Sour Dough A-Z

[BluDawg]

Sour Dough baking begins with a batter called the "Starter" it is from this Starter all sour dough products begin. The Starter is a living wild yeast culture. It eats and It breaths and it reproduces. (What A life) If you feed it, It will grow. My Starter is 15 years old. The older it is the better the flavor. Not all Starters will produce the same flavors because the wild yeast spores in the air in the Texas Hill Country are different from the ones in Mo. or Fl. It also requires patience and planning just like BBQ. Sour dough raises much slower as it is a natural yeast.


SOUR DOUGH STARTER BATTER
1 package dry yeast(2 1/4 tsp)
1/2 cup warm tap water (under 120 deg)
2 cups water 2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbl sugar divided
1 tsp salt

Dissolve 1/2 tsp sugar in 1/2 cup warm water add yeast and let proof about 15 min. Mix remaining sugar with the salt and flour in a glass or plastic bowl. Add 2 cups of water and blend till smooth with electric mixer. Stir in the yeast. Cover with a Dish towel and leave it on the counter 3-5 days. Stir it down 3 times a day.If you see a clear grayish liquid forming on top you did everything right. Congratulations.
This will be enough Starter for 2 loaves of bread, but as I stated earlier the older the better so I suggest that you feed it and grow it so you will have some for the next time. Add 1 cup water and 1 cup flour every day for 2 days and stir it 3 times a day. Now let it age for another 2 days. NOW you are ready to start baking.

Care And Feeding of your Starter

Whenever you remove a portion of thee starter to make bread or biscuits you must replace whatever you took out in equal amounts of flour and water;IE if you remove 1 cup of Stater then you add back 1 cup flour and 1 cup water. Allow to sit on the counter 24 hrs and stir it down 2-3 times day. Then refrigerate.
If you haven't used your Starter for a few weeks bring it our of the refrigerator stir it to mix the houch back in add 1 tbl sugar and leave out over night. Stir it down and return to the fridge.

Storage
The best thing that I have found is a clear acrylic canister with a silicon lid gasket and a snap buckle latch from wally world under $10.00. mine is 4x10"

Sour Doug Bread (2 loaves)

1. The day before you are going to bake remove the Starter from the refer and stir well. Measure out 1 1/2 cups Starter into a large plastic or Glass bowl. Replenish your Starter and sit off to the side. to the bowl add 3 cups of water and 3 cups of flour. Blend it well with a wooden or plastic spoon don"t worry about the lumps. Cover and let rest. Stir it down a couple of time during the day.
2.The next day add *1 tsp of yeast( *this is totally optional it speeds up rise time) and 2 tsp sugar. Let stand 15 min.add 1 handful of salt, 2 tbl oil stir well. Start adding flour 1 cup at a time after 4-5 cups turn out on to a floured surface and start kneading adding flour till it is smooth and satiny. Knead at least 10 min. Oil a bowl place dough in the bowl and turn oil side up, cover with a damp kitchen towel and set in a warm draft free place to rise. (I use my oven and turn on the light) Until it has doubled in size.
3. Punch down dough and divide in two. Shape into 2 loaves place into greased loaf pans and cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until it is about 1" above the top of the pan. Place in a preheated 375 deg oven on the center rack position and bake 35 min. Remove from pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Store in Zip top bags.

[*if you only want 1 loaf reduce Starter to 1 cup and water and flour to 1 1/2 cup each]

[** after 1st rise remove a piece of dough 8"x3" divide that small piece into 1/3s roll into a balls and put on a small sheet pan for some rolls.] The single recipe has a little extra dough.

[JamesB]

Sounds great! Thanks for sharing!

[Pony Express]

so if both myself and the wife work, and cant stir 2-3 times a day, just do on the weekend?

[egghead]

Thanks for sharing - its on my list

[ChileFarmer]

Thanks, sounds so good. CF

[BluDawg]

so if both myself and the wife work, and cant stir 2-3 times a day, just do on the weekend?

1 day =24 hrs Two people, 4 hands, what is the problem. Get up in morning stir, come home from work stir, before bed stir, or if you like you can hire me to do it for you. However I will warn you I'M Pricey. Or start the Starter tonight after all it is a 4 day weekend.

[Pony Express]

I just got the impression that it had to be stired 2-3 times during the day.

[BluDawg]

Pony I believe that your Blond roots are showing