Sourdough

[SilverLining]

I'm thinking of trying to make a sourdough starter, then buns and breads.

Any and all suggestions are welcome.

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Does it make heavier breads or light and airy?

[SilverLining]

What kind of container do you keep your starter in?  I have read glass or plastic is acceptable. But a mason jar is not recommended because the mouth isn't wide enough.

I'm going to try plastic, because I do not have an acceptable glass right now. I'm not sure I trust plastic for this.

[Macabre]

SL this is ours.

[SilverLining]

I like that.  I plan to look for something when I go out later this week.

[spacecanada]

We've tried to get a starter going several times, always in winter, and it never seems to bubble and grow the way it should.  Could the room temperature in our house be too cold, or humidity too low?  I have a book with all kinds of great sourdough tips, hints, recipes, etc. but it never once mentions actual degrees they consider room temperature.   

Following... because we're huge sourdough fans here too.  (Got hooked whilst vacationing in Scandinavia and the local allergy-friendly bakery just started making some on a regular basis... that stuff is addictive.)

[SilverLining]

This is my first attempt.  I am keeping it on top of the fridge. Seems the warmest place, and least likely to get contaminated from anything airborne while it's only lightly sealed. (My opinion is, if I can smell it, it's in the air. And I have been baking with traditional yeast this week. My big fear is mold.)

I managed to find a glass container which I will switch to. It's very similar to Mac's.

[CMdeux]

Glass or ceramic is a MUST, imo.

yes, temp is a thing.  The best time to start a culture is in the later winter/spring or early summer months, IME.

My sourdough cultures have always lived on the counters unless I was going to let them go dormant for a few weeks.  Then, I'd refrigerate the culture at the back of the fridge where it wouldn't get disturbed/jostled, and I'd leave it be completely.

Then, I'd revive it in about a 24 hour period-- perform the split, feed, and then let it cycle once, split and cycle again.

You can select for a faster/slower yeast mix in your starter by 'forcing' it one direction or the other-- that is, if you feed and split on a shorter timescale, you'll select for more rapidly growing yeasts, and if you go longer, you'll select for those that multiply more slowly. On average, I mean.  The upshot is that you can apply selective pressure (yay, Darwin!) so that you get a culture that raises breads the way YOU want it to work-- either a 6hr total time, or one that works overnight in the fridge or on the counter.

[Macabre]

I will say that DH is upset that I posted that picture. 

I took that picture on Monday.  He got the starter out of the fridge on Sunday to bake bread and forgot about it. Oopsie. He said, "Noooo! It looks awful!"

He revived it, and we had amazing seven grain bread tonight to go with our La Madeleine Tomato Basil soup that Santa brought us.   

His starter had its roots in the 19th C. 

[SilverLining]

Here's the recipe I'm following.

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-your-own-sourdough-starter-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-47337

I'm on Day 3 and the dough looked, smelled, and reacted the way the instructions said. However, I am going to end up with a lot more starter than I want. I also suspect it will be more than will fit in my jar with room to stir. So, for the next two days it's staying in the plastic bowl. Then I'll transfer what I want and either bake something with or pitch the rest.

[SilverLining]

I will say that DH is upset that I posted that picture. 

I took that picture on Monday.  He got the starter out of the fridge on Sunday to bake bread and forgot about it. Oopsie. He said, "Noooo! It looks awful!"

Please tell him, if you had posted a "perfect" picture I probably would have felt intimidated and yesterday, when mine wasn't acting like the instructions said, I probably would have tossed it.

I already feel like I'm in over my head.

I need some decent buns. The stuff I made yesterday was yucky.

[SilverLining]

MC, does your husband leave the starter on the counter or in the fridge? And how often does he use it?

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After the five days, mine looked like it was supposed to. Busy weekend, but I plan to try using it Monday.