And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Saturday, November 25, 2023
Kneading is where you inject the soul of your bread. Learn to love it.
Sourdough 101 Items needed: 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup warm water, 1/2 gallon mason jar, and cheesecloth with rubber band to tie off the lid. Mix wheat flower and warm water and place in mason jar. Use rubber band to mark the height of the mixture. Tie off the lid with cheesecloth and place in a warm dark place. Within 48 hours there should be some bubbling and growth. Mix a half cup whole wheat and half cup all-purpose flour with a cup of water (this is the feeder). Cut your starter in half and throw half of it away or use it for a second starter. Add the feeder to the starter, adjust the marker rubber band, and put it back in a warm dark place. In 12–24 hours there should be bubbles and increase in volume. Cut it in half and add the feeder to the starter, adjust the marker rubber band, and put it back in a warm dark place. If it is very active after 5 days switch to using all purpose flower in the starter or do it after 10 days if it is not very active. After two weeks of this test a teaspoon with the float test to see if it floats on water. If so split and add your feeder but put it in the refrigerator to slow down fermentation. Take what you split off and roll it into a ball on a flowered surface. Heat oven to 450, line a dutch oven with parchment paper and place the ball of dough on the middle score the top of the bread with a razor. Once you add the covered dutch oven to your oven drop the temp to 400 and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least and hour then enjoy. I have used small bread tins that were greased with buttery Crisco. I roll it to almost the length of the tin where I will put in 3 or 4 scores. I also have a cast iron skillet with boiling water on the bottom shelf. This cooks for 45 minutes for my small pans and 55 minutes for my big pan.
This is the wrong time of year to be doing a starter. That should be from May through August. A mature sourdough colony makes better bread.
Any time is the right time if you can control the temperature. An electric proofing box will work just fine, or a yogurt maker if the temperature can be set to 75ish. While whole wheat is the classic beginning flour, a mix of fresh WW, KABF, and a little AP will kick off and mature a bit faster. Also, why waste flour when you can start with 1/8c flour and an equal weight of water. Sterilize your jar first, and use spring water that you’ve boiled and let cool. Naturally you want fresh flour too.
if ya don't knead it don't kneat it.
ReplyDeleteSourdough 101
ReplyDeleteItems needed: 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup warm water, 1/2 gallon mason jar, and cheesecloth with rubber band to tie off the lid.
Mix wheat flower and warm water and place in mason jar. Use rubber band to mark the height of the mixture. Tie off the lid with cheesecloth and place in a warm dark place. Within 48 hours there should be some bubbling and growth. Mix a half cup whole wheat and half cup all-purpose flour with a cup of water (this is the feeder). Cut your starter in half and throw half of it away or use it for a second starter. Add the feeder to the starter, adjust the marker rubber band, and put it back in a warm dark place. In 12–24 hours there should be bubbles and increase in volume. Cut it in half and add the feeder to the starter, adjust the marker rubber band, and put it back in a warm dark place. If it is very active after 5 days switch to using all purpose flower in the starter or do it after 10 days if it is not very active. After two weeks of this test a teaspoon with the float test to see if it floats on water. If so split and add your feeder but put it in the refrigerator to slow down fermentation. Take what you split off and roll it into a ball on a flowered surface. Heat oven to 450, line a dutch oven with parchment paper and place the ball of dough on the middle score the top of the bread with a razor. Once you add the covered dutch oven to your oven drop the temp to 400 and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least and hour then enjoy. I have used small bread tins that were greased with buttery Crisco. I roll it to almost the length of the tin where I will put in 3 or 4 scores. I also have a cast iron skillet with boiling water on the bottom shelf. This cooks for 45 minutes for my small pans and 55 minutes for my big pan.
This is the wrong time of year to be doing a starter. That should be from May through August. A mature sourdough colony makes better bread.
thx +1
DeleteAny time is the right time if you can control the temperature. An electric proofing box will work just fine, or a yogurt maker if the temperature can be set to 75ish. While whole wheat is the classic beginning flour, a mix of fresh WW, KABF, and a little AP will kick off and mature a bit faster. Also, why waste flour when you can start with 1/8c flour and an equal weight of water.
DeleteSterilize your jar first, and use spring water that you’ve boiled and let cool. Naturally you want fresh flour too.
1 cup flour plus 1 cup water is 200% hydration. Most starter recipes call for 100%, which would be 1/2 cup water to 1 cup flour.
Delete