First attempt at sourdough....ever!

[Suthseaxa]

My first attempt at a sourdough was not a scientific affair. It was pretty much a "this seems right, that looks ok" metho, which I actually prefer. The result is below:

I cooked it inside an earthenware casserole dis, hoping for a better crust, but my crust was nowhere near as good as I have made without one. Either I'm doing it wrong, or all this talk of steam inside a dutch oven/casserole dish is not all it's cracked up to be (I'd guess the former!)


Either way, I think it came out rather well for my first attempt. Any tips of making it taste a little more sour, though? I had a very wet dough, which apparently not very conducive to the production of acids. Could that be the problem?

 

[medtran49]

Did you make a starter and let it sit out on the counter for several days?

 

[Suthseaxa]

I made the started on Tuesday and I took a portion of it yesterday evening and fed it up. It was nice and bubbly this morning when I started using it. I didn't want the acid production to kill off the yeast, but I would also like it a bit more sour. It seems like a fine balance.

 

[tenspeed]

Without knowing what recipe you are following, I think you'll get better results with a cast iron dutch oven than an earthenware casserole dish. If you are following the standard dutch oven (no knead) recipe, I would suggest putting the dough in the refrigerator for at least a few days after the initial 18 hour rise to allow it to develop more flavor. Or are you trying to make sourdough where you keep the starter alive for years?

 

[Suthseaxa]

18 hours? Haha, I did 2 hours! Will 18 hours not kill off the yeast? I did read somewhere that 18 hours was considered extremely long.

You're right in that I didn't knead anything as such. I just folded it in my big mixing bowl every 15mins or so initially, then let it rest.

 

[cinisajoy]

You can freeze unbaked yeast products. Heck, I store my yeast in the freezer.
If it has risen, you can just take it out of the fridge and bake.
Or if not, when you take it out of the fridge, shape, let rise then bake.
The cold just slows the yeast down, it doesn't kill it.
Now overheating the yeast will kill it.
I even have several recipes for overnight or 24 hour rolls.

 

[tenspeed]

This might help

No-Knead Bread Recipe - NYT Cooking

Sourdough No-Knead Bread Recipe - NYT Cooking

Mr. Google can provide some help as well.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Visit the King Arthur Flour web site. They have a lot of useful information concerning baking sourdough bread

 

[GotGarlic]

18 hours? Haha, I did 2 hours! Will 18 hours not kill off the yeast? I did read somewhere that 18 hours was considered extremely long.

You're right in that I didn't knead anything as such. I just folded it in my big mixing bowl every 15mins or so initially, then let it rest.

The no-knead recipe tenspeed is referring to is a specific method for making fresh bread without having to knead it. The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to two weeks and the flavor and aroma will continue to improve during that time.

 

[erehweslefox]

Great first result. I am with Sir Loin, who I also think I know perhaps from the King Arthur flour fourums (I would tout them as the best place to learn about sourdough)

The acid and 'sour' you seek comes with time. You, given those big holes, have some hella active yeasties. Sourdough is more art than artifice, but if you want to calm them down to a acid tasting loaf, you have to give it time.

For me a sourdough bread loaf is a two day thing. I take a cup of starter (8.5 oz) and three cups of flour (12.75), with 12 oz water) and let that rise for four hours.

That then gets put in the fridge and left for 12 hours, or overnight.

Add about 8.5 oz of flour, 1 tbsp of honey or maple syrup, 2 1/4 tsp salt.

Let rise five hours.

break down into loaves, let rise 2-3 hours

Then you are ready to bake. 350 for a half hour.

The multiple risings are designed to maximize the better sourdough bacteria and yeast partnership.

It makes a sour sourdough. YMMV, hope it works for you.

Cheers,

T

 

[Suthseaxa]

T, you are right. I'm feeding another starter (I took a tablespoon full of my fridge culture and added rye and wheat flour) for Danish rye bread and it's ballooned within an hour of adding the third feed! They seem active

The Danish rye bread recipe I have says to soak the rye grains and starter for 12 hours, then add flour, then let it rise another 12 hours. I'll let you know if that gives a more sour flavour, then I can hopefully carry that forward into other loaves.

 

[CharlieD]

there is a group on FB called perfect sour dough, I bet you'd find a ton of good information there from people who are specifically involved in sour dough making.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/perfectsourdough/

 

[Markf]

When in a hurry, one of the tricks I use to make it more sour is to substitute beer for the water. I like Anchor Steam Liberty Ale.
For me, making sourdough bread usually has a 16ish hour initial rise time. I use San Francisco sourdough and mix it with four, water, and salt.
I also use a spray bottle and spray the sides of my oven 3 or 4 time at 3 minute intervals when I first put the bread into the oven. 1/2 cup of ice in a small bowl in the bottom of the oven keeps the moisture up.


Mark

 

[Suthseaxa]

So it's been quite a few months and I can now make bread that looks like this

Strong white wheat, khorasan and spelt, flavoured with kalonji seeds.

 

[GotGarlic]

Wow, that looks amazing! Great job!

 

[CharlieD]

Awesome.

 

[Suthseaxa]

Since I've upped my bulk ferment time and done the final proof in the fridge overnight, it's been so much better. A lot more spring than proofing at room temperature and it holds its shape better because it's colder.

 

[beetlejuice]

That's pretty close to my English Muffins. Start it overnight in the bread machine, finish with the other ingredients and kneading the next AM. Let it sit in machine until I get the rolling board and griddle set up. I roll them out.

I've been using the same starter for over 3 years now. It's finally improving with age.
You have to add baking soda to the muffins rather than the yeast other recipes call for. I wind up finishing them in the oven, tented until they reach 200 degrees.

Lovely nooks and crannies.

I've done decent white sourdough bread, no yeast, but simply can't find a rye one that tastes like the rye the German bakers made years ago. Crust hard as a rock, took you all day to eat the heel, but we fought over it. I've seen a couple of recipes that call for a proofer - the other half made me one out of a styrofoam cooler.

 

[tenspeed]

I've done decent white sourdough bread, no yeast, but simply can't find a rye one that tastes like the rye the German bakers made years ago. Crust hard as a rock, took you all day to eat the heel, but we fought over it. I've seen a couple of recipes that call for a proofer - the other half made me one out of a styrofoam cooler.

I make rye in a dutch oven. Substitute 25% of the bread flour with rye and add caraway seeds, otherwise follow the basic no knead bread recipe. Comes out with a nice hard crust. IMHO it's as good as the rye from the local bakery.

 

[erehweslefox]

OK FWSY bread, flour water salt yeast.

these are the best bread, I often get FWSKy

For sourdough, particularly rye, you have to have a good idea what your yeasties eat. Of course you all put a bit of the dough back into the starter?

So rye, I'd make a quick starter with rye. and see what is going on.

If it makes them hungry, and they like it go for it.