Sourdough

[appalichian hunter]

You might think I am a bluffin ya, but our local martins food market makes a very good loaf of sour dough bread. I am a big bread eater and always on the look for good bread. Master Blaster if I bring the cheese and a few cold ones can I stop bye and help sample the loaves.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Bottled water or water purified by reverse osmosis seems to be essential. The worst culprit in municipal tapwater is chloramines.

I have the same problem with Ale. My local tap water is so heavily chlorinated it's just legal for dinking and just below tap water. The local pool companies come into my town to buy water from the hydrant closest to the water tower because of the chlorine level.

You might think I am a bluffin ya, but our local martins food market makes a very good loaf of sour dough bread.

I hope it's truly sourdough. The local bakeries in both of our supermarkets did a good loaf, then my son got a job as a baker at one of the supermarkets, and found that it's a plain round wheat loaf with a souring agent added, at both supermarkets.

I have to drive 30 minutes South to find a proper bakery , which is weird, for IF I drive 30 minutes East, there are four brewpubs along that Eastern route, but no real bakeries....unless I drive even farther...

LD

 

[Walkingeagle]

Hey LD, would a good ol’still strip the crap outta water??
Walk

 

[Blind Dog]

My last attempt. It’s a work in progress

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Hey LD, would a good ol’still strip the crap outta water??
Walk

I'm sorry I don't quite understand the question?

LD

 

[Walkingeagle]

I'm sorry I don't quite understand the question?

LD

Just distilling the water?
Walk

 

[Rod Man]

Broke out my starter this week in an effort to keep myself distracted. I think this looks pretty good. Everything Bagel seasoning in and on the bread View attachment 107236

Makes my mouth water... All the sudden I am thinking of Butter.

 

[upperplains]

Now I'm thinking of mopping up gravy.

 

[deerstalkert]

i found with my starter that i really had to feed it. i will take out the starter and mix up my batter for pancakes, sans the egg, the night before. next day before cooking i return the amount of starter plus a bonus to my starter jar.
the flour i use really bites back, which surprised me, as it is mainly nut flour.
if you want sourdough bread that has a zing add a tablespoon of citric acid.

 

[Tallswife]

Garlic parmesan sourdough today. Kitchen smells like I imagine Italy would.

 

[Master Blaster]

Making bread bowls today. These will be 300 grams, each.

 

[Acorn Mush]

I just found this thread and Master Blaster's sourdough loaves look delicious. Oh my, gimme a chunk and lemme at the butter - please! The previous posts were interesting as well, and they rekindled my interest in trying to cultivate a starter.

MANY years back, I was gifted with a sourdough starter I was told had been in use since the days of the California Gold Rush. Made lots of batches of very tasty flapjacks from it until it died after a period of non-use which was my fault entirely. I kick myself to this day for letting that happen but I just did not know how to properly care for it at the time.

About the only benefit to living where I do is that I have access to excellent sourdough bread from Boudin Bakery. They are based in Frisco but have a couple of bakeries on the east and northeast side of the Bay, which is lucky for me because I wouldn't go to Frisco on a bet!

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Ummm, those look tasty.

Here's my cinnamon raisin sourdough.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Garlic parmesan sourdough today. Kitchen smells like I imagine Italy would.

That sounds intriguing. Got a recipe?

 

[Nazgul58]

20+ years ago in springtime I could smell the yeast in the air from the growing corn. Put a bowl of water/flour out covered with a spatter screen for frying bacon and it started to work after 3-4 days. Still use the same batch, it takes a good 6 weeks to mature and only gets better as time goes by. You need to keep it in the fridge, feed it twice a week at the beginning. After it matures, when it starts to smell strongly like stale beer, I feed it once a week. Usually dump half out, refill with water and flour.

Feed it to the amount needed to bake bread plus some to save. I usually bake bread weekly. It took me several tries to get the recipe right for us. To get a real strong sourdough taste I let it rise slowly at room temp, maybe 3 hours, twice.

Found that one secret to good texture that my family likes is to cover it when baking. We have several old glass bread pans with lids, found them at various flea markets. The crust is nice with a softer interior. I like the crunchy round loves like the posted pics and do that sometimes too.

I don't have a written recipe do it all by eye. Makes the best French toast or plain toast ever. Heating it really brings out the flavor. Wife steals the ends off at least one loaf w/butter when I take it out of the oven.

Don

 

[Tallswife]

That sounds intriguing. Got a recipe?

The below link is my basic recipe, and I change it up from there. For garlic parm, I just add 2-3T of chopped garlic, drained, and about 4oz of finely shredded parm cheese. I'm trying cheddar/bacon/onion at the moment, but did not get as good a rise on it. I suspect the onion powder is retarding the growth on it. So i'll try fresh chopped onion next time.

Tartine Bakery's Country Bread Recipe | Martha Stewart

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Making bread bowls today. These will be 300 grams, each.

That's a good looking crumb!

LD

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I suspect the onion powder is retarding the growth on it. So i'll try fresh chopped onion next time.

I wonder if it's the powedered onion, or if that brand of powder, uses in an anti-caking agent, and that's the culprit?
The fresh onion will likely do the trick.

LD

 

[Tallswife]

I wonder if it's the powedered onion, or if that brand of powder, uses in an anti-caking agent, and that's the culprit?
The fresh onion will likely do the trick.

LD

I wish I could blame it on anti caking agent, sadly, it's home made onion powder from onions I freeze dry then powder, so it would be my fault LOL

 

[Master Blaster]

Today's bake, about 9-1/4 oz each. Good for soups, stews and spinach dip.