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Post by joyfulmomof6 on Sept 1, 2013 19:09:05 GMT -5
I've had my starter for several weeks now, and it smells fine and fermented and all, but with both times I've made the recipe from the book, the loaves were heavy like bricks or doorstops. I gave the last loaf to the chickens this morning instead of throwing it away. At least they were happy with it I've made whole-grain-jane type breads for years, and even Gwen's E bread from her blog recently with no problems. I have no idea what is going wrong. Any advice?
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leah
Junior Member
Posts: 102
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Post by leah on Sept 3, 2013 6:31:57 GMT -5
I haven't had much luck with the recipe from the book either, but I have found other recipes that work great for me. I like a recipe that is more of a regular bread dough consistency and not super-wet. Don't give up! There's some great info. at www.gnowfglins.com. That's the site that really took the fear/intimidation factor out of sourdough for me. I still get an occasional brick loaf, but for the most part, I'm able to make a pretty consistent product now. Here's my favorite recipe: 1 c. sourdough starter 2 c. purified water 2 t. sea salt 3 to 4 c. flour (I do use a mixture of ww and unbleached white...I know that all whole grain is better, but I compromise in order to make a healthy bread that the rest of my family will eat) 1 T olive oil 1 med. egg yolk (optional) 1 T milk (optional) Place starter, water and sea salt in a large glass bowl and whisk well. Stir in enough of the flour to make a firm dough. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead the dough for about 10 minutes, working in flour as necessary, until smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball and place in a large oiled bowl, turning once to coat the top with oil. Cover with a damp tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 6-12 hours, or til doubled in bulk. Punch down and shape into one large round loaf or two baguettes. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet (I usually bake mine on a cast iron griddle) and cover again with a damp tea towel. Let rise again for 1-2 hours. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Cut slits in the tops of your loaf. Mix together egg yolk and milk and brush the top (this is to make a hard, chewy crust. My family likes a softer crust, so I don't do this step). Place baking sheet in center rack of your oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 450 degrees and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until crust is a rich golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on top. Sometimes I have to cover the loaf with foil halfway through to keep the crust from browning too much. But I think my oven bakes a little hot so you may not have to do that. You can half this recipe for a small loaf, or double it to make two large ones.
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Post by joyfulmomof6 on Sept 3, 2013 9:04:05 GMT -5
Thank you! I will give it a try. I hear you about doing a mix of ww and white so everyone else will eat it!
If you use the yolk, would that still be an E?
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leah
Junior Member
Posts: 102
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Post by leah on Sept 3, 2013 12:01:45 GMT -5
I think so...you just brush it over the top and you don't even use the whole yolk so the amount on each slice would be minimal.
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Post by joyfulmomof6 on Sept 4, 2013 9:54:35 GMT -5
I made the bread yesterday, and it still hadn't doubled in size after 7 hours rising. But I baked it anyway since I had to go someplace, and it tasted good!
I wonder if I need to add a little extra yeast to the mix next time or is that a sourdough no-no?
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
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leah
Junior Member
Posts: 102
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Post by leah on Sept 4, 2013 15:52:51 GMT -5
Some sourdough recipes call for yeast...I like a really long rise time because it makes a healthier bread, but if you're in a hurry, a little yeast will make it fluffier and it will rise faster.
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Post by joyfulmomof6 on Sept 5, 2013 22:11:30 GMT -5
How many times a week can you use the starter? I'm guessing you have to let it rest between uses....
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leah
Junior Member
Posts: 102
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Post by leah on Sept 6, 2013 14:04:01 GMT -5
As soon as you have fed it enough to get it up to the amount that you need and it's active and bubbly, you can use it again. I've used mine as often as every 2-3 days, but usually I only get to it about once a week.
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Post by joyfulmomof6 on Sept 10, 2013 9:08:50 GMT -5
Leah- thanks for taking the time to post on this thread. I am so glad I didn't give up on sourdough. Your recipe is great! I made the dough Sunday night, then let it rise overnight. It was much better that way.
I tried an experiment with half of the dough. My children were wanting soft pretzels, so I wondered if the sourdough dough would work. It did so now we have a THM pretzel recipe from the same sourdough! I followed the traditional soft pretzel/bagel method of boiling the risen shaped pretzels in water with some baking soda, then did the egg wash and sprinkled on kosher salt and baked them. Yummy and healthy!
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