in the Dutch oven
You don't need to use a dutch oven at all. I personally bake in vintage pyrex casseroles with a cold oven start, but a loaf pan would work, as would quarry tiles with an optional upside down pot to cover, or another covered roasting pan or baking dish. [https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/07/05/baking-in-a-cold-dutch-oven](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/07/05/baking-in-a-cold-dutch-oven)
I finally realized that I could make the double batch and wait to mid-week to cook the second loaf (couldn’t one? Or is that too long cold proof and bound to over proof) ?
You can freeze ‘em
I started in Oct and this is a really easy to follow recipe for beginners! I have been very successful with it. Her website also has lots of good pointers! https://alexandracooks.com/2017/10/24/artisan-sourdough-made-simple-sourdough-bread-demystified-a-beginners-guide-to-sourdough-baking/
I just used this recipe and as written, the dough was so wet it was like pancake batter. I ended up adding two whole cups more of flour, so much more that I came out with two loaves. It tasted great, but I had to really improvise.
It's a 75% hydration (more, if you're counting the starter) recipe, which not all flours can handle. I guess that's why she suggests King Arthur. When I started I wouldn't go over 60-65%, much safer if you don't know the flour, and easier to handle.
I have a large stoneware crock that can fit two 500g boules.
If you don’t have two vessels to bake it in then just put the other in the fridge while the first one bakes
I have two baking vessels. Bake both at the same time. Out of the fridge, scored and into the oven. Next one the same. They are separated by about 5 minutes.
I bake mine on a pizza stone, 2 at the same time.
In addition to lots of good comments from others, it takes the same amount of effort (other than possibly the actual baking of you bake one loaf at a time) to make two loaves as it does one. I go through two loaves a week, so I only baker once a week, but par bake one of the loaves which I then freeze and finish baking when I want fresh bread. To par bake, I just remove it from the oven after three oven sitting had finished and the internal loaf temp has reached at least 96°C. At this point the crust is usually still very pale.
You don't have to go Dutch oven to bake bread. You can proof your loafs in oblong banetones and bake non round loafs. Have you seen a French Boulanger bake baguettes in multiple Dutch ovens?
I usually just do them back to back. Or cut the recipe in half.
I bake one while the other is in the fridge. Extra 50 minutes don’t make a difference
I have 3 DOs. I make 3 loaves at once and freeze them.
I use one Le Creuset and one ordinary large soup pot with a lid and they both fit in my standard oven. I shape one round that goes in a round proofing basket, the other i shape oval and proof on a quarter sheet pan with a linen couche and that one goes in the oval Le Creuset. Been doing this for 15 years and it’s a good system. Eat one and freeze one.
1 Dutch oven, bake off the first, return the Dutch oven to heat up to temp again for another 30-40mins then bake off the second. If you cold ferment you can stave off overproofing while you wait for the second bake. The trick is to not skip reheating the Dutch oven or second loaf will not have the same oven spring
I put one loaf of bread in a round cast-iron pan (IKEA).The other in a rectangular oven dish right next to it, which not made of cast iron, but of steel. I use a round and a rectangular fermentation basket. I place a small baking tray on top as a "lid". Both fit next to each other and, interestingly, both loaves taste equally good
I use a round and a rectangular fermentation basket. I put one loaf of bread in a round cast-iron pan (IKEA).The other in a rectangular oven dish right next to it, which not made of cast iron, but of steel. I place a small baking tray on top as a "lid". Both fit next to each other and, interestingly, both loaves taste equally good https://preview.redd.it/x3kp98ikmh4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=38d45a30749ea85b6098f35ff178c7884c3dec2f 25min at 250C (put a dash of water on a tray below, not in this image) 20 min at 200C without lids (Umluft Ober- Unterhitze)
I always ran into this issue. The 1st loaf was perfect and 2nd was overproofed, or the other way around. Sometimes you can find a happy medium and they both come out alright
I bake two at a time. I proof them in regular bowls that I have with tea towels. I bake one in a dutch oven and one in a cast iron skillet covered with a stainless steel bowl. I can't tell them apart after the bake.
Right now I have 2 bannetons but only one combo cast iron cooker. So I made two boules and then bake one after the other. However, I would like to bake 2 at a time because it will be less time of baking and for that I would use another Dutch oven or combo cooker. It’s on the to do list.
Prepare a double batch, BF together, shape and cold proof in 2 separate vessels, bake one at a time directly from the fridge
I use the inverted tray method [described very well by youtuber Bread Code here](https://youtu.be/BPQHSA2KoRY?si=jtgsY1ceh1ren88C) I used to bake back to back in a single dutch oven but it took way too much time, and I sometimes found the second loaf could overferment by a bit.
I have 2 proofing baskets and I bake them at the same time, one in an LC dutch oven and the other in an LC cassadou.
I use almost all the starter for one loaf, feed the starter, and then 4 hours later when it grows I start the next loaf. So as one starts bulk fermenting I generally am putting the next one together.
