Discovering Sourdough

3 Responses to 'Magnificent Sourdough'

1. Fr. Mike says:

   March 9, 2009 at 4:06 pm

   Awesome website! Wonderful!

   I read your stuff and see myself years ago trying to make the perfect sourdough bread.
   The dishwasher idea, now that’s genius, that was fantastic. I am going to try that one.

   Here is a recipe I use here at home, it makes wonderful bread.

   Honey Whole Wheat Bread

   first day:
   Mix up and then place in a warm spot

   1/2 cup warm water
   pinch yeast
   3/4 cup mixed flour
   (I mix the flour 4 cups of white flour to 1 cup of whole wheat flour and mix it up making more than I need)

   2nd day:
   1/2 cup warm water
   3/4 cup flour

   3rd day:
   1/2 cup warm water
   3/4 cup flour

   After the third day this starter should be ripe and ready to use. It will smell nutty and look bubbly and have a slight sour smell to it. You need to feed it once or twice weekly fresh warm water and the flour mix to keep it alive.

   Okay when you want to make bread you need to feed the starter activating the yeast. If your going to make bread on Sat morning feed the starter Thursday night 1/2 cup warm water and 3/4 cup flour and stir well vigorously.

   Friday night feed the starter 1 1/2 cups of fresh warm water and 1/1/2 cups of flour and stir well
   Make sure you use a large ceramic/glass bowl because the starter may grow a lot and go over the edges. I cover it with plastic. You should watch the starter to see just how long it takes for it to rise and grow and wain so you know the life of your yeast.

   Then early Saturday morning mix up in a large bowl the following:

   1 cup warm water
   1 cup warm milk
   1/2 cup brown sugar
   1/2 cup honey
   1 1/2 tsp salt
   Mix well
   then add 1 1/2 cups of the starter and mix well.

   Then stir in the flour until you get a soft dough (this may be 6 to 8 cups of flour)
   add in a good handful or two of 7 grain rolled cereal as you stir in the flour
   You can use a whole grain rolled oats or any kind of whole grain cereal

   Knead the dough on a well floured surface for 15 – 17 min until it is elastic

   Place the dough into a bowl that has been buttered and cover and place into a warm spot allowing the dough to
   ferment for about 1/1/2 to 2 hours or until it is doubled

   Take the dough out and knead for about 5 min form into a ball cover with a dry towel and let rest for 30 min

   Get your flat baking tins ready
   Divide into loaves shape into round balls and place them on a greased flat pan then slash tops of loaves
   Cover and set in a warm place and let the dough proof for around 1 hour

   Preheat the oven to 500
   When the dough is done proofing wash the top with an egg and water wash and sprinkle tops with 7 grain rolled cereal or what ever you’ve used

   Place the loaves into the center of the oven (not to low so the bottoms wont burn not to high so the tops wont burn)
   turn down after you put loaves in to 400
   throw in 2 cups of ice cubes for steam and close the door and
   bake for 40 min or until bottom thumps when hit the bottom with your knuckle

   cool on rack

   People love this bread you’ll be a hit at home or work =)

   It’s a lot of work but it’s fun.

   Enjoy

   Fr. Mike

   Reply
2. Fr. Mike says:

   March 9, 2009 at 4:08 pm

   Ps
   I’d love to buy one of your bread books when you get it out there.

   Reply
3. cheesenbread says:

   May 2, 2009 at 11:06 am

   Looks very good. Things are always better tasting and feeling when you do them yourself.
   Check out my blog on my home cheesemaking and home sourdough making experiments.
   http://www.cheesenbread.wordpress.com

   Reply