Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!
- overthehill
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Talk to me about sourdough - The Fermentation Club!
I know some of you make sourdough bread. It's a long time since I attempted to make bread with yeast, and my efforts were never very successful. I make one or two loaves of soda bread each weekend to eat with soup, for the sewing classes, but it doesn't toast well :understatement: and R is now complaining that he doesn't like the sliced bread we buy in the shops. I thought I might give sourdough a go.
I've read a few recipes on t'internet but, aside from telling you that you need a 'starter', they tend not to go into great detail about where it comes from or how to make it. Hence, I don't think I really get the whole starter thing. Is it really just fermented flour and water? And how, and for how long, do you need to feed it before you can use it? And how, and why, do people end up using other people's, lovingly nurtured, starters? I know that sourdough takes longer to prove than bread made with fast-acting yeast, but do you need any special equipment?
Can anyone point me at a good beginners' guide?
I've read a few recipes on t'internet but, aside from telling you that you need a 'starter', they tend not to go into great detail about where it comes from or how to make it. Hence, I don't think I really get the whole starter thing. Is it really just fermented flour and water? And how, and for how long, do you need to feed it before you can use it? And how, and why, do people end up using other people's, lovingly nurtured, starters? I know that sourdough takes longer to prove than bread made with fast-acting yeast, but do you need any special equipment?
Can anyone point me at a good beginners' guide?
Last edited by overthehill on Mon Feb 13, 2017 2:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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- Cosmopolitan
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Re: Talk to me about sourdough
So, to make a starter, mix 1 tablespoon of flour & a little water to make a thick paste and then put it in a warm(ish) room. Every day, add more flour & water for about 2 weeks. It should be ready then to bake with.
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-yo ... j4V9lVzXVV
and then once you have a nice healthy starter
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-so ... ead-224367
I usually use the recipe from this book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bread-River-Co ... tage+bread which is a great general bread book. It's very reliable. I'll take a photo of the page tonight if you want?
This is also a good method http://www.msmarmitelover.com/2013/09/h ... -easy.html
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-yo ... j4V9lVzXVV
and then once you have a nice healthy starter
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-so ... ead-224367
I usually use the recipe from this book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bread-River-Co ... tage+bread which is a great general bread book. It's very reliable. I'll take a photo of the page tonight if you want?
This is also a good method http://www.msmarmitelover.com/2013/09/h ... -easy.html
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Re: Talk to me about sourdough
I have nothing useful to say, but am taking an interest in this. S got a sourdough starter recently (from Hobbs House, no less), and attempted to make sourdough and it came out like some sort of high density building material
- purple_dress
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Re: Talk to me about sourdough
I'm not doing it at the moment as my starter died but I'm thinking about starting again.
This is the loaf I used to make a lot: http://www.wildyeastblog.com/my-new-favorite-sourdough/
This is the loaf I used to make a lot: http://www.wildyeastblog.com/my-new-favorite-sourdough/
- overthehill
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Re: Talk to me about sourdough
RIP I think this is what scares me a bit. What do you keep it in, and where? It's almost like gardening.purple_dress wrote:I'm not doing it at the moment as my starter died but I'm thinking about starting again.
Thanks a million for those links, Cos. I'll have a proper look later on. (And will probably find the answer to the above question.)
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Re: Talk to me about sourdough
I keep meaning to, as I make a lot of bread (well, once a week or so, not 25 loaves a day) and I love sourdough best of all the breads, but I can't get anything to ferment in this weather and it takes me bloody hours to make a normal loaf this time of year because the yeast's shivering. In the spring I may.
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- emma_p
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Re: Talk to me about sourdough
I'd love to be able to make sourdough. It's been on my list for about 4 years
Which starter recipe do you use, purple dress?
Which starter recipe do you use, purple dress?
- Cosmopolitan
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Re: Talk to me about sourdough
Smal, Hart's Bakery will give you some starter as well. They're really nice about it as well. I used it last time to start off my starter and basically just added flour & water to it every day for a week and then had loads to make bread with.
