Want A More Open Crumb Sourdough? How to Shape A Batard.

I frequently get asked: How do I get a more open crumb in a loaf of sourdough bread? There are a number of ways to do this, but I think one of the simplest ways to achieve a more open crumb lies in the shaping.

Shaping a loaf into a batard (oblong) as opposed to a boule (round), for whatever reason always gives me a more open crumb.

In this video, I walk you through the steps of shaping a sourdough batard after the bulk fermentation for two separate batches of dough, one made with all bread flour, one made with some stone-milled whole wheat flours. Throughout the video, I cut through 4 loaves of bread, each shaped as a batard. None of these doughs employed an autolyse or preferment or levain. The recipes are linked below.

This is one of ten bread baking tips I share in a recent blog post: https://alexandracooks.com/2021/03/14...

Sourdough Resources:

How to Feed, Store, and Maintain a Sourdough Starter: https://alexandracooks.com/2019/11/07...

Simple Sourdough Bread, Step by Step: https://alexandracooks.com/2017/10/24...

Wholewheat-ish Sourdough Bread, Step by Step: https://alexandracooks.com/2019/11/07...

Why is My Sourdough So Sticky?: https://alexandracooks.com/2020/08/28...

The cast iron baking pan I am using in this video is the Challenger Bread Pan. It's a little pricey, but worth it if you do a lot of sourdough bread baking. The handles on top make it soooo easy: https://challengerbreadware.com/produ... (affiliate link)

I also love the Lodge Dutch Oven that's 5 quarts and less $$ (affiliate link): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...

I swear by flour sack towels, which allow me to plop the shaped loaves into the towel-lined bannetons without using any additional flour: Here are two favorites: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07... (affiliate)

https://www.dotandarmy.com/products/f...

-⏱️Timestamps⏱️--
0:00 Slicing open a sourdough batard to reveal an open crumb.
0:21Turning out sourdough that has completed the bulk fermentation.
0:32​ Preshaping a round of sourdough.
0:50 Turning out a whole wheat sourdough that has completed the bulk fermentation.
0:58​ Preshaping a whole wheat round of sourdough.
1:21 Bench rest.
1:23​ Shaping a sourdough batard.
1:55​ Transferring batard to towel-lined banneton.
2:19​ Transferring batard to fridge for 24 hours.
2:29​ Shaping another sourdough batard.
3:06​ Transferring batard to towel-lined banneton.
3:31​ Transferring batard to fridge for 24 hours.
3:40​ Scoring a sourdough batard.
4:18 Transferring scored sourdough batard to preheated Dutch oven.
4:37 Uncovering the Dutch oven after 30 minutes.
4:57 Cutting into cooled sourdough batard.
5:16 Scoring and Baking the whole wheat sourdough batard.
5:49 Removing the baked whole wheat sourdough batard from the oven.
6:00 Cutting into the whole wheat sourdough batard.
6:18 Cutting into one final sourdough batard.