The Result
Making bread with sourdough can be rewarding. It requires some patience, but overall keeping a culture around is pretty easy and somewhat forgiving. I started with the Goldrush sourdough culture, purchased in a small kool-aid sized pouch from Woodmans, and have been feeding it for a few months. The degree of sour is good, but not overwhelming.
FEEDING AND TENDING THE SOURDOUGH MOTHER
EVERY WEEK: Remove sourdough mother culture from refrigerator, remove it’s lid and let it breathe and get bubbly for a few hours. Mix any ‘alcohol’ slurry back into the mother and feed the mother with approximately 1 cup of bread flour and about 1 cup of FILTERED water.
My starter is kept at a soupy consistency. Occasionally, I like to throw some rye or whole wheat flour in the mother to add some sour complexity to the culture. If you’re not going to bake with it, consider dumping some of the mother out or share it with a friend.
THE SOURDOUGH
| Basics | 1 POUND’er | 2 POUND’er |
| Sourdough Starter | 1 cup | 2 cups |
| Water (FILTERED) | 1/3 cup | 2/3 cup |
| Salt | 3/4 tsp – 1 tsp | 1.5 tsp – 2 tsp |
| Unbleached, Unbromated Bread Flour | 2 cups | 4 cups |
| Yeast – Active Dry | 1/2 tsp | 1 tsp |
Warm the filtered water in the microwave until luke warm. Proof yeast in warmed water until bubbly. Stir in sourdough starter, sprinkle on 1/2 of the flour, then the salt, then the other 1/2 of the flour. Knead by hand for about 5 mintues, add water if necessary. The dough should be smooth and silky.
Shape the dough into the final shape and allow to rise on a floured board in a warm place, approximately 6-8 hours. Sourdough goes slow, I don’t like to reshape or punch it down.
BAKING
Preheat oven with a baking stone on the lowest rack to 450 degrees for at least 30 minutes. Put a cup of water into an oven safe dish and place in the oven, under the stone to steam up the oven. Carefully transfer the dough to a floured peel. Using a very sharp knife or razor, slash the top of the dough in an X shape , circle, or something fancier. Brush the dough with a well beaten egg mixed with a tablespoon of water.
Carefully slide the dough onto the baking stone. Reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes. After baking, allow the bread at least an hour to cool before cutting.