Something else to ferment

[TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY]

Well, Tuesday Oct24 I had surgery done to correct a problem I been having with my shoulder since I was in High School (read long time). A tear in my rotator cuff was repaired, and a little bone shaveing was done. So since I dont have a desk job my employer wont let me work.
This is all fine and good, but I'm beginning to get a little weary of every time i think of something to do, it requires the use of both arms and some power, aside from reading. I was reading the other day on Sourdough and thought I might give it a try. My starter has been mixed and is setting in a nice warm spot.

Just wondered if anyone else out there has played with sourdough and/ or has any good recipes other than what was in the book I read. The book is Sourdough Jack's Cookery and other things. My mother is trying to round up a recipe for a friendship cake she used to make.

Hell, worst case senario, I can let it go till that layer of juice separates from the mix and distill about a thimble full of hooch.

[pothead]

I recently had surgery on my elbow, and I have been dabling in some baking of breads lately (kneeding it is good physical therepy for me), Ive been makin different pepperoni breads, nut-rolls, and a few others......
But now ya got me thinkin....I might try some sourdough now.

I just found this simple explanation:
http://www.io.com/~sjohn/sour.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I supose if you pour off your hootch and save it.......eventually you might have enought to run,lol

[TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY]

Pothead, I found the same site and am currently doing the simple, no storebought yeast starter.

Got a couple other starter recipes around too. Thought Id start out traditional.
I can hardly wait to get my lips around a sourdough biscuit. I just might even have a little molasses layin around.

[copperhead]

hillbilly my wife has a recipe for sourdough i'll get her to look it up when she gets in from work.

[Tater]

Tell it to tater to

[copperhead]

i will tater by the way hope the shoulder gets well hillbilly

[TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY]

copperhead cool, and thanks, shoulders gettin better daily, but itll be awhile till 100%.


So, ITS ALIVE! This thing has doubled in size and smells like parmasan cheese. (or dirty socks) looks like its doin what its supposed to.

[pothead]

Baking my first loaf as I type .

Man it was smellin like a batch of fermenting beer.

first loaf....not too bad, shoulda went with the recipe with more sugar,though.

I'm gonna get it goin again, and I'll post back after it has been fed for a while..

[pothead]

Here's one for you tater....this is a starter recipe that I got from my mom. She told me that you don't HAVE to use the yeast if you don't want....but it gets the process started ALOT quicker.

My great-grandfather had a bakery during the depression(when all people could afford was bread). I'm gonna try to hunt down some recipes from other family members.

Starter Recipe
INGREDIENTS
1 7gr. pack active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
3 cups unbleached flour, divided
3 cups white sugar, divided
3 cups milk
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart container glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Cover loosely and let stand until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. Leave loosely covered at room temperature.
On days 2 thru 4; stir starter with a spoon. Day 5; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Days 6 thru 9; stir only.
Day 10; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Let it rise(proof). Remove 2 cups to make your first bread, give 1 cups to friends along with this recipe, and your Bread recipe. Begin the 10 day process over again (beginning with step 2).

bread recipe
2 Cups of sponge (proofed starter)
3 Cups of unbleached flour
2 tablespoons of olive oil or softened margarine
4 teaspoons of sugar
2 teaspoons of salt

add the sugar, salt, and oil to the sponge
mix well, then knead in the flour a half-cup at a time.
knead in enough flour to make a good, flexible bread dough.

make into a tight ball and let it rise in a bowl covered with a moist towel until it has doubled.
punch the dough down, and roll it again...this time into the shape of loaf that you want, and place it on a baking sheet covered lightly with bread crumbs or cornmeal.
put a slice in the top( to prevent the botom from blowing out when baking), and let rise (again until it doubles).
pre-heat your oven to 350*F
put the loaf in the oven for 10-15 minutes...then quickly remove it from the oven and quickly brush the top with ice-cold water.
Put back in the oven for an additional 20-25 minutes.
take it out, let it cool on a towel for at least an hour before slicing.

[TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY]

pothead, which starter did you go with for your 1st? just curious about comparison. Im planning on doing my 1st bake tommorrow. Still smells like parmasan cheese, but very active.

[pothead]

pothead, which starter did you go with for your 1st? just curious about comparison. Im planning on doing my 1st bake tommorrow. Still smells like parmasan cheese, but very active.

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups warm water
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbs. granulated sugar

It started getting some hootch after the first 24hrs. I was suprised.

I'm gonna start a batch with no added yeast today.

[TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY]

Well, I went with the pancake recipe for the first effort. Damn them things was goooooood. Wife was even impressed and shes my toughest critic.
Flavor wasnt real sour but that will come through with time as the starter matures.
Probably try biscuits next weekend. Maybe a loaf for Turkey Day.

[pothead]

Here is something else to ferment...
figured I might try this for the wife and kids:
http://fiascofarm.com/dairy/yogurt.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[sherriff Buffoerd pusser]

I got yall a recipe coming you can try was my grandmothers my aunt got the starter but shes bringing me some and orinal recipe.

[sherriff Buffoerd pusser]

starter
1-envelope yeast 3/4 cup sugar
1-cup warm water 4 tbsp instant potato flakes
mix ingredients in a glass jar cover let stand 24 hours at room temp put in fridge for 3-5 days
on 4th day feed with 3/4 cup sugar 3 tbsp flakes 1 cup warm waterstir sit room temp for 24 hrs
the bread will use i cup of starter store the remaining starter in fridgeuntil next feeding feed every4-6 days and make 3 loaves eventually youll have tomake double batch or giv starter away you gain 1/2 cup with each feeding

[sherriff Buffoerd pusser]

SOURDOUGH BREAD
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn oil
1 tbsp. salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 cup starter
6 cups bread flour

Combine all ingredients except flour and stir. When mixed add flour a little at a time and mix well with te other ingredients. Put dough into large greased bowl. Turn dough to grease top. Cover bowl with foil. Let rise at room temperature overnight or for at least 8 hours. Punch dough down. Turn out onto a foured board and knead. Divide into three parts and shape into loaves. Put in three greased loaf pans. Brush tops with oil. Cover with a paper towel and let rise 4 to 5 hours. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 40 minutes. Brush with butter, cool and wrap.

[pothead]

been workin on a wheat starter.
It's startin to get REAL good.

when I started it, I used 3/4 whole wheat flour and 1/4 unbleached all-purpose.
when I feed it, I use all-purpose, and when warm it up to sponge I add whole wheat. Then before I put it back in the fridge I add all purpose again.

Each loaf is nicer and nicer.

Gonna make some honey-wheat english muffins next week.

[Aidas]

After reading these posts, I decided to do it too.

I began my starter with white wheat flour, but during feeding reworked it into a rye-starter. I let the wild yeasties do their work, and didn't use any bakers or other yeast.

Yesterday I started on the sponge, put it on the radiator, and this morning it had doubled. Before going to work, I mixed up the dough (2 cups organic rye flour, 1 cup organic whole-wheat, 1.25 tbs. sugar, 1 tbs salt, 1.25 tbs. extravirgin olive oil 1 tbs whole caraway). The wife dropped by work today and said that it had risen a bit. I'm hoping that when I get home it'll be ready to be punched down, and rerise in time to be baked before going to bed. I go to sleep late, so I figure I should make it.

I've got the starter refed and in the fridge now. If the bread ends up any good, I guess this'll become a regular weekly thing.

Now the wife is starting to think that I'm developing another hobby... I figure it's just an extension of the fascination with alcohol and fermentation.

One thing I did notice this morning was that the smell of the sponge varied strangely. One whiff smelled great, kinda like beer, and the next whiff smelled like my 1 year old son's shit. I don't know... we'll see when I bake it...

Aidas

[Aidas]

Pothead

Gonna make some honey-wheat english muffins next week.

I can't get english muffins in Lithuania. I have to buy them when I travel to Germany and then throw them in the deepfreeze until I allow myself to dip into them on a special occasion.

Pothead, could you post your recipe? I'd love to try it.

Aidas

[Aidas]

Well, I baked it. It ended up smelling great. Not like the kid's shit at all. It didn't rise as much as I'd like it to have risen, but it's a nice hearty rye. I figure I'll experiment a bit with the recipe. I'd like to get something more on the fluffy side. I like my bread white (Italian ciabatta), while the wife likes it more on the dark side (pumpernickel) , so it's clear as to why I went heavy on the rye this first time. Before I started baking it, we joked that most likely we'll be able to use it as a hammer. However, it turned out better than expected (we're dreadful pessimists...).

Next time, I'm going to go whole wheat (with the rye starter). I'm hoping that it'll give a lighter bread, and fluffier.

We'll see.

Aidas

[TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY]

Aidas, the sourdough breads i've had, which are probably not available to you, are known as San Francisco sour dough and are a fairly dense bread. The pancakes i made were pretty dense as well, but very tasty.

San Francisco is the town that kinda gave sourdough recognition to US city slickers.

Startin another starter with honey and buttermilk.