The sourdough Starter Thread

[Feral007]

Ok then I've made 'the sponge.' Will see how it goes by morning. This is a bit nerve wracking I tell you. All the sourdough horror stories will give me nightmares.

While I'm waiting for it to work, I've just realised that I don't know what the term 'strong' flour means? I don't think my flour is weak but it doesn't have muscles! And I see people use the term 'bread' flour and 'strong' flour. I'm used to organic, spelt, stone ground, wholemeal, rye, white. Strong doesnt come into it and I'd use them all for bread. So if anyone can enlighten me while my dough rises....

[Jeanied]

Strong flour has more gluten than an ordinary plain flour - making it more stretchy and better for rising. It comes labelled in the shops here, Feral, although recently we have found that some are better than others. Aldi's is a good variety!

[Bren In Pots]

I buy mine from a local corn merchant who mills their own flour, the label on the sack just says strong flour, and i mix that with half Canadian flour seems to work well. I started of using half spelt flour half strong but that was from a different supplier so the local one was easier.

Good luck with your loaf Feral and don't forget to take a photo.

[Feral007]

Well tis in the bowl now - Daughter took a photo of me knocking the stuffing out of it..........good thing it hasn't got muscles if you ask me! Hoping it's ready for tonight, or I'll have to work out what else to have for dinner as the pea and ham soup is in the slow cooker.

[Feral007]

Well the dough doesn't seem to be doing much atm. I think it's got a little bigger, but it's been like 5 hours. I thought it would be ready for something by now

[Bren In Pots]

Feral I found mine seems to just up a bit more once its in the oven.

[Feral007]

We've got the fire going to I've brought it over and put it on the arm of the lounge - you watch one of the cats will knock it off (as opposed to knocking it back) when I'm not looking.
I remember my mum putting the bread out on the laundry roof covered with a tea towel to get it to rise, but the recipe from here said in a cool place and it's cool here today. The reason I remember mum's bread is because the cat fancied a nice sunny spot too and went to sleep on the bread one day - not a happy woman, and not a happy cat when she found out

[Bren In Pots]

Feral best keep it out of the kitties way or you'll be picking fur out of your loaf.

[Feral007]

The cat is asleep on the lounge atm BIP - but he is Evill so it matters not where I put the dough.
I have knocked it back and added some herbs, and it's in it's pretend rising container. Now I just need enough patience to wait for it to rise again (son said 'What do you mean Rise again?' I told him he needs to go to church more often.)
I want to eat it now. This is definately in the Slow Food Class of eating isn't it?

[Bren In Pots]

Feral it does seem to be a lot less faf once you've made a couple of loaves.
This is what works for me and my kitchen :-

I do my sponge in the evening
next morning around 8 ish I add more flour and knead for 10 mins -ish
it goes into a bowl and I fold it envelope style a couple of times in the next 6 or 7 hours
final shaping then into the basket for couple more hours
tip into hot Dutch oven and bake.

[Feral007]

I'm sure it will get easier BIP's - it's just trying to fit all the stages into the day/night. I hope that it turns out well and I get the chance to make several before I finish leave, as I'm sure I could do a big bake day once a week or so and freeze some loaves once I'm at work.

Just thought I should ask, when it gets really hot here in summer will it rise quicker? And will it be a problem? Because we don't have air/con so the dough will be sweating along with the rest of us.

[Bren In Pots]

Feral if its rising too fast I 'think' you could put it in the fridge, pity you can't fit in there along with it to cool off

[Feral007]

Well it is done! I forgot about it and left it in 5 mins too long. And it was so hollow sounding I thought it was going to be as hard as a rock. I thought we could probably soak it in the soup for a week and then try to chew it.



But we managed to crack the top crust and cut the bread nicely, and then we all had a slice with butter. Everyone loved it. I wrapped the bread in a teatowel to stop it getting too dry on the crust. It's not very bubbly like some people talked about, with lots of holes. But it is half rye and very tasty.
Now I've orders to make more tomorrow. Oh dear - I may have created a monster. Son wants to know if I can make enough so we don't have to buy any bread anymore!
A winner I think. Hope they give me a day off now and again. Better see if I've got enough flour to make some more now.

[Bren In Pots]

Congrats Feral

And it must taste as nice as it looks or they wouldn't be wanting more of it.

[BarleySugar]

Glad to see the thread still active and new bakers are taking the plunge, congrats on your loaf Feral, it looks good, and the best of complements too , wanting it all the time.
I've recently resurected my starter from the fridge where she and languished for a while. After a couple of feeds she was raring to go, so cooked a loaf today, the first time in ages. So pleased I didn't have to start again, but there was no mold or yucky looking stuff so I felt confident in using her.