Baking worksheet
S1-C7: batard on old dough
Evening old dough and daytime bake: learn to compute salt and water inside the old dough, fold the mature mass into the final mix, shape a batard, and evaluate flavor without new flour.
Technical summary
- Course code
- S1-C7 — old dough: salt in the preferment, overall baker's percentages, batard
- Link to S1-C5/S1-C6
- S1-C5 showed poolish and baguette form, S1-C6 — biga and a wet dough; S1-C7 returns to a manageable hearth loaf and teaches the third classic preferment
- Hypothesis
- 30% of the flour preferred in the old dough should give a more mature bread flavor and a manageable structure without moving to sourdough
- Formula
- 400 g flour, 272 g water, 8 g salt, 2.5 g fresh yeast; dough about 683 g
- Old dough
- 120 g flour + 78 g water + 2.4 g salt + 0.3 g fresh yeast, 11–12 hours to a mature smell and porosity
- Main variable
- not another tasty loaf but the math of old dough: salt and water in the preferment are already part of the overall formula
- Lesson theory
- old dough differs from poolish and biga in being a piece of fully built dough with salt; the easiest error is double salt
- Process theory
- old dough speeds up the final fermentation and brings maturity, but must not be over-soured, alcoholic, or fallen apart
- Professional standard
- compute overall baker's percentages, describe old-dough maturity, check old-dough inclusion in the final dough, and separate preferment flavor from bake quality
- Hydration
- 68%: above the baseline loaf, below ciabatta, so that attention returns to fermentation and shaping
- Format
- 1 hearth batard; not a baguette and not a ciabatta, but a control shape for comparing preferments
- Final proof
- 45–60 minutes: the piece should feel lighter but keep tension for scoring
- Bake
- 250 °C with steam for the first 10 minutes, then 220 °C dry for 18–22 minutes to a confident crust and 96–98 °C internal
- Success criterion
- even batard, opened longitudinal score, clean mature aroma, flavor deeper than S1-C1/S1-C2 without sharp alcohol
S1-C7: bake sheet for a batard on old dough
Pick a starting style. The schedule and timers will update.
Enter the time you mix the old dough; the sheet will recalculate the final mix, bulk, shape, bake, and cooling.
- Timer to next step: 5 min Base: 23 °C. Baseline is 23 °C. Dough readiness still decides the bake.
Mix 120 g flour, 78 g water, 2.4 g salt, and 0.3 g fresh yeast into a small dense dough with no dry flour. Cover and leave at room temperature.
Step ingredients
- MukaMuka 13.5% flour
- 120 g
- Water
- 78 g
- Salt
- 2.4 g
- Fresh yeast
- 0.3 g
- Target
- Small dough gathered, no salt or yeast left on the walls, start time recorded.
- Check
- This is not a poolish or a biga: the salt is already inside, so tomorrow it must be subtracted from the final dough.
- Evidence
- Start time, kitchen temperature, density and surface state.
- Timer to next step: 11 h 55 min
Leave the old dough until morning. By the final mix it should become porous, plastic, with a bread smell and no sharp alcohol note.
Step ingredients
- Old dough
- all of it: 120 g flour + 78 g water + salt + yeast
- Target
- Porous, alive, slightly domed or only just starting to collapse old dough.
- Check
- If the mass dropped sharply, smells of alcohol, and tears in wet strings, record overmaturity and expect a weaker structure.
- Evidence
- Smell, time of readiness.
- Timer to next step: 8 min
Tear the old dough into pieces. In the Kenwood bowl combine the old dough, 280 g of flour, and 174 g of water on Min until no dry flour remains.
Step ingredients
- Old dough
- all
- MukaMuka 13.5% flour
- 280 g
- Water
- 174 g out of the final 194 g
- Target
- Flour hydrated, pieces of old dough started to disperse, dough rough but cohesive.
- Check
- Do not add salt now: part of the salt is already in the old dough; the remaining 5.6 g goes in after the rest.
- Evidence
- State after hydration, visible pieces of old dough, temperature.
- Timer to next step: 20 min
Cover the bowl and leave the dough for 20 minutes.
