Help with Sourdough Starter and Bread Recipes.

ElizabethB

ElizabethB

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I love Sourdough Bread and want to try making my own. My request is specific flour brands that have no preservatives or additives.
I started looking on-line for recipes then realized that I had a much better source of information - all of you.
I know I will get the best information from CB members.
 
Baking has never been my forte. I have gotten into baking sweets and have some Steller recipes for cookies, cakes and cheese cake. I am intimidated by bread. My doctor suggested that I either purchase or bake breads and make pasta with no preservatives or other additives. I cannot think of a better source of information than CB,
NOTE: I am not looking for vegan or vegetarian recipes.
 
ElizabethB said:
Baking has never been my forte. I have gotten into baking sweets and have some Steller recipes for cookies, cakes and cheese cake. I am intimidated by bread. My doctor suggested that I either purchase or bake breads and make pasta with no preservatives or other additives. I cannot think of a better source of information than CB,
NOTE: I am not looking for vegan or vegetarian recipes.
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I don't do much baking, either. I make good chocolate chip cookies and cornbread. I love sourdough bread, but have no desire to make it. Good luck to you!

CD
 
I make (or at least used to make) plenty of breads…but never sourdough. I know that I’d end up obsessing over the state of the starter, waking up in a panic in the middle of the night over it, that sort of thing, so I’ve always avoided it.
 
King Arthur has organic flour that at a quick look doesn't have any extras in it, other than some kind of enzyme for improved yeast performance. There's contact info regarding allergen info.

I haven't made sour dough in years. Used to make it a lot because I like it, but Craig asked me to stop for a while because he was tired of it, and I don't think I've ever made it again. I used a recipe from Betty Crocker, but don't know where it is now. King Arthur has several and they've always been reliable for me.

Sourdough | King Arthur Baking

The starter does require care every few days once you get it started, but it's not a huge chore, especially with the smart phones today where you can set a reminder on the calendar. Remembering was my biggest issue.
 
I make a lot of sourdough bread.
It may initially come accross as complicated but it isn't really

It takes time, but not active time.
Even making the starter (mother) is not too difficult, but it may be easier if you can get some from a friend.
I keep my starter in the fridge, so I don't have to feed it too often
 
Sorry I have not replied, we have both been under the weather with bronchitis. Finally feeling up to the challenge of making sourdough bread.
Thanks all.
medtran49 thanks for the link. I am heading out to pick up a few things and will get the King Arthur flour.
 
I like the idea of putting the starter in the fridge as mentioned above. I had to throw out a starter that I had been tending for a couple of years because my wife was tired of the smell. Personally I love the smell of sourdough starter. So now I buy sourdough bread in the supermarket. My starter was developed with natural local yeast from the air around us. It took quite a while for it to develop into something that provided a solid sourdough flavor so I recommend Elizabeth go with a commercial starter or at least a commercial yeast.

The starter is mixed with regular flour, water and other ingredients to form the dough and then some flour is added back into the starter with some water to replace what was removed. My sourdoughs had to ferment overnight since I didn't use all that much starter. So the resulting loaf was a two day process. I'm comfortable letting the bakeries handle the sourdough bread now.

I use a lot of ciabatta. It doesn't have a sourdough flavor but it uses a very young overnight starter called a biga. Sourdough starters are pretty mature by the time they can develop the signature flavor. I don't make ciabatta any longer either since it is a two day process also. The bakery operation of our local supermarket chain makes it and sourdough very well and it isn't very expensive. Good luck with it. Let us know how your sourdough adventure goes.
 
It has taken a while to get my starter going. I am pleased to announce that I am the proud Mother of a baby sourdough starter. I began Wednesday. Today is Friday, the first day of my twice daily feeding. I cannot resist taking a look at my starter every couple of hours. My baby is growing beautifully. I am so proud of her.
I am officially an obsessed Mother of my first Sourdough starter.
 
ElizabethB said:
badjak
I have a baby starter growing. I would appreciate bread recipes.
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Eish, I'm no.t sure if I am the best one to help as I go very much by feel and sight and I am in a hot climate (and on top of that I use an uuni/ooni pizza oven since my proper oven packed up).

Anyway
Make sure your starter is very active and don't use everything as you want the baby to stay alive :)
I use about 65% hydration. I would start with that, then up it once you get some more experience. Wetter dough gives better oven spring, but is more difficult to work with.
Start off with flour, starter and water. Mix till all flour is wet, maybe just 1 minute.
Cover, let stand for 30-60 minutes, then add salt and knead for 1 or 2 minutes.
Cover, let stand for 45=60 minutes and do a stretch and fold. Repeat a couple of times
Then let it rise and don't tough for a couple hours
From there you can bake or retard in the fridge

Have a look at "the fresh loaf", helpful people and they know much more than me.
I also learned a lot from Ken Forkish book "flour, water, salt, yeast". I adjusted his recipes to make sure I didn't have to discard as much starter as him. He tells a good story on how to adjust according to temperature etc etc though
 
My starter is a week old and not close to vigorous. I have read enough to know that a new starter may take two weeks or longer to mature. I am patient. Sourdough starter and bread is a labor of love. In the beginning it is more about the process than the product. I will continue to nurse my baby. I am prepared for less than stellar bread the first couple of tries. I will not give up.
 
I would love to try it. But I am forgetful. Lol I love a good sour rye bread.
 
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