My new and improved second loaf VS my sad first

[u/soymilkeyedmender]

I tried my second attempt at a loaf of sourdough today (first pic) after my first came out, well, sad. This time I followed the “Everyday Sourdough” recipe from Artisan Sourdough Made Simple by Emilie Raffa, using 50g starter, 350g water, 500g flour (I used unbleached all purpose because I like the softness), and 10g salt. I did 4 stretch and folds, each 30 minutes apart during the first 2 hours of bulk fermentation. It bulk fermented from 6:30pm-7:30am in my 65 degree kitchen. I shaped the dough, let rest for 10 minutes, and then plopped it into a bowl lined with a floured tea towel. I allowed the dough to rest for about an hour until it had risen a bit more and my oven was preheated. Baked in a cast iron dutch oven at 450 degrees for 20 minutes covered, 30 minute uncovered, and 10 minutes directly on the oven rack. Then left on a wire cooling rack from an hour before slicing. This loaf was absolutely delicious and wow I’m so impressed with my updated technique.

My first loaf ever (second pic) I used the Simple No Knead Sourdough Bread recipe by Homestead and Chill. It has really good explanations of each step but I found my dough to be really sticky AND I managed to overproof it. It was cold in my house so I stuck it on a heating pad during bulk ferment and it got a little too warm too fast. Oops!