Sourdough Bakers

[mayachel]

How long should I expect to wait for my dough to rise? Plus, I''m worried it is REALLY heavy. Should I be? So far it has sat for 12 hours, some of which were warm, others were cooler. Now it''s in the warming oven.

 

[mayachel]

*bump* really? No bread bakers around? So, it''s been about 18 hours, and it has risen a little, but not nearly double in size...

 

[Octavia]

I just started baking sourdough bread recently, so I''m no authority...but I usually let it rise a good 2-3 hours the first time and about 45 minutes to an hour the second time. The taste and texture have been great, but I''ve had issues with my boules spreading way too much and being flat. So I''ll be watching for advice from more experienced bakers, too!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

That seems like a long time to let dough rise. If it's not even close to doubled in size, and it's as heavy as you say, it may end up being too dense.

My husband is the bread baker in the family, but there has been a challenge going on in the food blog community called The Bread Baker's Apprentive Challenge, where the writer of Pinch My Salt, Nicole, has gathered hundreds of food bloggers to cook through The Bread Baker's Apprentice. There are tons of helpful tips and tricks throughout her site and others, so take a look and see if anyone commented on her sourdough with the same issue.

Check out her Blog - http://pinchmysalt.com/2009/05/14/the-bread-bakers-apprentice-challenge-has-begun/

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Also, my friend Jeff and his blog, Barebones BBQ, aka Culinary Disasters, and his posts regarding Bread Bakers Apprentice (BBA as he calls it in his blog posts).

http://www.barebonesbbq.net/wordpress/?s=BBA

 

[AGBF]

Yes, I was a sourdough bread baker (and general bread baker) for years, but I haven''t done it in years and do not recall. I am sorry! I have been thinking about getting out my bread machine (which by and large replaced my hand baking years ago). I haven''t used even that for at least five years. Back in the day, however, I collected and made my own sourdough cultures. It was a great deal of fun! Maybe we can actually start a thread on this topic somewhere .

In the meantime, good luck. Please report back!

AGBF

 

[mayachel]

Very cool Camile, I didn''t know there were special containers!

Lauren-After deciding to agree that it is a very long time, despite the fall weather I started fussing with it. I added about 1/2 cup of hot water slowly, then was satisfied by the battery texture. Until, I looked at photos of what other people''s "dough" looked like. Then it seemed awfully wet. So I added more flour! Aiy, I know.

Now, I''ve mashed it up and thrown it in a loaf pan, hoping once more to see if it will rise. Where ever it is-in an hour, I''m going to bake it and see how it comes out.

The BBA is a very cool concept.

AGBF-you collected cultures? Very cool,how does one do this? through the mail, dropping off starters in various friends homes...?

 

[dragonfly411]

Will someone post a sourdough recipe? I''d love to try my hand at it....

 

[mayachel]

I dragonfly, this is not the way I started my starter...but as you can see, it is going pretty slow. SO, I''ve been checking out some other pages and would suggest this one next. I like that she has tons of photos and trouble shooting.

http://www.sourdoughhome.com/startermyway.html

Some things I''ve noticed that are pretty constant:

1. Avoid chlorinated water (boil or filter your tap water)

2. Metal bowls or spoons cause some sort of reaction that interferes with rising

3. The "hooch" can be poured off or stirred in, without harm.

4. It''s supposed to be pretty hard to "ruin" a starter. Which is why I keep fussing with mine.

Let me know how it goes

 

[mayachel]

Noon time update to say, my house smells like bread! Hopefully the bread will taste like bread

 

[AGBF]

Date: 9/25/2009 10:15:25 AM
Author: mayachel


AGBF-you collected cultures? Very cool,how does one do this?

Hi, mayachel . I had found a book called, World Sourdoughs From Antiquity by Ed Wood, which helped to explain why, if one made one's own sourdough starter in San Francisco, it would create a different bread than if one made one's own starter in, say, Connecticut. In it the book also gave a place to which one could write for cultures. It was called, "Sourdoughs International" and was located in Idaho. I did my sourdough bread baking long before the Internet, but I looked up "Sourdoughs International" on the 'net today and someone is using the name. Here is a link to their website. I suspect it is the same people who sold me soudough cultures many years ago . If anyone tries them, let me know how yo make out!

Sourdoughs International

AGBF

 

[Camille]

Oh I'm sure the bread is going to be delicious Mayachel, I love Mike's approach

as for the containers...any food grade would do, nothing special really.
Hard to post/pick 1 recipe Dragon, can be made with walnut, potato, pineapple, grapes, etc....I'd work on the one posted and see.
Great links already given here's my little grain of salt Carl's.org 1847 sourdough we have 5 of those doing well for 3 years now [that particular one is fruity] and for free if you send a self-stamped envelope. Good Luck