Sourdough; Bread, Biscuits and Pancakes

[zipcode]

Perhaps this should be moved to another forum.

Noticed in couple of pics the plastic baggie containing red liquid, seemed to be leaking onto the granite counter.

Since you mention that house is new, have you sealed the granite yet? Would be a shame to have some pungent liquid or meat juices to soak in.

My ex-wife ruined one counter by regularly using it to chop kimchee. Kitchen ended up having a lingering sour garlic pong.

[buad hai]

^Hot out of the oven with just plain butter.

Toasted this morning with peanut butter and jelly.

Tonight, toasted with some melted cheddar cheese on top....

[peterpan]

Thats a pretty good effort BH, mine tend to flatten out too much so I only bake it in a tin now. I know that sacrilege but I get a much lighter loaf.
I am doing almost daily now, a italian type dough using a 2 day preferment with some organic wholeweat flour added, I add a touch of oil and it comes out bloody loverly. Given up buying bread and just make my own.

BH, whats the oven? I like the convection fan in the rear but can't find a gas powered one with the fan.

[buad hai]

^The oven is electric, by Fagor. It has top and bottom burners. The top burner is in two sections so you can have only the middle part on, or the whole thing. With the fan running and top and bottom burners on it does a great job with bread. Brown all over including the bottom.

[friscofrankie]

Adter a two month or so hiatus, I've done three or four loaves in the last fortnight. This one I added about 10% rye flour. left it to rise about 9 hours or so.

I get better crumb with a wet dough but I like my bread wrapped around a bit of bacon, ham, some eggs or othe flling. It's delicious all alone I just happen to like sandwiches. A wetter dough give me better crumb at the cost of sandwhichability.

This loaf, however, shows a marked improvement in crumb. raised in a cloth lined basket (we really don't wanna go into the cloth now do we?) it took th efull 9 hours (maybe eight) to swell up nice and purty

it didn't flatten out this time and the crumb is much better. ugly mother-fucker but good shape, size and absolutely sour flavor.


I guess I'll pick up a baguette form at teh supply house tomorrow try a wetter dough. I preheat the oven long enough to heat the 30x30 slab of marble through (30, 40 120 mins, depends on what else I'm doing) and still just invert the basket over the marble. to start it off.
Kneading time was short I will go for the same mix with extended kneading time and rise if need be. But this is a good usable loaf and the flavor is sour& nutty the exture is soft with a tough chewy crust. If I can get prettier I'd be happy. As it is now, if I have to eat this every day I will not be suffering.

[Jet Gorgon]

Frankie, can you keep the starter dough going as a base, kind of like a yoghurt culture, so you don't have to remake it every time?

[friscofrankie]

I've had the same culture going since I started back in the OP.
I feed it every day with a few spoons of flour every day. some times rye flour some times soft wheat. I bake a loaf every 3 or four days I back up the culture in the refrigerator about once every two weeks, (take out the back up add it to the culture ferment a large batch overnight put a half cup or so back in the refer and then bake a loaf. but there is always a cloth covered culture going on the counter top.

[blackgang]

Jet, If you are talking about what I think you are,, Then yes you do keep a culture, that is the starter, you have maybe a quart of it and use part and feed it daily or less often if kept in the fridge,
Some cultures [starters] are many years old and have been in use for that length of time.
If you get a good one then always protect it and keep it from dying..But you have to use it or feed it and throw some away if it gets to large..

I see that FF already answered you, but living in Canada you should have some experts there to add advice..

[Jet Gorgon]

Thanks, Guys. I guess if I went up to Klondike country, I'd find a lumberjack cook with his own culture...
Most Canadians I see just shop aimlessly, like a Stepford wife, and they eat while they shop. And bring all their kids.
I tried a frozen chicken pot pie the other day. Tasted like throw up. But these people eat this crap.

[Marmite the Dog]

But these people eat this crap.

'You' are 'these people' aren't you?

[Jet Gorgon]

^ I'm trying, but I just don't fit in. Not fat enough, and not brainwashed yet.

