Making Sourbread From Scratch

[WiNaDeYo]

By popular demand, I'll start this thread and hope that many of you add to it.

First of all I invite you to check out these links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sourdough
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/profe...referments.pdf

Click all over this site:
http://sourdough.com/

Phase 1:
This is how I make my starter:

You'll need
2 cups unbleached flour (one of which rye flour if you can get it)
1 and 3/4 cups warm non-clorinated water
6 teaspoons dry bakers yeast
1 heaping tbsp natural white yoghurt
2 tbsp honey

Mix the honey and the yoghurt into the warm water and gradually add the dry ingredients. Store slightly covered in a glass or plastic container (I use a tupperware bowl with the lid slightly open to allow the starter to air) in a warm place (above 16°C) for at least 2 days. Check it often to make sure it starts bubbling... that means that it has started to perk. You may need to stir it to give it a hand. If nothing happens within a week, throw it out and start over.

Making Sourdough Bread

Phase 2:
The night before baking, combine one cup of starter (leave 1 cup of starter for the next batch*) with 2 cups of warm water.
Mix 1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp of baking soda, and 2 and 1/2 cups white unbleached flour into liquid. Mix well, cover and leave for 12 hours in a warm place.

Now, next day, before doing anything else, take 1 cup of the Phase 2 batter and stir it into your 1 cup of starter(*) to keep it perking.

Phase 3:
Now, add enough flour to your Phase 2 batter to make a stiff but elastic dough. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let it rise for 20 minutes. Form into loaves and let rise again until doubled in size. Bake at 200°C (400°F) about 25 minutes.

Pace e Bene

[alyscat]

I've also heard about using pineapple juice for the starter. Don't have the recipe off the top of my head, but definitely planned for canned pineapple in my food storage.
alys

[Carol]

Batter White Bread

makes 1---9x5 loaf

Ingredients:

1 .25oz pkg yeast
2 TB shortening or oil
1&1/4 cups very warm water
2 TB sugar
2 tsp salt
3 cups flour
1 TB melted butter

Mix shortening, sugar, salt, yeast and one and one-quarter cups of the flour. Add warm water and beat 300 strokes by hand or 3 minute with electric mixer. Add remaining flour, scraping sides, till a well-mixed, smooth dough forms. It will be stickier than usual but quite elastic.

Cover dough with a cloth and let rise in a warm place till double. STIR dough down gently (do not punch) and spoon into a lightly greased 9x5" loaf pan (I use Pyrex). Pat down gently with a flour-covered hand to help shape the dough. Cover and let rise again for about 30 minutes till doubled.

Preheat oven to 375 and bake 35 to 45 minutes until golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Brush immediately with melted butter, then turn out onto a rack to cool. Run a knife around the sides and let the butter drizzle down into the sides if at first the loaf doesn't want to come out. Cool completely or serve warm if you can't wait.

If you write to one of the friends of Carl Griffith, they will send you some
of Carl's 1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough Starter

http://home.att.net/~carlsfriends/

[alyscat]

One of my favorite sourdough tasting breads is an easy one
take 3 and 2/3 cups of bread flour
add 2 TB sugar
add 1 3/4 tsp salt
add 1 pkg of dry yeast, I prefer the SAF yeast.

To this add 3/4 cup of beer (doesn't have to be flat, the ales are best)
3/4 cup of water (warm)
1 and 1/2 TB of vinegar (recipe calls for white, I like Balsamic)

mix - mixture should hold together

oil top and set aside for 18 hrs in a plastic bag (this allows it to rise and if it hits the plastic bag, it doesn't stick) (I use spray oil) (can go 20 hrs)

punch down, form into loaf size, place in a oiled bread loaf pan and spray top again. ( or form a boule)

Let rise 2 hrs.

Cook for 45-50 minutes in 350 oven. (or preheat oven to 400, and turn to 350 when you put the bread in) - remove when internal temp of bread equals 200 degrees, as I recall.

This is a variation of the almost no=knead bread, and can be found in some variant on www.breadtopia.com where there are excellent videos of the process. http://www.breadtopia.com/cooks-illu...most-no-knead/

alys

[sunflower]

Thanks everyone, I am saving these recipes and plan to begin trying them in the New Year.

[Carol]

This is a video clip on how to make No-knead bread and it is sensational. Flour, yeast, salt and water hard crust bread.

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2006/...ead-bread.html

Preheat over to 500 degrees with covered casserole container in there (can use pyrox or cast iron)

3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoon salt

mix

add 1 1/2 cup water

Pull all together and let sit for 19 hours

Pour out onto floured board, pat, fold into quaters. Put folded side down to rise for another 2 hours. Put wheat bran on top, flip over and put wheat bran on bottom which is now on top... place in hot casserole dish with lid at 500 degrees for 20 to 30 min. Take lid off and bake 10 to 15 minutes more.

[Carmen]

Thanks for that recipe WinaDeyo. I will add it to my recipes and try it out for myself. I do like your quote. Its great, and so true


Cheers

Carmen

[Dantheman62]

mmmmm I could smell this bread thread all the way from Camelot! LOL!

Here's what I call Bachelors Bread....

3-cups self rising flour

3 teaspoons sugar

1 can beer

Mix thoroughly and spread in greased 9" loaf pan
bake 45 min. at 350 degrees
(you can use NA beer also)

[Swanny]

Originally Posted by Dantheman62

(you can use NA beer also)

That would spoilt it

NA beer is horrible Yuk

I like the sound of your bread Dan think I may have to try that

[Dantheman62]

Originally Posted by Swanny

That would spoilt it

NA beer is horrible Yuk

I like the sound of your bread Dan think I may have to try that

yeah I know swanny, I just threw that in for those that don't partake!, actually the recipe is from my aunt who's 83 and has a few bourbon and waters every night, LOL!

[Dantheman62]

Gingerbread Recipe......

cream well
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
then add 1 beaten egg and 1/2 cup molasses

Sift together
11/2 cups flour
1/2 teas. baking soda
1 teas. ginger
1/4 teas. salt
1/2 teas. cinnamon

Add dry ingredients alternately to wet ingredients with 1/2 cup hot water.
Bake in greased 8 inch square pan for 35 minutes at 350 degrees! Enjoy!