Sourdough breadmaking
Discussion
Sourdough bread-making
After a lifetime of not cooking an awful lot, I’ve spent the last 2 years or so experimenting with home-grown sourdough starter cultures, baking various kinds of breads using the cultures, I now consider myself a bit of an amateur sourdough bread-making expert!
And as my wife says to me constantly: "if you can do it successfully, anyone can!"
I am happy to share tips, experiences, and recipes with new starters or fellow experimenters, and help dispel some of the myths and mystique that has grown up around sourdough bread-making.
Anybody interested, make yourself known, and if I get no responses I’ll just shut up!
After a lifetime of not cooking an awful lot, I’ve spent the last 2 years or so experimenting with home-grown sourdough starter cultures, baking various kinds of breads using the cultures, I now consider myself a bit of an amateur sourdough bread-making expert!
And as my wife says to me constantly: "if you can do it successfully, anyone can!"
I am happy to share tips, experiences, and recipes with new starters or fellow experimenters, and help dispel some of the myths and mystique that has grown up around sourdough bread-making.
Anybody interested, make yourself known, and if I get no responses I’ll just shut up!
Edited by Boo152 on Monday 4th March 14:54
Also, Dan Lepard's 'The Handmade Loaf' was recommended to me by another PHer.
It is a superb book for recipes and breadmaking techniques, although I did struggle with getting my starter going with his recommended approach of using raisins.
Raisins supposedly have natural yeasts on, but my conclusion is that yeasts which flourish in hot, dry countries do not do well in the cold, damp UK.
OP, what's your Secret Starter? Mine's been going for 2 1/2 years now. I also have a captive starter for the Herman Friendship Cake. Contrary to popular belief, this freezes.
It is a superb book for recipes and breadmaking techniques, although I did struggle with getting my starter going with his recommended approach of using raisins.
Raisins supposedly have natural yeasts on, but my conclusion is that yeasts which flourish in hot, dry countries do not do well in the cold, damp UK.
OP, what's your Secret Starter? Mine's been going for 2 1/2 years now. I also have a captive starter for the Herman Friendship Cake. Contrary to popular belief, this freezes.
Ok, glad theres some interest. First, to make great tasting sourdough bread, no special equipment or gadgets are required.
To start to make your sourdough starter culture, you need the following:
Plastic resealable tub or glass jar with lid
2 tablespoons Strong white bread flour - supermarket own brand is fine
2 tablespoons Good quality Rye flour
4 tablespoons Cold clean tap watero
Mix these 3 ingredients together in the tub or jar, put the lid on, leave on the kithen worktop for 24 hrs. When you open the lid again, it should have started to bubble (its the natural yeasts or spores present in the rye flour causing the ferment.)
Feed the culture - 1 tablespoon strong white flour, 1 tablespoon rye flour, 2 tabblespoons water. Stir, lid on, leave another 24 hrs then feed again.
Repeat this feeding process every 24 hrs for about a week, by which time you should have a vigorously fermenting culture. Time now to slow it down, and start to develop some flavour. Feed again as above, but then put it in the fridge. You will see a slow down in the ferment now, but still keep feeding every 24 hrs. After about 10 days after starting it off, your culture should be fermenting with enough gusto to start your 1st batch of sourdough bread. Instructions for that will follow later!
To start to make your sourdough starter culture, you need the following:
Plastic resealable tub or glass jar with lid
2 tablespoons Strong white bread flour - supermarket own brand is fine
2 tablespoons Good quality Rye flour
4 tablespoons Cold clean tap watero
Mix these 3 ingredients together in the tub or jar, put the lid on, leave on the kithen worktop for 24 hrs. When you open the lid again, it should have started to bubble (its the natural yeasts or spores present in the rye flour causing the ferment.)
Feed the culture - 1 tablespoon strong white flour, 1 tablespoon rye flour, 2 tabblespoons water. Stir, lid on, leave another 24 hrs then feed again.
Repeat this feeding process every 24 hrs for about a week, by which time you should have a vigorously fermenting culture. Time now to slow it down, and start to develop some flavour. Feed again as above, but then put it in the fridge. You will see a slow down in the ferment now, but still keep feeding every 24 hrs. After about 10 days after starting it off, your culture should be fermenting with enough gusto to start your 1st batch of sourdough bread. Instructions for that will follow later!
Edited by Boo152 on Friday 1st March 00:40
Some tips for maintaining and developing the culture:
1. The consistency to aim for is that of a fairly stiff batter, but not critical - adjust the water or flour proportions if it becomes sloppier or stiffer
2. If it appears to stop fermenting in the fridge, leave it out on the worktop for half a day at the next feed, it should revive.
3. Ultimately, you will be able to slow down the feeding to once every 2 or 3 days, so it’s ok to go away for the weekend and leave it in the fridge!
4. Before making a bread batch, always feed and stir the culture extra vigorously, then:
1. The consistency to aim for is that of a fairly stiff batter, but not critical - adjust the water or flour proportions if it becomes sloppier or stiffer
2. If it appears to stop fermenting in the fridge, leave it out on the worktop for half a day at the next feed, it should revive.
3. Ultimately, you will be able to slow down the feeding to once every 2 or 3 days, so it’s ok to go away for the weekend and leave it in the fridge!
4. Before making a bread batch, always feed and stir the culture extra vigorously, then:
- LEAVE IT OUT AT ROOM TEMPERATURE FOR HALF A DAY BEFORE USE
Edited by Boo152 on Tuesday 23 April 07:18
Yep 500 ml should be fine. Although if you plan to make bigger bread batches (l usually make a large batch each time using a whole bag of flour - that makes about 4 loaves, or 3 loaves and a pizza say) this quantity of dough would use most of your 500ml starter, leaving very little left to carry on for the next batch.
edited to adjust the starter quantities
- ABOUT 3/4 LITRE OF YOUR VERY ACTIVE POURING CONSISTANCY STARTER CULTURE
edited to adjust the starter quantities
Edited by Boo152 on Tuesday 23 April 07:26
The culture is sourdough, which is fed proportionaly on a 50/50 mix of strong white flour and stoneground rye flour.
I then add the starter to a full 1.5 kilo bag of supermarket strong white flour with the water, oil, and salt. I've tried other more expensive flours, but no discernable difference. After kneeding, I then leave it in the bowl overnight, or about 8hrs. then knock back and put in the tins the following morning. Go to the gym for an hour, then back and bake for about 20 mins @ 200c (fan assisted oven).
I then add the starter to a full 1.5 kilo bag of supermarket strong white flour with the water, oil, and salt. I've tried other more expensive flours, but no discernable difference. After kneeding, I then leave it in the bowl overnight, or about 8hrs. then knock back and put in the tins the following morning. Go to the gym for an hour, then back and bake for about 20 mins @ 200c (fan assisted oven).
Boo152 said:
I've tried other more expensive flours, but no discernable difference.
I buy my white flour in 20kg sacks from the local cash and carry/restaurant supply place. It's the stuff the professional bakers use, and the sack costs me around NZ$24 (12 quid) = about 2/3rds the price of the supermarket stuff. Absolutely the way to go. Gassing Station | Food, Drink & Restaurants | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff