RE: A Sourdough Saga (It's a long story, so be warned!)

[Guest guest]

Hi, Thea, and anyone else interested in the sourdough saga!

 

    My apologies for that long, rambling letter just now!  I typed it up and

intended to e-mail it off-list to Tee, with whom I had corresponed a few times

(also off-list) before.  Guess I forgot to delete the group's addy from the

field when composing it!

 

    Anyway, I can post how to make the starter. It might be another long, rambly

post, however!  I'll try and explain it step-by-step as best I can.  (For those

who are experienced bakers and are familiar with all the methods of

bread-baking--just skim over all my explanations and you can probably figure

most of it out without my details!  For those who are more " novice " about it, I

add the details to help clarify certain things and maybe help them get

satisfactory results.)

 

     The " recipe " for the bread...wellll... that is from a recipe I've used so

many times I've mostly memorized it, and I never make it exactly the same

way...just depends on what I have on hand.  I got the recipe originally from one

of the tiny little (I think they are called " Sunset Books " ) booklet I bought at

the check-out of a grocery store long ago--back in about 1975 or 1976 or

thereabouts.  I still have it...somewhere (LOL!) in the house among my books and

cookbooks!

 

  First, the " Starter " :

 

    Here is how I got the " sourdough starter " going:  (Amounts are approximate;

if anyone else has done this differently, please feel free to add your comments,

observations and/or methods to what I have here)

 

    Get a large, NON-metal bowl or crockery container and stir together using a

NON-metal utensil, such as a wooden or all-plastic (sturdy!) spoon:

 

     About 2 cups of flour.  UN-bleached is best.  It can be whole-wheat, and, I

have heard of starters that use non-wheat flours...you would just have to try

it.  Mine is made from regular

un-bleached (mostly organic, until that ran out) and " white " whole-wheat flour.

 

    Add to this and stir in (DO NOT use metal utensils!) about 1 cup to 1 1/2

cups water.

It's best (so I've read) to use bottled or filtered water--at least if your tap

water is chlorine-treated.  The chlorine in the water, the metal in the bowl or

stirring utensils and/or the

" bleaching " agents in white flour can possibly work against the formation of the

sourdough

starter " culture " , which forms from wild yeasts in the air settling into the

bowl of flour-water and growing there. 

 

    What you have is a LIVE and active yeast culture that can be used instead of

(or along with--because I did it that way for years and years before now)

store-purchased yeast to " raise " or leaven your home-made breads..  This

sourdough culture makes WONDERFUL pancakes, waffles and even CAKES!  (I have yet

to try the cake recipes--they are my next " project " !)

 

     Back to the starter!  After you have stirred the water and flour together

and have the mixture in a nice bowl, COVER the bowl with a CLEAN cloth and set

it all somewhere that is moderately warm, not likely to be spilled, and where

you can easily reach it to bring it out to " feed " and to stir it.

 

    This will take several days...I can't remember how long mine took, but it

was slightly less than a week, if I remember it right.  (It was during cold

weather, so it could be faster-acting if it's warm in your house.)  The " wild "

microscopic yeast organisms that live in the air everywhere, especially in

places where baking is done will make their way thru the mesh of the cloth over

your bowl of flour-water and settle into the mixture--and as they begin to

consume and " digest " the starches in the flour-water, they will multiply and

form the bubbly yeast culture that is your unique " native yeasts " sourdough

starter.

 

     At least once a day, remove the cloth on the bowl and add to the mixture: 

1 cup flour and 3/4 cup filtered or bottled water.  Always stir with a non-metal

utensil.  Replace the

cloth (and if the mixture starts bubbling up and gets the cloth damp, replace

the cloth with a clean one). 

 

     In a few days, the mixture should begin to form bubbles throughout--at

first they will be small, then larger--like the stuff is carbonated or

something.  It will also beging to smell--

not a foul smell, but it should be kind of " tangy " (maybe like if you had a

glass of water with a couple of tablespoons of cider-vinegar in it--that kind of

" tangy " ).  It should never be a " stinky " smell, however.  And the mixture should

continue to bubble up within a few hours after you " feed " it with the

flour-water mixture.  (You can help it along by SLIGHTLY warming the filtered

water as you mix it in--but it should NEVER be HOT!  Too much heat will kill off

the forming yeast culture!)