Step ingredients
- Dough without final salt and yeast
- all of it
- Target
- Dough is more cohesive, old dough folds in more softly.
- Check
- The rest reduces the risk of a long mix and overheating.
- Evidence
- Change in consistency after the rest.
- Timer to next step: 7 min
Dissolve 2.2 g of fresh yeast in 20 g of water, add to the dough, and mix in for 30–60 seconds. Add 5.6 g of salt and mix on Kenwood Min/1 for about 4–5 minutes.
Step ingredients
- Fresh yeast
- 2.2 g
- Water
- 20 g out of the final 194 g
- Salt
- 5.6 g
- Dough after rest
- all of it
- Target
- Dough smooth, elastic, old dough distributed with no dense lumps; dough temperature after mixing 24–25 °C.
- Check
- Do not forget: total salt is already 8 g, because 2.4 g were in the old dough.
- Evidence
- Dough temperature, smoothness, presence or absence of old-dough lumps.
- Timer to next step: 45 min Base: 23 °C. Baseline is 23 °C. Dough readiness still decides the bake.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled container, round with a scraper, and cover.
Step ingredients
- Dough
- about 683 g
- Target
- Dough gathered, starting level and temperature recorded.
- Check
- Old dough speeds up the final fermentation: check earlier if the kitchen is warm.
- Evidence
- Dough and kitchen temperature, starting level.
- Timer to next step: 45 min Base: 23 °C. Baseline is 23 °C. Dough readiness still decides the bake.
Make a gentle fold in the container without squeezing out gas.
Step ingredients
- Dough after 45 minutes of bulk
- all of it
- Target
- Dough has grown taller and is more gathered, surface does not tear.
- Check
- If the dough is already tight, do only a light edge pull.
- Evidence
- State before and after the fold.
- Timer to next step: 30 min Base: 23 °C. Baseline is 23 °C. Dough readiness still decides the bake.
Repeat a gentle fold if the dough is spreading. If it holds an edge, limit yourself to a careful pull.
Step ingredients
- Dough after the first fold
- all of it
- Target
- Dough holds shape better, bubbles preserved.
- Check
- Do not turn the fold into a new mix: the flavor of old dough will not save the crumb if gas is pressed out by hand.
- Evidence
- Gas, strength, extensibility.
- Timer to next step: 15 min
Turn the oven on to 250 °C with stones or a heavy sheet pan. Turn out the dough, gently preshape into a short oval, and cover.
Step ingredients
- Dough after bulk
- all of it
- Bench flour
- minimal, not part of the formula
- Target
- One piece with preserved gas and light tension.
- Check
- If the dough looks weak, do not pack it down by force; record old-dough maturity and bulk length.
- Evidence
- Bulk state, piece mass, preheat start.
- Timer to next step: 15 min
Give the piece 15 minutes of rest under plastic or a bowl.
Step ingredients
- Preshaped piece
- 1 piece
- Target
- Dough has relaxed and is ready to be shaped without tearing.
- Check
- If the piece resists, give it another 5 minutes.
- Evidence
- Extensibility after rest.
- Timer to next step: 10 min
Shape a batard: lightly flatten, fold the upper third to the center, seal, draw in the side edges, roll toward yourself, pinch the seam, and place in the basket seam up.
Step ingredients
- Rested piece
- 1 piece
- Basket or cloth
- 1 piece, well dusted
- Target
- Even batard with a taut surface, no rough degassing.
- Check
- Tension should hold shape but not tear the surface.
- Evidence
- Length, tension, seam quality.
- Timer to next step: 50 min Base: 23 °C. Baseline is 23 °C. Dough readiness still decides the bake.
Proof 45–60 minutes. The piece should feel lighter, the indentation returns slowly, the surface still holds tension.
Step ingredients
- Shaped batard
- 1 piece
- Target
- Ready for scoring and opening in the oven without spreading.
- Check
- If the old dough was very mature, the proof may end earlier.
- Evidence
- Poke test, lightness, geometry.
