Those Rolls

[Termy]

Many many years ago a restaurant blew my bread world away.

When they brought out the rolls it smelled like a bread bakery. Little loaves, light crust and flavor. Great texture.

Like nothing I had before or since.

It had the bread/yeast (I guess) flavor.

So I am thinking after eating, what makes it like this ?

First, what makes it so rare ? ONE place in my lifetime.

Well since then I have heard of these olt Babooshkas* who might have the same yeast going on since Ellis Island. *Means "Grandma" in one of those countries, we use it for a scarf but that is what it really means.

Hey, maybe we can go overseas and get some yeast that has been living since Biblical times. I wonder if there is a limiting factor. You are breeding them so...

And I guess they feed the kitty. Mix some of the goop into the dough and then some of the dough into the goop. Something like that. Maybe some have it from colonial times, like 1600 or so.

But...IS THIS WHAT DOES IT ? And if so, if I started now it would be ready in 20 years, after I become posthumous. I got no kids, send it out randomly ? "Look what you inherited !" and it is a big jar of this goop or whatever, they don't know.

Or is it not that that does it ?

A penny for your thoughts or you can put your two cents in.

T

 

[Roll_Bones]

The goop requires daily feeding or it will die. So I don't think you have anything to worry about. Sour dough is subject thread on its own.
Like you I had garlic sticks when I was in my early teens at our local Italian restaurant.
There were none that could even come close to that texture and taste. They were and are still the best I have ever eaten.
They were so popular in that specific neighborhood we continue to talk about them on Facebook. (There is a page for the old hood). Everyone remembers Mary's garlic sticks.

I spent years trying to replicate those garlic sticks with minimal success. The garlic dressing was easy. It was the dough that kept me at bay.
A few months ago I was in a pizza joint and saw dough balls in their fridge and asked if I could buy one.
Long story short I am now making Mary's garlic sticks at home. They are not perfect, but they are so close I could almost cry.
You can replicate those little loaves if you have 40 years to spare.....lol

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Go visit San Francisco some time. In every restaurant, before they even take your order, they put a big basket of fresh from the oven sourdough and pats of butter on your table.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Sourdough starter is easy to make. Next time you boil up some potatoes, save a bit of the water. The water needs to be chlorine-free, as chlorine will kill the yeast. Use distilled, or filtered spring water. Mix is just enough flour , a 50/50 mix of unbleached rye, and unbleached whole wheat, to create a loose paste. Make this in a glass, or ceramic container. Place a loose lid over the top to keep dust, and bugs out. Place on an open window sill, or in a warm place. Wild yeast floats in the air everywhere, and is already on the unbleached flour. feed your starter every day for a week, by discarding half of the starter and replacing with more flour and water. After a few days, your starter will be bubbling, and sour smelling. Feed it by adding more water, and flour daily until you have a cup or more starter, Place a lid on top, and store in your fridge.

To use, make your bread dough very loose. This is called a poolish, or preferment. Thoroughly mix in a couple tbsp. of your sourdough starter. Place in sealed glass bowl, or freezer bag, and let the poolish sit in the fridge overnight. The next morning, add flour, and salt to make an elastic bread dough. Kneed until elastic (about 15 minutes, or 5 minutes in a mixer with dough hook). Let rise for 45 minutes, Punch down, and either put into bread pans, filling the pan 2/3rds full, or making golf ball size dough balls, and placing into a rectangular, well buttered baking pan. Let rise until doubled is size, Bake as you would standard bead, or bread rolls.

Mix in another 2 tbs. flor, with a little water to your starter. Cover, and refrigerate. As long as you use it, and feed it, the starter will last forever.

Here's a youtube link for making sourdough starter -

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North