July 17, 2005
Sourdough Starter #2
From Sunset Magazine, 1973, 87 (shortened by yours truly). I’ll let you know how well it works.
Heat 1 Cup non fat, low fat or whole milk to 90F to 100F( non fat milk gives the most tang) Remove from heat and stir in 3 tablespoons of plain active low fat yogurt. Pour into container, cover tightly and let stand in an 80F to 100F place. (I have a problem) After 18-24 hours, starter should have the consistency of yogurt (because it is yogurt?) a curd will form and the mixture won’t flow when the container is tilted. If a clear liquid forms on the top, stir it back in. If the liquid is pink, start over.
After a curd has formed, gradually still in 1 cup all-purpose flour until smoothly blended. Cover, put in the 80F-100F place for 2 to 5 days until bubbly and sour. Stir in any clear liquid that forms on the top. Throw it out if it’s a pink liquid.
[My Notes]
Where’s the yeast? In the bread flour? In the air when you open it to stir it up? I’ll give it a shot.
[End Day 1] – it’s forming curds, loose curds but curds. I wasn’t picky about the temperature. Room temp in summer is around 80 (think air conditioner), Night time is lower with all the windows open. Added the flour,
[Day 2] – A little websurfing finds a followup Sunset article. They now add yeast to the to the sponge or dough which suggests that their yogurt and flour doesn’t leaven very reliably. I’m not whining yet but Sunset Mag will publish some pretty absurd recipes which is why I’m not subscriber anymore.
[Day 3] – No bubbles for me today. I stirred a little bit of very clear liquid back in.
[Day 4] – I have bubbles but it hasn’t frothed.
[Day 5] – No froth from day 4. I removed a Cup and replaced it with I cup and roughly two thirds Cup milk. A half hour later, its rocking. 4 hours later. this starter could have legs.
[Day 6] – No hootch, still bubbles. This one is almost ready for a test. There is a lot of goo in the jar so we are creating more goo than we remove. I covered the jar with plastic wrap instead of the canning jar lid. I’m a little worried it might blow out the top.
I removed a cup about midnight (it was charging full bore) and made a sponge for baking tomorrow. I put the starter in the fridge (no feeding to replace what I took — there was plenty.
[Day 7, July 23, 2005] — By noon the sponge was fully formed. It’s not the starters fault that I didn’t knead it enough but the dough felt right although there was another cup of flour to add, but I stopped and let it rise for two hours. Divided the dough and realized I should have kneaded longer. Oh well. There was no way it was going to form a boule so I tried a french bread shape. The other half I let rise in the bowl. After an hour rise, I baked the bread at 400 on the baking stone (forgot to glaze the loaf, that’s why it’s so pale). While it baked I formed the second loaf and it felt like a better dough and it held it’s shape well for the third rise. Sadly, I let it rise on the same piece of cardboard as the first loaf and there was enough moisture to make it impossible to get off the cardboard onto the stone. Whether moisture came from the third rise breaking down, I don’t know. It looks OK.
The starter on Full Bore Froth:
Loaf Number Two:
