Is anyone else making sourdough? I’ve gotten pretty interested in it and I’ve contacted several sourdough book authors to get answers to some of my tougher questions. I’d love to find some other homebrewers interested in the hobby too.
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I’ve been making it for maybe 20 years.
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Only vicariously through my wife.
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Just started with sourdough this summer. I got my starter by asking on a Facebook page for local “foodies.” After several bad attempts, the last three efforts were at least edible.
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Denny …awesome …I can’t believe we’ve not discussed this! Can we chat about sourdough sometime?
Do you have a favorite sourdough recipe of hers you can share?
Are you happy with your starter?
Very happy. I tried making my own starter, but after about five weeks it still hadn’t really become a starter. The starter I was gifted is somewhere between 60 and 80 years old, I was told. When I feed it, it doubles in a couple of hours.
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You bet, although I’m far from an authority. Jeff Renner might be a good person for quality info. Tried making my own starter but I wasn’t happy with the flavor. Got some from friend and it’s great. The basic recipe I use is the Extra Tangy Sourdough Bread from King Arthur. I also use the discard to make dinner rolls and sandwich buns, as well as Parmesan Butter Sourdough Crackers.
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Ok cool! I’m trying a new approach that had been recommended to me:
Gradually Scale Up: Over a series of feedings, incrementally increase the amount of flour and water. For instance:
- First feeding: 30 g starter + 30 g water + 30 g flour.
- Second feeding: Add 60 g water + 60 g flour to the now-90 g starter.
- Third feeding: Add 120 g water + 120 g flour to the now-210 g starter.
I’m trying it now and I’ll let you know!
Man, you are much more techie about it than I am! After feeding i just leave mine on the counter until it gets bubbly…kinda like an active yeast starter! Then I stick it in the fridge and pull it out every week or so for feeding. My starter is pretty mature, so I do 1:1:1 starter/flour/water. I pull 100g of starter, then add equal amounts of flour and water. Don’t remember where I got that recommendation, but it’s served me well. You should join the King Arthur Sourdough Boot Camp (I think that’s the name…it’s close!) on FB.
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Denny,
Only because I’m not satisfied with my oven spring and I’m hoping tech will solve the issue. I could be all wrong (and I usually am).
The only reason I’m tracking pH is I want to see if three peak to peak feedings (about 5-hours apart) without discarding ends up being too acidic. I won’t do that again if it works! But I’ll have some data if it doesn’t.
Thanks for the tip on the King Arthur classes (Classes | King Arthur Baking) I was unaware of them. Sounds like a worthy investment.
Could you share one of your favorite sourdough recipes?
Denny, you were indeed close on the name. It’s King Arthur’s Camp Sourdough. Me too on the 1:1:1 and basic process. I use 150g/150g/150g but I could cut back to 100g tbh. I feed once a week, more or less. My favorite discard recipe so far is sourdough pizza, and my favorite regular recipe to date is a sourdough rye bread I baked yesterday.
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The one I always make is Extra Tangy Sourdough Bread from the KA website
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Ah …must be this one!
Have you ever tried any breads that you incorporate beer ingredients?
That’s the one. I do it as a 3 day process. Day 1, take my starter out of the fridge and feed it. After it’s taken off, I refrigerate over night. Next day, I take it out, let it warm up, measure the appropriate amount into mixer bowl with first flour addition. Letbthat sit out for 4 hours, then back into the fridge overnight. Next morning I asdthe second flour addition and salt. Let rise til doubled (maybe 4-5 hours). Form loaves and give them 4 hours or so. I rise and bake them in a batard pan so they hold their shape. When I bake them, I spray them lightly before they go in, and add cup of boiling water to a pan in the oven. Those 2 things really help the crust.
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Try adding some malted vinegar powder to your dough. I add 1% per the amount of flour. It doesn’t add any sour flavor; it adds a nutty flavor. I like Giusto’s flours where I can purchase six 5-pound bags at a time, but I also dabble with other sources of flour. I also keep shards of my started in a vacuum packed Mason jar in the freezer - you never know when you might need to restart your starter. My starter originated in SF.
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I pull the starter from the fridge either before bed or in the AM, stir the starter with warm water to thin it out to to less than thin pancake batter. Put 2 cups of flour in a bread bowl, pour in super thin starter, stir it up to make a soft dough, put a plate over the top of the bowl and leave for a few hours until it puffs up. Stir in another cup of flour and a Tablespoon of salt. Mix it all well and leave it for an hour. Then 4 stretch and folds every half hour 4-6x. Shape it or put in loaf pan and bake. It takes awhile but you don’t have to do much work and minimal kneading.
I usually do half wheat and half white flour to make a pain de campagne type loaf. Last Sunday I did 3 cups of wheat and 1 cup white with a bit more water & salt to make a bigger loaf since my son has been pounding it down lately. Homemade sourdough makes the best damn toast possible.
Malted vinegar powder is an interesting ingredient. What made you try that and where did you buy it?
So far I’ve not heard anyone mention using any beer ingredients in their sourdough. Surely there are some good recipes where beer or beer brewing ingredients enhance sourdough!