Making Sourdough Bread - Recipes for a Light & Dense Loaf

[JackieBozeman]

You can also buy sourdough starter from King Arthur Flour company. They have it started and in a crock.

 

[Stephaniecafe]

Yup...

Well I have started my starter, and it is developing s sweet sour smell, the liquid keeps separating from it and I stir it back in a couple times a day. Is this correct? I noticed it had few bubbles yesterday but today it was just plain liquid on top of dough like material. Is this what it is suppose to do?

That sounds like the stuff. It is important to feed it a little if your room is warm since the temperature really pumps up the yeast like a bunch of party boys. You can add 1T potato flakes, 1T of water to spruce up yeast production but the seperation of "church an state" is normal. Just stir. You can also use grape juice instead of the water. Did you use yeast or are you doing the old fashioned method? If using yeast, you will need to feed it with equal portions water/flour every day or two to keep production of yeast up and increase the stregnth of the yeast as well, since it is eating up the sugars in the flour and then sitting there... Keep us posted. Hey as it goes, you can start using the SD starter and check its potency. Set the sponge and see if it bubbles like a thick pancake dough within 12 hours. If you are interested, I can give you a recipe for SD pancakes that use this method and are so dang yum. I also do a SD chocolate cake that will just make you pass out...like choirs of angels...:sing: Also, side note. No pun intended. I don't think this has been said, but you can keep your starter in the fridge if you don't use it every week. It seperates and the water gets dark, but that is normal as long as there isn't any mold. Be sure when you are stirring that you are using clean utinsels that you didn't leave in the sink the night before from makin' that 30 minute chicken or whatever. You don't want to introduce any unwanted flavor "party crashers" to your starter. I have had months where I didn't use it for bread, but took it out "on a date" gave it a free meal, stired it up. Let it stay out late and then put it back in the fridge. Like how I felt when I was single... What was I saying? Oh yea, you can just pour out a bunch and leave a half a cup of starter in there until the next night on the town. Does that help?

 

[Stephaniecafe]

I also have a recipe from the CIA that is made out of apples instead of flour. Good for Gluten free if anyone needs it... email : [email protected]

 

[ivebeen4given]

Chef Stephanie question for you...

In your recipe you say take 1/2 c starter then replenish with 1 cup. Is that right? Wouldnt you end up with a butt load of starter after a while?

 

[Stephaniecafe]

You do end up with a lot of starter if you replenish it every time, but you don't have to add more to the starter every time, just when it gets low-- especially if you store it in the fridge.

 

[ivebeen4given]

Oh ok, I get it now. LOL. Now lets see if I get the bread making part when I attempt that this weekend.

 

[CookingwithMary]

So...how are your sourdough bread experiments coming along?I'm happiest with the NY Times No Knead bread recipe, allowed to develop longer/sour. Preheat the DCB and have a fabulous bread and crust.

 

[Stephaniecafe]

So...how are your sourdough bread experiments coming along?

I'm happiest with the NY Times No Knead bread recipe, allowed to develop longer/sour. Preheat the DCB and have a fabulous bread and crust.[/QUOTE]

Preheat the DCB as you said, but also try this:
Here's a good experiment, cornmeal the bottom pretty good, you'll get an even better rise and crust if you put 2T water on top of bread and cover at a higher temperature the first 15 minutes (this is called the steaming method). It will add a lot of texture to the crust and keep it thin and crisp. By higher temp. I mean crank it to 450 or 475. Drop to regular temp (350) after that.

By the way, in mass quantity I have had to open a darn hot oven and singe my eyebrows pretty good while spritzing the bread every 3-5 minutes for the first 15. The water in a covered baker is a much better way to do this and get the thin crisp crust. You really get that effect without losing your eyebrows and having to pencil them in like Bozo. Think on that.

 

[CookingwithMary]

Thanks Chef Stefanie. I have been using cornmeal and a very slack dough. Added more water due to lack of humidity in my area. Will try the add water method too with even higher heat. Singed eyebrows? No, but crimped my hair a few times when trying various experiments. Such as throwing ice cubes in a hot oven.

 

[ivebeen4given]

I got a new starter from someone else almost a month ago now and It is working great it is a Potato fed starter. I leave mine out longer than the recipe calls for because I like a more sour bread. Feed it leave it out 24 hrs, mix it leave it out 24 hours. knead it into loaf pans leave out for 8 hrs then bake. Makes a great bread.

 

[Stephaniecafe]

Horray!Steven, I was so excited to read your post! It sounds like you have found your nitch! :thumbup:

 

[ivebeen4given]

It is fun. I am giving away most of the bread. I only eat about half a loaf. So before I start the process I know who is going to be getting a loaf.