 

     After your mixture has been bubbly and " tangy " for a few days, you can

start using it.

 

     To use: Follow any " sourdough " recipe you like and the first thing you do

is measure off the amount of " starter " (the recipe might call it the " sourdough "

or maybe " levaine " ) that the recipe calls for.  Measure this amount off AFTER

you have fed your starter.  Take the REMAINING amount of starter, place it in

a suitable crock container, glass bowl or jar (I use a quart-size Mason canning

jar with a (plastic) lid from a mayonnaise container.  You can keep the

left-over starter safe and " dormant " until the next time you need it--in the

refrigerator. 

 

     There should be plenty of starter and the recipe should never use up all

that you have--if it does, you need to wait a couple more days, feed the starter

a couple more times to increase its volume before you measure off and use some

for baking. 

 

     After storing the starter in the fridge, when NEXT needed, remove it a DAY

AHEAD of the time you intend to do your baking, pour it all into a (larger) bowl

or glass or crock container and add 1 cup of flour and 3/4 cup of water...stir

it up and let it set in the room temp (covered) to bubble up and get " active "

again.  You can feed it again the next day, too, if you want to, before taking

some out to bake with and putting the rest back to " keep " in the fridge until

the next time.  It usually takes about 24 hours or at least overnight at room

temp. to get a refrigerated starter " active " after a feeding and ready to use.

 

    That's how to " start " the starter.

 

    The recipe I used yesterday is something like this:

 

    1. I had the starter out for " feeding " for a couple of days--it was into the

2nd day out of the fridge when I began the process to make the dough for bread.

 

    2. My ingredients for the bread:

 

     Stirred more flour into the sourdough mixture (probably close to 4 cups,

but I never count--it has more to do with texture than amount of flour when I do

bread.)

 

     I stirred in about 1 1/4 cup of WARMED soy milk (regular SILK--it may or

may not have been vanilla--I was just using up some that I had on hand and

wanted to get rid of!)  Regular dairy milk (skim, whole, 2%) can be used, or any

kind of soy or rice milk..even water.  I always warm it up to a nice, WARM--but

NOT hot.  (My original recipe recommended " scalding " the milk--which means to

heat it until you see steam coming up from the surface, but not yet boiling it. 

If you " scald " your liquid, it HAS to be cooled down to only " warm " before you

add it--NEVER add really hot liquid to the bread dough or to the sourdough!)

 

     I also added 4 Tablespoons (1/4 cup) of olive oil.  (Any vegetable oil will

work--I have used canola or " light " olive oil, or melted butter...),

 

    For sweetening, I added 3 Tablespoons of honey (ANY sweetner that isn't

" non-caloric " will work just fine--sorghum syrup, molasses, regular or " natural "

sugar, agave syrup, rice syrup...I happen to use honey, but other sweenerers do

just fine.  If ther are adjustments to amounts, follow whatever the product

requires to get an equivalent, more or less, to 3 Tablespoons of " sugar " for the

required amount for the yeast to work with in the bread.

 

     Along with the flour, I added some " vital wheat gluten " powder--about 2

teaspoons, although I think the recommendation is 1/2 teaspoon of the gluten per

teaspoon of " dry yeast " in the recipe--this is an optional step.  It ensures the

flour in the dough will develop the right amount of " springiness " and come out

with a nice texture.  I bought the gluten from an Amish woman who bakes bread

all the time; she recommended it to me.  I don't know if this is the same kind

of " gluten " that people make " seitan " from, but I didn't buy more than would

fill a small jelly jar, so I don't use much of it at any given time.  If you use

" bread " flour, it is made with a flour that has a naturally high protein

(gluten) content--my flour is half " bread " and half " white whole wheat " --I used

the extra gluten just in case.

 

     Last of all in my recipe, I added 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt.  I am not picky

about salt--I just use the " regular table salt " stuff in my recipe.  If sea salt

or Kosher salt works better for you, use that.  Again, " original " recipe wanted

TWO teaspoons of salt.  I like my bread a little salty, so I MIGHT add more than

I did this time to the next batch.  It came out pretty good, as far as that

taste goes...I have almost never used all of the 2 teaspoons of salt in my

bread-making; it's mostly a matter of taste, although to leave out ALL the salt

may have an effect on how the bread comes out, as the salt does affect the

texture formation of the bread as it rises and bakes.