- Timer to next step: 30 min
Turn the piece seam down, make one long longitudinal score 5–8 mm deep. Add steam and bake at 250 °C for 10 minutes, then at 220 °C dry for another 18–22 minutes to color and 96–98 °C internal.
Step ingredients
- Proofed batard
- 1 piece
- Steam water
- for steam, not part of the formula
- Target
- Score opened, crust golden-brown, bread baked through.
- Check
- If the score did not open, first work through proof, tension, and steam rather than changing the old dough.
- Evidence
- Loading time, steam mode, internal temperature, crust color.
- Timer to next step: 1 h
Cool at least 60 minutes. Slice and evaluate old-dough aroma, crust, chew, salt, and the difference from S1-C2/S1-C5.
Step ingredients
- Finished batard
- 1 piece
- New ingredients
- none added
- Target
- Understand whether old dough gave maturity without an alcoholic or oversalted profile.
- Check
- Do not slice hot: old-dough flavor and crumb are evaluated more correctly after stabilization.
- Evidence
- Mass after baking, weight loss, tasting note.
Enter the time you mix the old dough; the sheet will recalculate the final mix, bulk, shape, bake, and cooling.
- Timer to next step: 5 min Base: 23 °C. Baseline is 23 °C. Dough readiness still decides the bake.
Mix 120 g flour, 78 g water, 2.4 g salt, and 0.3 g fresh yeast into a small dense dough with no dry flour. Cover and leave at room temperature.
Step ingredients
- MukaMuka 13.5% flour
- 120 g
- Water
- 78 g
- Salt
- 2.4 g
- Fresh yeast
- 0.3 g
- Target
- Small dough gathered, no salt or yeast left on the walls, start time recorded.
- Check
- This is not a poolish or a biga: the salt is already inside, so tomorrow it must be subtracted from the final dough.
- Evidence
- Start time, kitchen temperature, density and surface state.
- Timer to next step: 11 h 55 min
Leave the old dough until morning. By the final mix it should become porous, plastic, with a bread smell and no sharp alcohol note.
Step ingredients
- Old dough
- all of it: 120 g flour + 78 g water + salt + yeast
- Target
- Porous, alive, slightly domed or only just starting to collapse old dough.
- Check
- If the mass dropped sharply, smells of alcohol, and tears in wet strings, record overmaturity and expect a weaker structure.
- Evidence
- Smell, time of readiness.
- Timer to next step: 8 min
Tear the old dough into pieces. In the Kenwood bowl combine the old dough, 280 g of flour, and 174 g of water on Min until no dry flour remains.
Step ingredients
- Old dough
- all
- MukaMuka 13.5% flour
- 280 g
- Water
- 174 g out of the final 194 g
- Target
- Flour hydrated, pieces of old dough started to disperse, dough rough but cohesive.
- Check
- Do not add salt now: part of the salt is already in the old dough; the remaining 5.6 g goes in after the rest.
- Evidence
- State after hydration, visible pieces of old dough, temperature.
- Timer to next step: 20 min
Cover the bowl and leave the dough for 20 minutes.
Step ingredients
- Dough without final salt and yeast
- all of it
- Target
- Dough is more cohesive, old dough folds in more softly.
- Check
- The rest reduces the risk of a long mix and overheating.
- Evidence
- Change in consistency after the rest.
- Timer to next step: 7 min
Dissolve 2.2 g of fresh yeast in 20 g of water, add to the dough, and mix in for 30–60 seconds. Add 5.6 g of salt and mix on Kenwood Min/1 for about 4–5 minutes.
Step ingredients
- Fresh yeast
- 2.2 g
- Water
- 20 g out of the final 194 g
- Salt
- 5.6 g
- Dough after rest
- all of it
- Target
- Dough smooth, elastic, old dough distributed with no dense lumps; dough temperature after mixing 24–25 °C.
- Check
- Do not forget: total salt is already 8 g, because 2.4 g were in the old dough.
- Evidence
- Dough temperature, smoothness, presence or absence of old-dough lumps.
- Timer to next step: 45 min Base: 23 °C. Baseline is 23 °C. Dough readiness still decides the bake.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled container, round with a scraper, and cover.
