Kevin's Sourdough ::

[bking]

I have to drag out the dutch ovens and start making some bread again. Is there a better winter meal than home made bread and hot soup?

[rwsaunders]

It is said that Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb...999 to go for me I guess, as my starter failed. Back to the drawing board and perhaps to a sourdough class that is being held at a community bread oven fundraising event this coming Saturday. My wife was suspect of the freshness of my starter flour but I’ve accused her of adding a drop or two of Clorox to my jar.

[drietz]

Or just try rye flour ;)

[dgaddis]

It is said that Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb...999 to go for me I guess, as my starter failed. Back to the drawing board and perhaps to a sourdough class that is being held at a community bread oven fundraising event this coming Saturday. My wife was suspect of the freshness of my starter flour but I’ve accused her of adding a drop or two of Clorox to my jar.

Why do you think it failed?

I read this recently and it was interesting. Gas/bubbles/rise early on = bacteria. PH level reaches a certain point and bacteria stop, no more gas/bubbles/rise for a bit. A few days later, yeast take over, and you start getting gas/bubbles/rise again.

The Pineapple Juice Solution, Part 1 | The Fresh Loaf

[rwsaunders]

I tried the "see if it floats" test after day 5 and 6 and I couldn't get it to do so. Also, I was on a 2/day feeding schdeule after day 3 and bubbles would appear. Then when I went for the next feeding, water was on top. I'm trying rye this time and also, my bread four was a year old, but kept in a container. Who knows. Anyway, I'm on the road this week so the test lab will have to wait for Friday afternoon to restart. Keep sending the good advice, folks.

[dgaddis]

I tried the "see if it floats" test after day 5 and 6 and I couldn't get it to do so. Also, I was on a 2/day feeding schdeule after day 3 and bubbles would appear. Then when I went for the next feeding, water was on top. I'm trying rye this time and also, my bread four was a year old, but kept in a container. Who knows. Anyway, I'm on the road this week so the test lab will have to wait for Friday afternoon to restart. Keep sending the good advice, folks.

I get fluid on top of mine after leaving it in the fridge for a week or so. Stir it up, discard some maybe, add feed it with flour/water, and ~6-8hrs later it's double or tripled in volume. Sounds to me like yours may have 'ran out of food' and collapsed (which is why it won't float and you've got fluid on top), but if you mix it well and feed it again I bet it would keep going. May be time to discard most of it and give it a big feed. Go down to 50g, feed it 100g total, something like that. That way the beaties in the 50g have plenty of food.

[rwsaunders]

Will do Dustin...thinking hard about attending this class on Saturday...something to do on a cold Winter evening.

https://craft.chatham.edu/events/201...-baking-basics

https://craft.chatham.edu/the-eden-hall-bread-oven

[rwsaunders]

All right Dustin...fresh flour, a fresh mindset and a fresh start. Day 4 and things are looking up. I've been going by weight this time in lieu of volume, covering the lid with a tea towel, keeping the jar in the laundry room where it's somewhat warm and things seem to be working out. I should have a batch ready to go by the weekend if all goes well.

Believe it or not, I was waitlisted for the freakin' sourdough class! Apparently they offer the class every 6 weeks or so and it always sells out. In the interim, I might checkout the community oven over the weekend as that looks like it could be fun as well.

Check this gent out on the web...he's my new cooking inspiration.

[dgaddis]

Nice. Yeah, I've seen that exact video already haha.

Last night I mixed up some dough using apple yeast water - which I made by dicing an apple, putting it in a mason jar w/water...and waiting. Every day give it a good shake and burp the bottle, twice a day. Finally, after a week and a half, it's ready. When I burped it last night instead of just a little 'pfffff' it fizzed and bubbled like opening a soda. Strained it, and use it in place of regular water in the dough recipe. Mixed it, let it rest for an hour, shaped into a ball, and into the fridge. Plan is to bake it tonight. Peeked at it this morning and it looked about the same....we'll see how it bakes up. Never done an all-cold ferment before.

[dgaddis]

Say it with me class :: FLOP. Waaaaaaay underproofed. With no time at room temp it didn't stand a chance, even after 24hrs in the fridge. Waste.

On the plus side, if needed it could be used to defend our home from intruders. Hit someone in the head with it and they're out!

[rwsaunders]

Alright...as stated earlier, new flour, new water, new attitude. I tossed the large mass as suggested as it looked to be stable and now I'm back to the smaller quantity and shorter feed times. Quick bubbling after feeding so it's looking healthy. Let's see where we get to this weekend.

[rwsaunders]

Rug cutting time today...final proof in a banneton and I'll heat up the dutch oven later today. Keep your fingers crossed.

[rwsaunders]

Well, here's my $39.64 loaf of sourdough bread (after my initial investment of flour, scale and assorted accessories)...the taste test comes later tonight so i'm still keeping my fingers crossed as it smells really, really good.

[dgaddis]

So, how was it, and what's the recipe on this one?

[Shoogs]

My starter was a flop, evidently it didn't get enough warmth or air flow.

[rwsaunders]

Not bad for a first run. Crispy and sour on the crust and chewy with a bit if sour on the inside. I tried like hell to get a nice ball from hand kneading but I had to call in the KitchenAid mixer reinforcements. At that point I was a little nervous about overdoing it but all was good. It was weird cooking at such a high heat (430F) with a lid on the dutch oven...couldn't observe...but the recipe was right on as the last 20 minutes were with the lid off and you could see the color turn. I used the recipe from this video from The French Guy Cooking and I proofed the bread overnight in the refrigerator in a banneton to get the ridges. I might start a new thread as I feel like I'm infringing on Kevin's handiwork. The starter could be it's own thread for sure.

[mnoble485]

Very well done RW. We need "smell o vision".

Mike

[bking]

Very well done RW. We need "smell o vision".

Mike

Then "share o vision" and "taste o vision"!

[rwsaunders]

I’m on the road this week but I picked up some rye flour yesterday and I’ll mix a new batch of starter when I get home. I’m kind of anxious to get a consistent batch going so that I can bake at will, with some pre-planning of course. Unfortunately for Mrs. RW, I was recently reading an article about making butter...

[bking]

RW, you're a funny man...in a very nice way. Butter, you know, is life's secret ingredient. The french, of course, have known this for centuries.

Prenups weren't really a thing when I got married but I did tell my wife whose family was into margarine (glad that stuff got exposed) that as long as our refrigerator was stocked with good butter, our marriage could and would weather anything. And it has, and it has; and it will, and it wil