 

     OOPS!  I almost forgot!  I DID add something " extra " to this bread, just

because I was curious and had read something similar in one of the bread blogs

online:  I added not more than 2 TEASPOONS of 6% " acidified "  red wine vinegar to

the batch.  I had read about bakers using citric acid to make the sourdough come

out more " tangy " --but one has to be careful (so the blog said) not to put too

much in, as it may weaken the wheat gluten and the bread won't have a good

texture.

 

     I stirred and stirred the mixture with a sturdy spoon for quite a bit. I

also could have put it all in my KitchenAid mixer and done it that way, but I

feel more comfortable with the " hands-on " methods--so I can " feel " what the

dough is doing. 

 

    When it got nice and " stretchy " while I stirred it, I added gradually more

flour and then turned it onto a floured surface and kneaded by hand.  I found

this bread is a smoother, softer dough than I have had before--I tend to

knead bread dough to death, and this dough got nice and " stretchy " before I got

to the " death " stage--LOL!  You can tell it's just " right " if you pull the dough

into a nice ball, put some flour on your fingers and lightly press into the side

of the dough-ball--it shoud dent in slightly, then SPRING BACK--like it's

spongy.  My dough did this after less kneading than I usually do--it was nice,

springy and still a little soft.

 

     I washed the large mixng bowl I had first been using and dried the

bowl--then oiled it LIGHTLY with some olive oil, placed the dough-ball in,

turning it so as to get just a LITTLE of the oil (but not too much!) on the top

and sides of the dough-ball.  Then, I covered the

mixing bowl (I had a plastic lid that just exactly fit the crockery bowl; I used

that).  I set the bowl into the sink, where I had enough WARM (not HOT, just

pleasantly warm) water to reach about half-way up the sides of the bowl.  I did

that because I don't have a " warm " kitchen, nor do I have a " pilot-light-warm "

area in my oven to use for dough-rising. 

 

     This WARM water seemed to be just right for my dough-rising; not too fast,

and it did rise gently and slowly.

 

     (I have read, BTW, that sourdough bread dough--the kind without added

yeast--usually needs LONGER to rise to be ready to bake--be patient with the

slower rising of the dough!)

 

     I went about my business while the dough rose.  I don't remember just how

long it took, probably at least a couple of hours, maybe longer...but the dough

eventually rose very nicely in the bowl in the sink.  I had changed the water to

keep it nice and warm--at least once, maybe twice during the rising time. 

 

    The volume of " rising " dough should be at least about double what you

started out with.  Then, you " punch it down " to get the largest air bubbles out!

 

    Finally, I punched the dough down in the bowl, turned it out onto a lightly

floured surface, and divided it, forming 2 oblong " blobs "   that would be loaves

eventually.  (It's good to tuck the outsides of the dough mass to the underneath

side of the dough-blobs when forming loaves--the edges that are tucked under,

hopefully, will " seal " and not buckle up as the dough rises or as the bread

later bakes in the oven!)

 

     (Now, this is the point where I didn't do exactly what the online

instructions said to do--because I had lost the webpage until after the loaves

rose for baking.)

 

     According to the instructions, when forming the loaves, place them on

pieces of baking parchment, then " spritz " the loaves lightly with water from a

" spritzer " sprayer (this helps the bread to expand in the oven and also forms a

nice crust).  After doing this, COVER the loaves--not with anything that will

touch or  weigh them down--I used 2 large plastic bowls turned upside-down. The

loaves will need plenty of room, so make sure whatever you cover them with won't

hamper their rising and expanding! 

 

     Let the loaves rise this way until they look about twice the original size.

 

     Before baking, preheat the oven.  I didn't know exactly what the temp

should be (didn't have my original recipe, nor the online tutorial)...I set it

at about 375 degrees, and I have a small pizza stone that I keep in my oven.  If

you do have a baking stone, it's good, but I don't think it's vital to the

outcome, necessarily.

 

    I lifted my loaves-on-the-parchment papers onto 2 small " cookie

sheets " --because I don't own a " baker's peel " to shove them into the oven with. 

