SC - More Sourdough Woes

[Decker, Terry D.]

> I knew I could count on Bear, who writes (among much other sage sourdough
> advice):
> 
> >>Leave the container of starter covered on the counter.  Feed it every
> eight
> to twelve hours.<<
> 
> By feed it, do you mean with sugar, or what?
> 
You feed a sourdough by adding flour and water.  Sieved flour weighs about 4
oz per cup.  Water weighs about 4 oz. per 1/2 cup.  When I use a cup of
starter, I replace it with a cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water.  When I'm
just feeding it, I put in 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup water.

Yeast comes to a full ferment then drops off to build back to full ferment
in cycles of about 12 hours.  When the yeast runs out of food, it goes
dormant.  By adding a little food every so often you keep the yeast active.


Warm yeast is more active than cool yeast, so a starter left on the counter
needs to be feed more often than a starter in the refrigerator.  On the
otherhand, being left on the counter keeps the starter quickly going its
lovely sour way.  I do cover it with palstic to keep out the bugs and the
mold spores. 

> To answer your questions, I made the starter myself, using commercial
> yeast.
> The bread recipe did call for additional yeast and sugar.
> 
Okay.  The starter should sour on its own, but it may take a few days.  I'd
leave off the additional yeast and use the longer rise.  I'd try the bread
first without the sugar, then with a teaspoon or so in a couple pounds of
dough, just to test the flavors.


> I will try your suggestions, but I will not be able to bake a loaf a day
> for a
> while. Will this negate the whole thing?
> 
> Renata
> 
No, but you need to remember to feed the starter.  Mine is in a 1 1/2 quart
mixing bowl so that I can feed it a lot without having it crawl over the
side of the bowl.  I made bread this morning, so I'll feed it for a couple
of days and get it up to about a quart, so I can make bread this weekend.

With the long rise, you can time your baking to your schedule.  About 9:30
last night, I made up a bowl of dough and set it to rise.  About 5:30 this
morning, I punched down kneaded and shaped my loaves.  Then I showered and
dressed.  The second rise took about an hour, during which I pre-heated the
oven.  The loaves went in a 6:40 and were out at 7:20.  I turned them out to
cool and went to work.

I have also made the dough in the morning.  Shaped the loaves immediately
after returning from work.  And had fresh, hot bread with supper.  A 12 to
14 hour baking cycle is easier to fit into a busy schedule than a 5 to 6
hour cycle.

Bear
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