Wrights sour dough packet mix

In our town we have a delicatessen, and the other day I noticed that they are selling Wrights flour bread mixes, I thought I would give it a go because the bread flour that I use is Wrights and I am always happy with the outcome.

Nice and easy ingredients
1 packet of Wrights sour dough bread mix
310 ml warm water
4 tsp oil
egg wash (optional)

• Mix into a dough.
• Rest the dough for 5 minutes.
• Knead for 5 minutes.

• Rest for 30 minutes (the packet said only 5, but I wanted to see how fast it was doubling in the temperatures I was working in).

• Shape your loaves, I went for baguettes because I love a sour dough baguette. I lightly oiled the worktop and my hands to stop the dough from sticking, because the last thing you want to do once you have made a high hydration dough is to add loads of flour and dry it out.
• Make a rough flat rectangle, the length the baguette will be.

• Tightly roll up the dough into a sausage.

• Place on an oiled baking tray/grease proof paper/floured cloth/silicone baking mat seam side down.

• I have used a silicone baking mat which has been designed to make baguettes which I bought from Lakelands, but I more often than not don't use this mat and just use grease proof paper.
• Paint the baguettes with egg wash.
• Score with a serrated knife, If the knife is sticking to the dough you can get it wet between each cut.

• I left the baguettes to rise for 20 minutes, meanwhile I pre-heated the oven to 200 degrees C. 
• I baked the baguettes for 17 minutes (but check after 12 minutes and keep an eye on them).

My finished baguette:

I am happy with this outcome. In other attempts I have managed to get the slashes looking more pronounced but I think I know what I did wrong there.

The crumb structure was nice, but not what I have grown to expect from sour dough, to get large irregular air bubbles like a true sour dough I think I would have to spend longer on the dough development and add some stretch and folds in.

The smell was apparent right from the word go with mixing, this sour dough flavour is of course totally different from the starter that I have grown and developed myself. 

I liked the flavour and it was more complex than I expected from a packet mix. It is definitely quicker, easier, less messy and less of a life take over than making your own sour dough. 

If you love the flavour of sour dough but don't want to spend the time that it takes to develop your own starter this is definitely for you. If you make your own sour dough but have not got your starter ready for a bake this packet mix is for you. 

I won't be giving up my starter as I have to admit the time I have put into it, the fun I have had making and baking with it and the flavours and textures I have managed means that I have grown slightly attached. But during the week, or busy weekends when I don't have the time to do the likes of long retarded rises, I would definitely use this product. 

The final test, my husbands late night snack, does it pass the test?

Thumbs up from him!

Happy baking 

xoxo