Subject: Re: Starter
From: [email-masked] (Darvyn Spagnolly)
Date: Tue, 31 May 94 19:07:36 CDT
Newsgroups: rec.food.sourdough

I just noticed this newsgroup for the first time
today, and coincidentally I have a starter of sorts doing its thing on my
kitchen table. However, it is just yeast, buttermilk and flour left out for
a day to sour. Mr. Printen is apparently trying to attract the right kind of
airborne something to get the starter going, which I imagine is what the rest
of you do... Then there is this business of "tempering" it??
What is this that you're doing? How is it different from what I'm
doing? Sorry, you must have heard this question dozens of times before, but I'd
be grateful for an answer.
 
Darvyn <[email-masked]>
 
P.S. To make this worthwhile I am including the recipe I am using, just
in case it is new to anyone out there. It's not the authentic sourdough
discussed in your group, but it *is* sour.

WHOLE-RYE BREAD
Pour 2dl (this is all in metric) boiling water over 100g rye berries.
In a separate bowl, combine 50g fresh yeast (I use about a tablespoon of
dry), 2dl buttermilk and 100g rye. Cover both bowls and let stand at
room temperature for a day. The next day, mix together the contents of
both bowls and add, little by little, about 600g rye flour. Make sure the
dough is a bit loose, because it will absorb additional water while
rising. Let rise for an hour, knead out, and let rise an additional
30 min. (If you don't put it in a form, you will get something rather
flat and oval.) Brush with water and bake at about 375 for 1-1/4 hours.

From: [email-masked]
Newsgroups: rec.food.sourdough
Subject: RECIPES
Date: 2 Jun 94 10:23:52 MDT

Howdy, Y'all.

I just thought I would suggest another recipe for sourdough folks.  If you
ask me, I would appreciate even more of them.  The FAQ is great, but I seek
to expand my repertory of redipes.

Here is an easy way to make sourdough bread.  It is also the most successful
way I've tried it.

I use a very aggresive starter.  I added organic rye flour to my San Francisco
starter and though it's not really a San Francisco starter anymore, I am 
very pleased with the results.  I first add 1/2 C. rye flour and 1/2 C
warm water to my starter that I pulled fresh out of the fridge.  I let this
proof at room temperature for an amazing three hours.  Seriously, that's all it
takes!  I then pour this mixture, now equalling about three cups (3/4 of a 
mason jar) into my intended mixing bowl.  The bowl is stainless steel, for 
those interested, although sometimes I use my Bosch mixer which has a plastic
bowl.  I have noted no difference.  Since I desire lots of bread, I add 3 C.
flour to this mixture and 3 cups warm water, mix it up good and about 6 hours
later, I have a good sponge.

To this second proof, I add 1 tsp. salt and 1 Tblsp. honey for every cup of
water present in the dough, (I assume a 1/1 ratio of water to dry ingredients
in the sponge, which in this case is about 4 cups, I think).  Of course, I have
removed the 1 C. starter for the next time, added 1/2 C rye flour and 1/2 C
water and let it sit for a couple hours before putting it back in the fridge.

I add enough flour to make the dough barely handle-able.  I must move the dough
around in my hands or it will stick.  It is still quite sticky at this point.
I then knead it.  With the machine, this takes about 5-10 minutes, by hand,
about 1/2 hour.  The dough is quite stretchy at this point, but also still 
quite sticky.  Shaping a loaf is quite difficult, but I generally make a ball
of dough (actually several) and place it in one of my LARGE iron dutch ovens.

I let the dough rise for quite a while--about 4 to 6 hours.  It will increase
its size a whopping three or four times.  I mean, this small softball sized 
dough ball increases to the size of a basketball, except that due to its fluid
nature, it becomes more of a mound.  I have found that I need a size 14 dutch
oven to bake a loaf.  The recipe described above makes three of them.

I have experimented with spraying the loaves with water for a crunchy crust,
but rather than making a crunchy crust, it made a leathery one.  Now, I just
leave it alone, and I get a cruncy chewy crust that is to live for.  Trust the
dough, is my advice.

I use the number on the top of the dutch oven to determine the number of
charcoal brickettes I use.  A size 14 oven will take a total of 14 brickettes:
8 on the top and 6 on the bottom.  About 45-50 minutes later, I have a large
loaf of yummy bread.  What is remarkable about this bread is that it stays 
soft and spongey for several days.  It is really good bread!  I have noticed 
that most sourdough bread (store-bought) loses its sponginess and becomes
hard and dry.  Not so this bread!  I think it is due to the stickiness of
the dough.  It is difficult to shape, but well worth the somewhat flat
basketball structure to me.

Another fine recipe is that of sourdough pancakes.  I proof my starter the 
same way.  When the sponge is ready, I merely add 1 tsp. salt and 1 1/2 Tblsp.
honey for each cup of water present, taste the batter to make sure it is 
twangy and the "right" flavor, and then add 1 C flour and 1 C water to this
batter.  I wait for about 1/2 hour and then start making them.  By this time,
the flour has fed the culture and bubbles have started to form in the batter,
making very airy, light pancakes.

I guess the key method for me is the 1 tsp. salt and 1 Tblsp. honey for every
cup of water.  The salt seems pretty fixed at this measurement, but the honey
can be changed according to taste.  I grew up tasting the batter and dough
whenever my Mom made bread, so I can taste whether there is "enough" salt or
honey.  But that's all I ever add to my batter or dough--no soda, no butter,
nothing but salt and honey.

Good luck! 

If anyone has any more recipes, please share them!  I think that increasing
the FAQs with a volume 2 of recipes would be great!

David Sidwell
[email-masked]