SC - Re: seeking recipes (Outdoor Feast)

[Decker, Terry D.]

> There is, of course, another method of keeping a sourdough starter. This
> is to use a wooden baking through, and letting the remains of the last
> dought form part of the next. This was done in country-side Finland up
> until quite recently. I tried a version of this a few months ago. After
> baking I left the bowl (plastic) stand on the counter until dry. The
> next weekend I then simply mixed down the crusty remains with some
> flour and water. And it started to rise after having been left alone
> overnight, and worked well as a starter. 
> 
I got to thinking about this the last time you mentioned it.  The wooden
baking trough works for small batches, but I don't think it is effective for
commercial quantities.  I expect large batches of bread were boosted with
ale barm to get a good rise in a reasonable time.

However, let's take your technique a little farther.  Create your leaven,
let it rise and bubble for a few days, then dry it out.  (Most bakers won't
do this because reconstituting a leaven in quantity is a pain.)  Grind the
dried leaven to powder.  At that point you have a high yeast content powder
which can be added to the dough to leaven it.  The powder should retain its
potency up to about 120 degrees F and, as long as you kept it dry, could be
easily transported in a pouch or a flask.  The technique is similar to some
stuff I've found in 19th Century recipes. 

> Or you could just freeze it between uses if you aren't going to bake
> every week.
> 
Good idea.  Bread dough will rise after freezing without a lot of problem,
so a leaven should freeze just fine.  I would let it come back to room
temperature before mixing dough.

> /UlfR
> (wondering how to fake ale-barm for baking)
> 
> -- 
> Par Leijonhufvud                           parlei(at)algonet.se
> 
I faked it with 1 teaspoon of dry active yeast in 16 ounces of water (U.S.
measure) and a teaspoon of sugar for food.  Give it a day in a sterile
loosely covered container.  The yeast solution tends to settle, so give it a
shake before using.  1 ounce of the solution will leaven two pounds of flour
quite nicely. 

I was trying a different mixture, but I lost that batch to mold.

Bear 
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