Step ingredients
- Dough
- about 683 g
- Target
- Dough gathered, starting level and temperature recorded.
- Check
- Old dough speeds up the final fermentation: check earlier if the kitchen is warm.
- Evidence
- Dough and kitchen temperature, starting level.
- Timer to next step: 45 min Base: 23 °C. Baseline is 23 °C. Dough readiness still decides the bake.
Make a gentle fold in the container without squeezing out gas.
Step ingredients
- Dough after 45 minutes of bulk
- all of it
- Target
- Dough has grown taller and is more gathered, surface does not tear.
- Check
- If the dough is already tight, do only a light edge pull.
- Evidence
- State before and after the fold.
- Timer to next step: 30 min Base: 23 °C. Baseline is 23 °C. Dough readiness still decides the bake.
Repeat a gentle fold if the dough is spreading. If it holds an edge, limit yourself to a careful pull.
Step ingredients
- Dough after the first fold
- all of it
- Target
- Dough holds shape better, bubbles preserved.
- Check
- Do not turn the fold into a new mix: the flavor of old dough will not save the crumb if gas is pressed out by hand.
- Evidence
- Gas, strength, extensibility.
- Timer to next step: 15 min
Turn the oven on to 250 °C with stones or a heavy sheet pan. Turn out the dough, gently preshape into a short oval, and cover.
Step ingredients
- Dough after bulk
- all of it
- Bench flour
- minimal, not part of the formula
- Target
- One piece with preserved gas and light tension.
- Check
- If the dough looks weak, do not pack it down by force; record old-dough maturity and bulk length.
- Evidence
- Bulk state, piece mass, preheat start.
- Timer to next step: 15 min
Give the piece 15 minutes of rest under plastic or a bowl.
Step ingredients
- Preshaped piece
- 1 piece
- Target
- Dough has relaxed and is ready to be shaped without tearing.
- Check
- If the piece resists, give it another 5 minutes.
- Evidence
- Extensibility after rest.
- Timer to next step: 10 min
Shape a batard: lightly flatten, fold the upper third to the center, seal, draw in the side edges, roll toward yourself, pinch the seam, and place in the basket seam up.
Step ingredients
- Rested piece
- 1 piece
- Basket or cloth
- 1 piece, well dusted
- Target
- Even batard with a taut surface, no rough degassing.
- Check
- Tension should hold shape but not tear the surface.
- Evidence
- Length, tension, seam quality.
- Timer to next step: 50 min Base: 23 °C. Baseline is 23 °C. Dough readiness still decides the bake.
Proof 45–60 minutes. The piece should feel lighter, the indentation returns slowly, the surface still holds tension.
Step ingredients
- Shaped batard
- 1 piece
- Target
- Ready for scoring and opening in the oven without spreading.
- Check
- If the old dough was very mature, the proof may end earlier.
- Evidence
- Poke test, lightness, geometry.
- Timer to next step: 30 min
Turn the piece seam down, make one long longitudinal score 5–8 mm deep. Add steam and bake at 250 °C for 10 minutes, then at 220 °C dry for another 18–22 minutes to color and 96–98 °C internal.
Step ingredients
- Proofed batard
- 1 piece
- Steam water
- for steam, not part of the formula
- Target
- Score opened, crust golden-brown, bread baked through.
- Check
- If the score did not open, first work through proof, tension, and steam rather than changing the old dough.
- Evidence
- Loading time, steam mode, internal temperature, crust color.
- Timer to next step: 1 h
Cool at least 60 minutes. Slice and evaluate old-dough aroma, crust, chew, salt, and the difference from S1-C2/S1-C5.
Step ingredients
- Finished batard
- 1 piece
- New ingredients
- none added
- Target
- Understand whether old dough gave maturity without an alcoholic or oversalted profile.
- Check
- Do not slice hot: old-dough flavor and crumb are evaluated more correctly after stabilization.
- Evidence
- Mass after baking, weight loss, tasting note.
Journal export
After the bake, copy this text and send it to me so I can update the journal and conclusions.