I have a question regarding the European Brown bread that is featured in one of the videos. I followed the recipe very closely and made this bread twice now, and it is one of my favorite recipes to date. Very flavorful and the smell is so awesome in the kitchen. My only issue is how long it takes me to slap and fold until it seems the dough is ready for bulk fermentation. I think it took close to an hour of the slap and fold technique, done on a wooden cutting board, room temperature about 71 degrees. I never used any extra flour too "cheat", but the process is exhausting. Each time I slap on the board, it often lifts off the counter a bit as the dough sticks to it (as it should, but it REALLY sticks) and I have to use one hand to pull the dough away from the wood, so I can finish the rest of the motion. I frequently use the bench scraper too. This slows me down greatly I realize, but should this be taking an hour? I do some rests here and there, mostly for my tired arms, but also to let the dough relax a bit. On your video you are able to go very quickly in your rhythm, which I am not able to do. I never did get a nice windowpane either. Should I expect this, or is this only to be found in simple sour doughs?
I could always use a larger wooden board but in the past, sticky dough can cause this one to lift off the counter as well. Any suggestions on how I can do this without so much effort? I am also five feet tall, so the counter is also proportionately high for me. Do I need a step stool?! How do others who are petite handle the "heavy-lifting" mechanics of dealing with a 3 loaf ball of dough?