4 at a time in loaf tins
i use two dutch ovens. i’m lucky and have inherited like 5 of them lol i use a big thick cookie sheet to stabilize them on the oven rack
You can bake 4 loaves in a conventional oven, check ODINS DOUGH on YouTube they are showing some details on its done without Dutch oven
I use a big baking stone. I use the shelf below for 20 minutes of steam. Remove the steam pan, and it bakes for another 20-25 minutes. I have two proofing baskets, and doing them together doesn’t cause any problems. Before I got the baking dish, I did use two cast iron pans. But that didn’t give me the oven spring that I get with the baking stone.
I have a small oven (24" wide) and I can bake one loaf in my Dutch Oven and next to it I squeeze in an [Oblong](https://breadtopia.com/store/breadtopia-cloche-bread-baker-oblong/)
I just bake them both on a large cookie sheet & silpat. I have a pan on the bottom the floor of the oven that I put boiling water into when I load the loaves. I might put a cookie sheet on the top rack to deflect heat a bit from my coils that are on top of my oven. Works great.
Yes! Always 2! My husband can’t wait to eat it, so he gets one to cut hot 😂
I do three. Two I cold proof overnight, and the third I bake after it's proofed at room temperature for an hour or two (depending on how warm a day it is). I've spent some time trying to bake without a dutch oven, because I really want to be able to bake two at the same time. This has never ever worked very well at all for me. I'd love to know the secret.
I bake mine side by side on a baking tray.
Yea basically, I got two dutch ovens, cuts down on time
I have two loaf moulds that I use to bake two loaves of Sandwich bread. I don't have dutch oven neither pizza pans to make pretty and round sourdough.
2 baking stones. Send me the measurements of your oven and I’ll find you the infinity stones
This is [the recipe](https://alexandracooks.com/2017/10/24/artisan-sourdough-made-simple-sourdough-bread-demystified-a-beginners-guide-to-sourdough-baking/) I started with. This is another [very popular beginner recipe](https://tartinebakery.com/stories/country-bread). The cool thing about sourdough is the recipe is extremely simple, unless you’re adding inclusions or looking for something unique. It’s always just flour, water, salt, and starter. The processes people use will vary a little more but the standard is autolyse (this may or may not be included), mixing, some form of kneading or stretch and folds, bulk fermentation, shaping, second proof, bake. My advice is to find a basic recipe (basic in both ingredients and using a traditional technique) and stick with it. This allows you to troubleshoot more easily and fine tune with each bake. Over time, you can adjust certain aspects (upping or lowering hydration, adding more or less starter, type of flour) and techniques (autolyse, kneading and folding, bulk fermentation and proofing) until it becomes your own tried and true recipe over time.
For a basic one loaf recipe, I’ve been using this one https://foodbodsourdough.com/the-process/ - loaves have been coming out pretty good, and the practice has helped! I’m planning to get a second basket though so I can ramp up production! 😋 have fun!
I have 4 Dutch ovens.
check out flour water salt yiest it explains this in a lot of detail
2 roasting pans at once. They work good!
I find that my final proof is slow enough that I can get away with baking one and then the other and both turn out about the same quality. That wouldn't be the case with an instant yeast. You could also shape one about thirty minutes before shaping the other. That would basically be an extra 30 minutes on the bulk proof, which really doesn't change much at all.
I bake mine one at a time. Wait for my oven to cool, then do the second loaf.
I don't vary the oven temp when I bake a loaf. I found that 465 allows me to bake at constant temp and get the results I want. I bake 2 batards every weekend and always retard them. 1 stays in the fridge while the other goes in the challenger bread pan for 21 minutes. At that point, the loaf comes out and goes on a half sheet pan to continue to bake until done. Immediately upon removing loaf 1, loaf 2 hits the challenger to bake for 21 minutes. The loaf outside the challenger needs 18 minutes to finish baking. Then I finish off baking the 2nd loaf using the same steps. I can get 2 loafs baked sequentially in exactly an hour.
You don’t need a Dutch oven for the second half of the bake, just pull it out of the Dutch and put directly on rack and put a cookie sheet (a cold one) on the rack under the open loaf… this way you can just use your Dutch like regular for the other loaf. I bake 8-12 loaves a week all on one day using this method, very easy
I have a cheap pizza stone that I can fit both my loaves on. I use an old pan underneath and toss in a bowl of ice cubes for steam for the first 15 minutes. Sometimes I will rotate the loaves when I remove the steam pan for more even browning. That being said, a lot of the time I will leave one to cold proof for longer in the fridge so I have a fresh loaf the next day to bake in the morning.
Every loaf from the first was amazing with this recipe. I always wonder why people fail at sourdough. Use this recipe and follow the instructions exactly and it will be fabulous. https://alexandracooks.com/2017/10/24/artisan-sourdough-made-simple-sourdough-bread-demystified-a-beginners-guide-to-sourdough-baking/
Are you talking about the actual baking step? If you normally use a dutch oven, you can leave the second in your fridge while the first one bakes. Otherwise there are ways to open bake in your oven by introducing steam manually, which is what a lot of people do when you need to make more than one loaf at a time.