[GringoAlto]

I just got some starter from Sourdoughs International. Ed Wood claims that it came Russia. I have been using it for about 10 years. It has a mild, sour flavor and it is very quick acting (almost as fast as yeast). I live in Chiang Mai and would be glad to share.

[friscofrankie]

lesse dunno, if you get a message click on it. B happy to trade cultures with you gave you an eamil addy to contact. Mine's tha exact opposite of yours slow acting and really the most sour tasting I have ever tried.
I will not post the address here. maybe some one can come along and help, I am rather drunk right now.

[Jet Gorgon]

^ I love the foodies. Frankie, I just made a pot roast (first in 20 years). Slow roasted with veg. The meat is slip-sliding off my fork.

[GringoAlto]

I have tried punching my sourdough bread down for a second rise; I have had better luck with shaping the loaf immediately after kneading and putting into the loaf pan.

I have read a few notes on the internet that suggest that most sourdoughs are better off with only one rise.

The last few loaves of yeast bread don't seem to nead a second rise either.

[friscofrankie]

This is my first attempt at a baguette with this starter:


I used the same temps. THink a better result could be had with slightly lower temp - I will make another with a slightly wetter dough. And yes, only one rise with this culture. as I finished kneading I rolled it into the baguette shape and set in the lighlty oiled (olive oil) form (partially visible behind the loaf) I did this on my 3:00 AM - 4:00 "What the hell am I doing awake already?" period, went back to bed and on rising at 9:00 AM popped in the oven.
Still not all it could be, but getting better. I usually set up a poolish 10 - 12 hours before working the loaf. The poolish is a wet-ish dough/batter that I then add enough flour to make a fairly stiff dough. I think I would be better off with less poolish; then, more flour AND water to make the bread dough and again, slightly wetter. This was actually my intention but at 3:00 Am I was letting my habits dictate my actions instead of my somewhat fuzzy brain.
Still delicious and will go well with my bacon and eggs in a few minutes...

[Driventowin]

Great thread! I didn't read it all yet, did anyone mention anything about Rye bread?? I miss a good Rye bread tuna sandwich!! Specifically Jewish rye but I'm not that picky..

[buad hai]

^^Beautiful baguette FF. How about a photo of the pan?

^I bought some rye flour the other day. Next loaf will be at least partly rye.

[Jet Gorgon]

Frankie, I just read a great recipe for beef stew that uses a round, hollowed-out sourdough bread shell as the bowl. Then dunk the inside soft bits in the stew and eat the bowl after.

[friscofrankie]

^Fisherman's Wharf Special only with Clam Chowder. Unfortunately, My free-forms rounds leave a bit to be desired in that they flatten out too much to make a decent stew/chowder bowl.

^^Beautiful baguette FF. How about a photo of the pan?

Thanks BH, bet you thought I forgot the request, eh? here's a shot of a couple of smaller loaves rising in the pan. I make shorter loaves so they fit in my bread box. The pan helps with forming the loaves and the crumb is fantastic now that I am building a wetter dough and allowing a much longer rise time to a full 2 - 2 1/2 volume increase.
Shot of the interior crumb tonight (maybe )

[Marmite the Dog]

Yummy!

I just ate half of one of them.

[friscofrankie]

Half??? Fuckin thing's GONE!

[Marmite the Dog]

^ Oh! I thought you ate some too?

[friscofrankie]

One itty-bitty corner the other loaf is 'bout gone as well
The loaves were left to rise for about 15 hours (I was kidnapped), They rose, then fell, then spread. Delicious, tangy and a wonderful crumb with evenly spaced holes of about a quarter inch diameter. absolutely useless for anything other than sopping up gravies, stews, soups or beans.

Next time, I will do my best to stick around for the usual 6 hours or so this culture takes to rise a decent loaf.

[friscofrankie]

The crumb and crust is excellent gotta work on my Baguette rolling skills though:


All the 'xperts'll tell ya let the loaf cool. I never listen, too hot to handle slathered with butter Mmmmmm. good stuff, Maynard