And yes, Goat is right, your starter needs to be somewhere warmish and regular in temperature ideally. If you keep it in the fridge, you don't need to add water&flour very often as it doesn't need feeding when cold. It should last a week or so in the fridge if you go on holiday. You can also freeze it and then resurrect it a few weeks later.
Spelt sourdough is amazing as well. Low in fodmaps and really gentle on the digestion and so tasty.
And I kill starters all the time :shame:. I may start another one shortly though, it can live with the kombucha and the kefir I mean to start.
And yes, Goat is right, your starter needs to be somewhere warmish and regular in temperature ideally. If you keep it in the fridge, you don't need to add water&flour very often as it doesn't need feeding when cold. It should last a week or so in the fridge if you go on holiday. You can also freeze it and then resurrect it a few weeks later.
Spelt sourdough is amazing as well. Low in fodmaps and really gentle on the digestion and so tasty.
And I kill starters all the time :shame:. I may start another one shortly though, it can live with the kombucha and the kefir I mean to start.
- purple_dress
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Re: Talk to me about sourdough
I really can't remember what starter recipe I used. It was about 5 years ago. I kept that one alive for about 3 years. For ages, I used to keep it at room temperature and feed it every day, using it often. Later on, I started keeping it in the fridge and feeding it every few days, only taking it out and feeding it daily for a few days if I was planning to use it.
Eta - I've just found my notes and I used the Bourke Street Bakery method for my starter. It took about three weeks.
Eta - I've just found my notes and I used the Bourke Street Bakery method for my starter. It took about three weeks.
- emma_p
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Re: Talk to me about sourdough
Ok, I will look that up. I have a jar and flour so am going to start today.
Who's up for sourdough club?
Who's up for sourdough club?
- Cosmopolitan
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Re: Talk to me about sourdough
Alright. I'm in. Fermentation Club
- H1ppychick
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Re: Talk to me about sourdough
The first rule of Fermentation Club is...
- emma_p
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Re: Talk to me about sourdough
I like that Cos I made coconut yoghurt the other day and I fancy making kimchi too :theme:
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Re: Talk to me about sourdough
H1ppychick wrote:The first rule of Fermentation Club is...
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Re: Talk to me about sourdough
I will join Fermentation Club. I have miso fermenting (hopefully, can't look at it yet) and shio koji failing to ferment because it's too damn cold, and will have some kimchi next time an appropriate cabbage falls into my lap, even though I can't see a sourdough starter springing to life until it gets warmer.
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- overthehill
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Re: Talk to me about sourdough
'Fermentation Club' Hooray!
The kitchen/living room of this house is always around 18-20C. Is that warm enough, or should I put keep the starter in the hot press in colder weather?
The kitchen/living room of this house is always around 18-20C. Is that warm enough, or should I put keep the starter in the hot press in colder weather?
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- purple_dress
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Re: Talk to me about sourdough
I don't really know but I used to put mine in an insulated cool bag to keep it warm/cool enough. Is the hot press like an airing cupboard? That's probably too warm, I would have thought.
- Cosmopolitan
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Re: Talk to me about sourdough
About 20c sounds good. You could always wrap it in a towel to keep it steady.
And here is my kombucha!
And here is my kombucha!
- absley
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Re: Talk to me about sourdough
Fermentation Club sounds good, I'll have to think what I cam do to join in. It won't be sour dough though - I find it too much of a palava.
- overthehill
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Re: Talk to me about sourdough
The temperature in the kitchen dipped to 15.5C overnight, but I'd left the starter in the hot press, hoping it wouldn't get too warm. I put the thermometer in there this morning and the temp was 26C with the heating on - so, yes, it was a little too warm. I'll try wrapping it.
I used Odlums Cream (plain) flour, following the Kitchn method. It has some small bubbles forming already.
I used Odlums Cream (plain) flour, following the Kitchn method. It has some small bubbles forming already.
"Inagh to China Motorcycle Ride" blog, if you're interested: www.inaghtochina.com