Kevin's Sourdough ::

[mnoble485]

You guys a killing it. I wish I had time and energy to do this. Both are in short supply right now but when they come back I am going to hit you up for a beginner's guide starting with A going to Z.

Mike

[rwsaunders]

You guys a killing it. I wish I had time and energy to do this. Both are in short supply right now but when they come back I am going to hit you up for a beginner's guide starting with A going to Z.

Mike

Mike...when you don’t have the time to do it, that’s when you need to make the time. I can post a link to some videos and since it takes 7-10 days to get the starter all wound up (maybe quicker in Florida), pull out the mason jar, score some good flour and mineral water and let your inner alchemist out.

[dgaddis]

It actually doesn't take much time.

Well, it takes a looong time actually, a single loaf takes me about 24hrs (using an already established starter).

But, hands-on time is really limited. 30mins throughout the entire 24hrs maybe?

For a beginners guide - Flour Water Salt Yeast was my starting point with zero knowledge going in.

[dgaddis]

Update.

I store my starter in the fridge when I'm not using it. When I'm going to use it I take it out at night before going to bed, discard some, and feed with equal parts (in weight) fresh flour and water, and let it sit overnight on the counter. By morning it's doubled in size, and I'll use some to make a loaf. It usually takes it about ~8-10hrs to double in size, when it starts cold like that. And generally I let the loaf rise for about 12hrs.

Weds night I took my starter out thinking I might make some bread the next day. Instead of using white or whole wheat flour to feed it I used dark rye. I ended up not baking with it the next morning. By Thursday night it had doubled and then collapsed, and the consistency was much more fluid than normal. Lots of bubbles. At 8:30 last night I fed it again, with white flour this time. I checked on it before I went to bed, 2hrs after feeding it, and it had already more than doubled in size! When I got up this morning it had collapsed once again. It seems MUCH more active, I suspect thanks to the rye flour addition.

Tonight I'm going to try to use some of the collapsed starter to make a loaf, give it ~4-6hrs at room temp to rise and see how it does, hopefully it'll rise enough that I can shape it and retard overnight in the fridge and bake in the morning. We'll see how it works out.

[rwsaunders]

That rye does work wonders, doesn't it? I've noted that when I do the same thing in terms of taking the starter out of the fridge, feeding it and letting it eat, that it will expand until it touches the lid of a tall container, then collapse. I also learned about the float test from some video...spoon out some starter, drop it gently into a glass of water and if it floats, it's ready for action.

[dgaddis]

That rye does work wonders, doesn't it? I've noted that when I do the same thing in terms of taking the starter out of the fridge, feeding it and letting it eat, that it will expand until it touches the lid of a tall container, then collapse. I also learned about the float test from some video...spoon out some starter, drop it gently into a glass of water and if it floats, it's ready for action.

When it's ready to use is a big ? mark. You can use it at lots of points, but activity level and how much of the 'food' as been consumed all will affect the flavor of the bread. I picked up the Tartine book recently and have read some of it, he uses a 'young' starter so the dough isn't too sour.

I mix up a loaf last night, fed my starter (with dark rye flour) at 5:00, by 8:30 it had doubled and was just starting to collapse but hadn't fallen all the way back yet, the top of had just gone from bubbled up -> flat -> bowed down a bit. Gave it several good folds in the first two hours, then let it sit out overnight. At 5:30 this morning I shaped it and put it into a banneton and then into the fridge, gonna bake it tonight and have fresh bread to go with some left over chicken alfredo.

[dgaddis]

Turned out pretty good

[rwsaunders]

I pulled this from a sourdough nerd's YouTube site and I thought that it demonstrated in a crude but easy to understand way, the sourdough bread making process. The ruler represents the time of day and each popsicle stick represents a 30 minute increment of time.

[rwsaunders]

All right Dustin and Bruce, my wife is at a dinner/play with my Mother-in-Law, my son is at a sporting event with his friends and idle hands are the Devil's playmate. Two whole wheat hybrid loaves in the works and a sourdough loaf in the queue tonight.

[rwsaunders]

The whole wheat is cooling on the rack and it'll be ready, willing and able to eat tomorrow.

[rwsaunders]

We shall see what this big boy tastes like tomorrow with some wine, cheese and cured meats, as I made it through TSA and I’m taking it to my office pals in Seattle.

[bking]

If I made bread as often as you fellas are, well, it would just be bad for me. I eat it, I'd eat it all. A hard crusted loaf, some properly chilled butter, I cannot stop...until it's gone. All of it.

You guys must have some significant will power.

Nice work though, really nice.

Bruce

[dgaddis]

If I made bread as often as you fellas are, well, it would just be bad for me. I eat it, I'd eat it all. A hard crusted loaf, some properly chilled butter, I cannot stop...until it's gone. All of it.

You guys must have some significant will power.

Nice work though, really nice.

Bruce

I bring mine to work so I only get a piece or two and then it's all gone. Otherwise...yeah, it would be a problem haha.

[Too Tall]

Just read the entire thread. Apparently I've been missing some fermentation in my life.

[rwsaunders]

Sleeping beauty is waking up in order to get ready for Easter cooking activities...

[ericpmoss]

Not sure where to mention this, but is anyone interested in a KoMo Classic stone grinder, 115V model? I've run 25lb of wheat through it in 8oz batches, and while it's quite nice, I have to reduce my 'stuff', and just don't make enough bread to justify it. It's in mint condition with original packaging.

[rwsaunders]

Per the request of Mrs. RW and my LMCAT (last remaining child at home), I pursued the direction of a "sourdough light" bread. Essentially, I fed the sourdough starter with some rye to get it really going and then the last two feedings were with unbleached white flour. Two loaves came from 600g of white bread flour, 400ml of water and 200g of starter, with 14g of salt thrown in...proofed overnight in the refrigerator and baked this afternoon. Yum.

[bking]

Perfect, just perfect.

the last shot reminds me that in the Yucatan in the late '70's we'd stop at any small corner tienda, get a fresh bolillo (hard crust roll), break it in half and add 200 grams of ham and whatever cheese they had that looked good. And soda, they knew how to bottle up a soda. Penafiel, in flavors we don't have in the states. Simple food. Good memories.

[rwsaunders]

TT....you were looking for seeds/nuts in your bread? Check out the video...not mine but I'm tempted.

[rwsaunders]

Awoken from a chilled slumber in the frig, Yeastzilla comes alive with one mission, and that is to help make the dough that makes the bread.