Formula for Control Loaf (Documented Baseline). Baker's percentages are calculated on
total flour, including the flour contributed by the levain.
Ingredient
Grams
Baker’s %
Notes
Bread flour
475
89.6%
Water
325
61.3%
300 g autolyse + 25 g added with salt
Active starter, 100% hydration
110
20.8%
55 g flour + 55 g water; 23% inoculation on added flour
Salt
10
1.9%
2.1% of added flour
Total dough
920
Hydration
Added water61.3%water weighed into the dough
True total71.7%including the levain’s flour and water
380 g total water / 530 g total flour = 71.7%.
Scale
Process
45-minute autolyse. Add starter, salt, and the additional 25 g water. Four coil folds. 4-hour bulk fermentation. 14-hour cold retard.
Bake
Preheat Dutch oven to 500 F. Bake at 475 F, 20 minutes lid on and 20 minutes lid off. Pulled at 209 F internal.
Outcome
The reference bake. Crumb even and moderately open, no gummy banding or dense streaks, confirming correct bulk timing. Strong oven spring, well-defined scoring, good blistering from the cold retard. Watch item: the ear's high points risk over-darkening during the lid-off phase.
Next action
To pursue a more open crumb, move hydration toward 75% and change nothing else.
Where this sits
Every formula in this archive with a recoverable hydration and salt
figure. Dot size is inoculation; outline is status. This bake is filled.