Discussion
I've recently got into baking, so thought I'd have a bash at making sourdough not realising its time consuming and not exactly the quickest process. I've followed this recipe which is essentially a sourdough 'starter' with which you take off elements for making a loaf whilst continuing the starter by adding to it on a weekly basis; apparently some of these starters are up to fifty years old and rely on natural yeast contained in the surrounding air to activate the ingredients rather than adding yeast as you would with a normal loaf.
http://www.hub-uk.com/interesting/bread-making.htm...
I loosely followed the recipe probably only adding 300g of white bread flower and also forgetting about it for nearly a week. So, this is where I've got to...
Each time you add to the starter it returns to this mushy consistency with a yeasty smell not disimilar to homebrew...
Have now got to wait for this to prove but was interested in other opinions and experiences?
http://www.hub-uk.com/interesting/bread-making.htm...
I loosely followed the recipe probably only adding 300g of white bread flower and also forgetting about it for nearly a week. So, this is where I've got to...
Each time you add to the starter it returns to this mushy consistency with a yeasty smell not disimilar to homebrew...
Have now got to wait for this to prove but was interested in other opinions and experiences?
Edited by JCW on Monday 12th November 14:39
king everywhere and stank! I have made quite a lot of sourdough from a starter I created about 6 months ago.
I got the starter going with whole wheat flower and soured milk. Once it was 'healthy' so doubling in size with every feed I switched it over to normal bread flower.
I really found that there is no 'set' recipe that will work as every starter is different, so I just kept adjusting my recipes until I got the required result. The less starter I use in any one mix gives a much more sour taste to the end result. I also find using fizzy water helped with the texture. The main thing I found out as opposed to normal baking was the amount of needing put in really showed in the end result, thank f*** for kenwood and dough hooks!
The other thing I found with sour dough was that a slow and long prove was better than putting the mix somewhere warm to try and speed things up.
I now keep my starter in the fridge and just pull it out a couple of days before I want to use it and just feed it normally until it doubles in size. I then give it a feed and pop it back in the fridge, where it seems quite happy for a couple of months.
I got the starter going with whole wheat flower and soured milk. Once it was 'healthy' so doubling in size with every feed I switched it over to normal bread flower.
I really found that there is no 'set' recipe that will work as every starter is different, so I just kept adjusting my recipes until I got the required result. The less starter I use in any one mix gives a much more sour taste to the end result. I also find using fizzy water helped with the texture. The main thing I found out as opposed to normal baking was the amount of needing put in really showed in the end result, thank f*** for kenwood and dough hooks!
The other thing I found with sour dough was that a slow and long prove was better than putting the mix somewhere warm to try and speed things up.
I now keep my starter in the fridge and just pull it out a couple of days before I want to use it and just feed it normally until it doubles in size. I then give it a feed and pop it back in the fridge, where it seems quite happy for a couple of months.
I have a copy of (PHer recommended) Dan Lepard's 'The Handmade Loaf' - £8 or so from Amazon.
In this, he recommends raisins to get the 'starter' going, however I've had far better results using greengages from the garden.
My theory being that 'native' wild yeasts, adapted to the UK climate, ought to work far better than anything imported. They do.
I find that UK-grown organic wheat works better too.
In this, he recommends raisins to get the 'starter' going, however I've had far better results using greengages from the garden.
My theory being that 'native' wild yeasts, adapted to the UK climate, ought to work far better than anything imported. They do.
I find that UK-grown organic wheat works better too.
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