 

    I trimmed the edges of the parchment a little closer to the bread loaves and

then " slashed " 3 shallow " cuts " into the top of the loaves no more than 1/2 "

deep--don't know what that's for, but I saw it on the instructions and it looks

cool when they are baked with the " cut marks " on the top.  Use a sharp serrated

'bread " knife for doing this--just " slash " across the tops and don't try to " cut

into " the loaves downward when doing the top-cut stuff.

 

     Finally, I put the 2 cookie sheets into my oven, side-by-side, sitting on

top of the heated pizza stone and the oven being pre-heated.  I set the timer

for about 45 minutes, but also decided to check it at 30 minutes.

 

    (I also sprayed the loaves with water BEFORE I baked them--not as the

instructions recopmmended, but they came out just fine anyway.)

 

     Okay, it was wait, wait, wait, and finally, at maybe 5 minutes after the

30-minute timer, I went to see about the bread. I baked in the oven that is

downstairs in my basement, and the aroma was HEAVENLY!!!  The loaves are done

when they have a " hollow sound " when tapped on the underside--that's what I have

always used as an indicator.  The instructions also said " ...done when the

internal temp. reaches 190-195 degrees. "   I shoved a cooking thermometer into

the end of the loaves and it registered just about 200 to 210 degrees--which was

fine, also. 

 

    I took the loaves out, let them cool just a little on the counter on a

towel, and then I couldn't wait any longer--I HAD to cut into one of them and

see what this bread was like.

--Good texture--nice, chewy, neither too crumbly nor too gummy.  Nice

crust--crisp, crunchy, JUST like some of the NICE sourdough breads I have bought

from bakeries!  Taste: pretty YUMMY, I thought--and TANGY!  If I had left out

that little bit of wine vinegar, it might have been just a tiny tad less " tart "

and tangy, but for sourdough bread, I liked that little extra " tang " to it!

 

     So, there it is!  Sorry it took so long to write about it!  My apologies if

it glazed your eyes over!  For anyone who wants bread recipes, I usually try to

explain all the weird and little things I do along in addition to just the

ingredients and baking times--these are things other people have explained to me

over the years as I took the path to learn more and more about bread-baking from

experience and numerous mistakes.

    

     Thanks for letting me share that.  My hope is you'll enjoy baking and

eating your own breads!

 

     Blessings and peace--and happy baking!

 

   Laura B., from Illinois

 

 

 

Re: Tee  -  Iron rich foods (re: bread-baking)

    Posted by: " Thea Swafford " thea_swafford thea_swafford

    Fri Apr 17, 2009 9:10 am ((PDT))

 

Please share your recipe for the starter and the bread! It sounds wonderful..

 

 

As Always,

 

Thea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

You are wonderful Laura!! I know what I'm doing this afternoon.

 

I couldn't get the original starter that you told about out of my mind. Imagine

having starter that old that possibly walked the Trail Of Tears.

 

Again thank you.

 

 

As Always,

 

Thea

 

--- On Fri, 4/17/09, L.B.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the info Laura. I dont need it, but as a bread maker and sourdough

keeper, I never tire of reading about the wonders of natural yeast or how others

are making bread.

 

I have kept a starter in my kitchen for years. I shake it every morning. (Its

a ritual, like brushing your teeth, for example.)

 

My starter is about 100 years old, as it was made - from natural yeasts - by my

great-grandmother, passed to her daughter, then to her daughter (my mother), and

passed to me. A friend of mine who likes the PA Dutch recipes and folklore,

related that this was called 'friendship starter'. Whatever the case, it is a

joy in my kitchen.

 

I use it at least every three days .. making flatbreads, pancakes (savory and

sweet) and loaves. Yesterday, I made sourdough cornbread, so the batch is

resting today.

 

Om Peace!

Yogini Valarie Devi

[Guest guest]

<<<<I couldn't get the original starter that you told about out of my mind.

Imagine having starter that old that possibly walked the Trail Of Tears.>>>>

 

I had the same thought! It has stayed with me also. I love history so much so

that hubby and I are going period correct in our camping for renassance (our

first love), and have a bunch of hand me downs from my father who has done both

civil war and 1812 renacting. I just love it. I love cooking over the fire

like that and have a good collection of cast iron goodies including a tri-pod my

dad made himself in his blacksmith shop. (He made a better one for himself so

gave me his old one.lol) I just LOVE the breads one of the ladies makes, and

the soups, and beans, and the foraged goodies!! Sorry enough rambling! lol

 

~Tee