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Fusion_power · January 11, 2014

Here are a few tips for outstanding sourdough bread.

Get a good sourdough starter and build it up to the point you have 1 cup of active starter in a quart jar. The night before you want to make bread, put one cup of flour in the quart jar and add enough warm water to make a thick paste/liquid. Put a lid on the jar very loose so gases can escape from the jar. Sit the jar on a plate in the kitchen at room temp overnight. The timing is important, less than 9 hours and the yeast won't be active enough, more than 14 hours and it will be past prime. So when you put flour in the jar, make a point of being ready to use it 12 to 14 hours later.

Mix 1 pint of the sourdough starter with 4.5 cups of bread flour. Add 1 tablespoon of powdered milk, 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, 3 level tablespoons of sugar or honey, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add 1.5 cups of water and mix the dough thoroughly. I use a bread machine to do the mixing and watch it very carefully. You may need to add a bit more water or a bit more flour depending on the type flour you started with. Place the dough in a bowl and set it in a warm place to rise. After an hour, punch it down. Let it rise another hour and punch it down again, then form it into loaves or buns or whatever suits your fancy. Let it rise 2 more hours and then bake it. I like to let it rise the last 2 hours in a warm oven so I don't have to move it when ready to bake.

You should now have 1 cup of sourdough starter remaining in the quart jar. Put a lid on it and store it in the refrigerator. Once a week, repeat the above process of adding flour and baking bread.

January 11, 2014	#18
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	Here are a few tips for outstanding sourdough bread. Get a good sourdough starter and build it up to the point you have 1 cup of active starter in a quart jar. The night before you want to make bread, put one cup of flour in the quart jar and add enough warm water to make a thick paste/liquid. Put a lid on the jar very loose so gases can escape from the jar. Sit the jar on a plate in the kitchen at room temp overnight. The timing is important, less than 9 hours and the yeast won't be active enough, more than 14 hours and it will be past prime. So when you put flour in the jar, make a point of being ready to use it 12 to 14 hours later. Mix 1 pint of the sourdough starter with 4.5 cups of bread flour. Add 1 tablespoon of powdered milk, 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, 3 level tablespoons of sugar or honey, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add 1.5 cups of water and mix the dough thoroughly. I use a bread machine to do the mixing and watch it very carefully. You may need to add a bit more water or a bit more flour depending on the type flour you started with. Place the dough in a bowl and set it in a warm place to rise. After an hour, punch it down. Let it rise another hour and punch it down again, then form it into loaves or buns or whatever suits your fancy. Let it rise 2 more hours and then bake it. I like to let it rise the last 2 hours in a warm oven so I don't have to move it when ready to bake. You should now have 1 cup of sourdough starter remaining in the quart jar. Put a lid on it and store it in the refrigerator. Once a week, repeat the above process of adding flour and baking bread.