Sourdough starter using raisins
Mar 20, 2024 20:08:07 GMT -5
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Post by lew92 on Mar 20, 2024 20:08:07 GMT -5
www.thehungrybites.com/raisin-water-starter-sourdough-bread/
The link above is similar to the way I started my sourdough. I have my starter in a short, half gallon jar on my stove top, so that it gets warmed a bit every time I use the stove.
I have learned a few things this time around.
1. Don't be impatient. Truly wait until the starter doubles in volume after feeding it before you depend on it to raise well.
2. Discard half of the starter every day. This one is hard for me to do and I end up making bread products quite frequently, rather than toss it out. But, you do have to remove half of the starter every day or it will get raunchy sour, rather than the pleasantly tangy sourdough flavor we all want.
3. If the starter seems to have stalled, use another kind of flour to feed it occasionally. Many articles I read suggested rye flour, but I don't have any other use for it, so I use the 100% white wheat bread flour I got from Azure Standard.
Extra air can help, too, such as using a whisk to incorporate bubbles into the mixture when you feed it.
Bread loaves:
I like a lighter loaf than all sourdough will give me, so I add yeast. Ingredients are estimated amounts.
I put about 3 1/2 to 4 cups of flour in a large bowl and add 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp sea salt, and mix together, then form a well in the dry ingredients. 1/2 cup butter gets melted in about 1 cup of scalded milk, which brings the temperature down enough to add it along with half of my sourdough starter, which is about 1/2 cup.
I beat it with a wooden spoon until it gets too stiff to beat, then I use my hands. If it is still sticky, I add more flour, if too stiff, I add some water.
Cover with plastic wrap or a beeswax wrap, then cover with a towel. I then leave it in my microwave for 6 to 8 hours, as the smaller space helps the dough stay warm longer. About 60 to 90 minutes before I want to bake it, I proof a tablespoon of yeast along with a tablespoon of sugar in about a half cup of water.
I push my fist into the dough and pull and stretch the sides to make a dough "bowl". I pour the proofed yeast in, then sprinkle about a half cup of flour over the liquid and use a whisk to blend it in. I add more flour until it is fairly thick, then start kneading the dough in the bowl, adding more flour as needed to make a soft, consistent dough that is not sticky.
I cover with the plastic wrap and towel again and allow to rise about 30 minutes. Then cut the dough in half and form into 2 loaves. I use glass loaf pans.
Allow to rise again for 30 minutes, but preheat your oven about 15 minutes before the time is up. Brush the loaves with melted butter and bake at 400*F for 35 to 45 minutes, until golden brown and hollow sounding when you rap on them.
Turn out of pans and cool on a rack, brushing with butter again if you desire a tender crust.
The link above is similar to the way I started my sourdough. I have my starter in a short, half gallon jar on my stove top, so that it gets warmed a bit every time I use the stove.
I have learned a few things this time around.
1. Don't be impatient. Truly wait until the starter doubles in volume after feeding it before you depend on it to raise well.
2. Discard half of the starter every day. This one is hard for me to do and I end up making bread products quite frequently, rather than toss it out. But, you do have to remove half of the starter every day or it will get raunchy sour, rather than the pleasantly tangy sourdough flavor we all want.
3. If the starter seems to have stalled, use another kind of flour to feed it occasionally. Many articles I read suggested rye flour, but I don't have any other use for it, so I use the 100% white wheat bread flour I got from Azure Standard.
Extra air can help, too, such as using a whisk to incorporate bubbles into the mixture when you feed it.
Bread loaves:
I like a lighter loaf than all sourdough will give me, so I add yeast. Ingredients are estimated amounts.
I put about 3 1/2 to 4 cups of flour in a large bowl and add 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp sea salt, and mix together, then form a well in the dry ingredients. 1/2 cup butter gets melted in about 1 cup of scalded milk, which brings the temperature down enough to add it along with half of my sourdough starter, which is about 1/2 cup.
I beat it with a wooden spoon until it gets too stiff to beat, then I use my hands. If it is still sticky, I add more flour, if too stiff, I add some water.
Cover with plastic wrap or a beeswax wrap, then cover with a towel. I then leave it in my microwave for 6 to 8 hours, as the smaller space helps the dough stay warm longer. About 60 to 90 minutes before I want to bake it, I proof a tablespoon of yeast along with a tablespoon of sugar in about a half cup of water.
I push my fist into the dough and pull and stretch the sides to make a dough "bowl". I pour the proofed yeast in, then sprinkle about a half cup of flour over the liquid and use a whisk to blend it in. I add more flour until it is fairly thick, then start kneading the dough in the bowl, adding more flour as needed to make a soft, consistent dough that is not sticky.
I cover with the plastic wrap and towel again and allow to rise about 30 minutes. Then cut the dough in half and form into 2 loaves. I use glass loaf pans.
Allow to rise again for 30 minutes, but preheat your oven about 15 minutes before the time is up. Brush the loaves with melted butter and bake at 400*F for 35 to 45 minutes, until golden brown and hollow sounding when you rap on them.
Turn out of pans and cool on a rack, brushing with butter again if you desire a tender crust.
