My sister asked me how to make sourdough bread so I'm going to post how to get a "mother" started. The starter is called a mother. It's the soured reserve that you use to take from and mix into your bread recipes to make them sourdough.
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1 tbsp yeast (optional)
you can make a starter using only flour and water or you can cheat and speed things up by adding some yeast to it. Mix the above together in small container set in a place where the temperature is somewhere around 70-80 degrees. You need to either leave the lid propped open or cover it with a cheese cloth so that natural yeast can get into your mother.
You know that your sourdough starter is ready when it forms a bubbly froth on top of it...you can now use it, refrigerate it or freeze it.
Once you use some you need to replenish the mother by adding 1 cup flour and 1 cup water. You won't need to add yeast again because it's already growing more of it's own yeast. If you haven't used any for two weeks, go ahead and throw out half of it and add 1 cup flour and 1 cup water. This will "feed" it as the weeks roll on without you using it to make bread.
While in the fridge, it will get a liquid on top of it that is dark brown or gray in color. This is normal, just stir it back in.
Instead of typing out full instructions here, I found this very well written page that explains how to make a starter and how to use it. I will post my sourdough recipes once my starter is ready to use next week.
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1 tbsp yeast (optional)
you can make a starter using only flour and water or you can cheat and speed things up by adding some yeast to it. Mix the above together in small container set in a place where the temperature is somewhere around 70-80 degrees. You need to either leave the lid propped open or cover it with a cheese cloth so that natural yeast can get into your mother.
You know that your sourdough starter is ready when it forms a bubbly froth on top of it...you can now use it, refrigerate it or freeze it.
Once you use some you need to replenish the mother by adding 1 cup flour and 1 cup water. You won't need to add yeast again because it's already growing more of it's own yeast. If you haven't used any for two weeks, go ahead and throw out half of it and add 1 cup flour and 1 cup water. This will "feed" it as the weeks roll on without you using it to make bread.
While in the fridge, it will get a liquid on top of it that is dark brown or gray in color. This is normal, just stir it back in.
Instead of typing out full instructions here, I found this very well written page that explains how to make a starter and how to use it. I will post my sourdough recipes once my starter is ready to use next week.
5 comments:
Interesting that you are talking about a sourdough starter....Katie will be making one for her Oregon Trail Co-Op for "show and tell". We are reading "Skillet Bread, Sourdough, and Vinegar Pie: Cooking in Pioneer Days" by Loretta Frances Ichord. Thought I might make another starter for Emily to take to her Science Co-op Class. Thanks for the recipe!!
tulipkids
I followed the instructions for my first starter about a week ago. I think it's been going o.k. but I am wondering if you have a good sourdough bread recipe?
I've been playing around with this recipe, but it does have a tendency to come out somewhat dense.
I am also wondering... do you have any troubles with your bread machine? I seem to have to pull my loaves out about 20-30 minutes before the end of the baking cycle or else I will end up with rock hard, overdone crust.
So, my question is turning into several questions...
Do you have some good "fail-proof" bread machine recipes? (Sourdough and other.)
Thanks!
Well, first let me apologize because I see that I promised to post my recipe and never did. I fully intended too but my brain forgot...nothing new! =0) So, I will put my recipe here in the comments and then hopefully next week I can make a loaf to post on here with pictures.
First let me say that this recipe is actually from a bread machine cookbook and I have had success with it but I also prefer my sour dough bread to be in the shape of a circle and frankly I think that all breads turn out better when baked in the oven instead of the bread machine. I usually do my sour dough bread on the dough cycle, then I take it out, let it rise for 1-2 hours and then bake it. So, give this recipe a try in the bread machine and see how you like it. Choose the lightest crust option if your bread machine has one.
1 1/4 c starter
2/3 c water
1 tbsp butter
1tsp salt
3 c flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp yeast
If you decide to bake it in the oven, bake at 375 degrees for 30 min. Hope it turns out well for you either way you bake it!
I have another thought to share actually now that I looked at the recipe you are using. It's the honey. The honey will always make breads darken on the crust especially in a bread machine. I think the crust in a bread machine is naturally going to be darker because the bread is so close to the heating element in the machine but honey tends to burn faster than sugar and so it darkens the bread considerably. I would either try making the recipe you are using just in the dough cycle and bake it in the oven OR use my recipe with organic sugar instead and your crust will turn out lighter. =0)
Thanks for the tips... I will try another loaf soon :)
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