Started with a starter
I've been called out. I haven't written anything in awhile, and yet my homemade stuff continues. So, for those who are reading, here is what I've just cleaned up in the kitchen...
Sourdough!!! Hmm, you might wonder why sourdough. Well, word has it that it's better for you. Maybe when I come back and edit this post, I'll include some wonderful internet research to that point, but here are the basics:
• Bread is made from grain
• People can't digest grain completely but yeast can
• Sourdough is soaked in a bath of yeast and lactobacilli, both of which break down the grain
• YOU can break down them! And what they leave behind is easier to digest because of their efforts.
Regardless of all proof... sourdough takes about 9-10 days to make from scratch... and as we all know, things that take longer are better. Ok, enough preaching. You can get that from the links below.
My First Sourdough Loaf
I mostly followed the recipes in Nourishing Traditions and started my Rye starter. The book recipe will result in 5-6 loaves, so I cut the recipe in 1/3. I mixed 2/3 cup of Rye in water until it was soupy, put it in a mason jar, and covered it with cheese cloth to keep the bugs out and let the air in (it's where the wild yeast comes from).
The you feed it 1/3 cup of rye every day, switching out to clean jars (though I wonder if the clean jar swapping is necessary). At day 7, you mix in 4 cups bread flour, 4/5 Tablespoon of salt, and some water, kneading for 15 min (add flour and water a spoon at a time to get the right dough ball consistency).
Put shaped dough in a well buttered bread pan, and let sit four 4-12 hours... though in December in SC, I let it sit until it almost doubles or 24 hours... whichever comes first.
My family loved the bread. It was right around Thanksgiving, and it was good. I even have orders now for Christmas.
My Second and Third loaf
These orders are why I'm making two more. My common practice is to follow the recipe to the 'T' on the first go around, then modify each next time. This time, I started an All Purpose Flour starter, and continued my Rye starter but using Whole Wheat this time (so it'll by a bit of a hybrid).
I'll let you know how they come out!
Some internet sources:
(None which I used to make mine, but which I've sought so that you can read up a bit)
Breadtopia
Sourdough - benefits, catching and care
Hibb's Hints: Why Sourdough?
Sourdough
Sourdough!!! Hmm, you might wonder why sourdough. Well, word has it that it's better for you. Maybe when I come back and edit this post, I'll include some wonderful internet research to that point, but here are the basics:
• Bread is made from grain
• People can't digest grain completely but yeast can
• Sourdough is soaked in a bath of yeast and lactobacilli, both of which break down the grain
• YOU can break down them! And what they leave behind is easier to digest because of their efforts.
Regardless of all proof... sourdough takes about 9-10 days to make from scratch... and as we all know, things that take longer are better. Ok, enough preaching. You can get that from the links below.
My First Sourdough Loaf
I mostly followed the recipes in Nourishing Traditions and started my Rye starter. The book recipe will result in 5-6 loaves, so I cut the recipe in 1/3. I mixed 2/3 cup of Rye in water until it was soupy, put it in a mason jar, and covered it with cheese cloth to keep the bugs out and let the air in (it's where the wild yeast comes from).
The you feed it 1/3 cup of rye every day, switching out to clean jars (though I wonder if the clean jar swapping is necessary). At day 7, you mix in 4 cups bread flour, 4/5 Tablespoon of salt, and some water, kneading for 15 min (add flour and water a spoon at a time to get the right dough ball consistency).
Put shaped dough in a well buttered bread pan, and let sit four 4-12 hours... though in December in SC, I let it sit until it almost doubles or 24 hours... whichever comes first.
My family loved the bread. It was right around Thanksgiving, and it was good. I even have orders now for Christmas.
My Second and Third loaf
These orders are why I'm making two more. My common practice is to follow the recipe to the 'T' on the first go around, then modify each next time. This time, I started an All Purpose Flour starter, and continued my Rye starter but using Whole Wheat this time (so it'll by a bit of a hybrid).
I'll let you know how they come out!
Some internet sources:
(None which I used to make mine, but which I've sought so that you can read up a bit)
Breadtopia
Sourdough - benefits, catching and care
Hibb's Hints: Why Sourdough?
Sourdough
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