sour dough crisis

[cinders]

Does anyone know the secret to an awesome loaf of sourdough bread? I am very good with the starter, (I make it with the potato water flour and sugar) but something goes wrong with the rest of the process??? lets just say...I can build a brick house with mine! LOL

[Jenny]

Here's my recipe for Sourdough Egg Bread. Kind of long, but it is delicious! ! ! Makes about 3 large loaves

2 c. sourdough starter
3 1/2 c. water, divided
about 14 c. flour
2 Tbsp. sugar or honey
4 tsp. sea salt (or any salt)
6 Tbsp. oil - I use olive oil
2/3 c. egg powder. (I've never made it using fresh eggs, but I think you could use about 6 fresh eggs, then omit the egg powder and omit 1 c. water)

Make sure your sourdough starter is bubbly. I either feed it the night before, then start the next morning, or, if I forget, then feed it in the morning and put it in a warm place, like on the warming shelf of a wood cookstove.

When the starter is nice and bubbly, pour out a good 2 cups into a bowl. Make your sponge by adding 2 cups of water and 4 cups of sifted flour. Stir it up, then cover loosely. Put in a warm spot for a few hours or overnight until it's bubbly.

When you're ready to actually make the bread, combine 1/2 c. water with the sugar or honey and the salt in the top pan of a double boiler. Stir in the oil. If you don't have a double boiler, set your bowl or pan over a pan of water. You don't want it getting too hot. If using fresh eggs, then beat them and stir into the water mixture. If using egg powder, sift it into a separate bowl. Gradually whisk in 1 cup of water. Try to get out all the lumps. Then, slowly pour that into the water/sugar mixture. Stir until it begins to thicken a bit, keeping it warm, but not hot.

Stir the egg mixture into your sponge. Now, sift about 8 cups of flour into a very large bowl. Pour in the sourdough mixture and stir until it's too thick to stir anymore. Then start kneading. I usually knead in about 2 more cups of flour over the next 10 to 15 minutes. I prefer to knead in the bowl rather than on the table. Easier to clean up. Knead until it "feels right" ---- soft and smooth. Not sticky.

When you've finished kneading, shape into a ball and give it a light coating of oil or butter. I cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap, then a damp dish towel. Since it will usually take a long time to rise, this prevents it from forming a crust. Put the bowl in a warm, but not hot, place. Let it rise until doubled. Depending on the temperature and the kind of flour you use, this could take from 2 to 12 hours, or longer.

When doubled, punch the dough down and knead a few times. Divide, shape into loaves and place in buttered pans. If I want a harder crust, I either shape one or more loaves into an oblong shape and place on a cookie sheet, or shape it into a ball and place in a well seasoned and lightly buttered cast iron skillet. Regular bread pans make softer loaves. However you shape them, make a few cut in the tops with a sharp knife. Cover the loaves loosely with plastic wrap and a damp dish towel. Let rise again until nearly doubled --- about 1 to 4 hours usually. If you put the loaves in a very warm spot, such as a warming shelf, they'll rise faster, but the loaves will be a dryer and have larger holes. If it rises too fast, sometimes you'll end up with a loaf with a big, doughy hole in the center. I think it's better if you just let it rise slowly.

Bake at about 350 degrees for about 30 to 40 minutes, until lightly browned. For a nice, shiny crust, during the last 5 or 10 minutes of baking, brush with milk.

OK this recipe is kind of a pain to make, but it really is delicious.

If you try it, let me know what you think.

Jenny

[cinders]

Gee! Thanks so much Jenny! do you the wild yeast? and sorry bout sticking it in the wrong catagory. Cinders

[Terri]

When I got my bread machine and I watched it, I realized that I was not kneading it NEARLY enough!

With the bread machine to do a better job of the kneading, the bread is now light enough! (my bread used to be bricks also).

[Jenny]

Cinders: No problem about posting this in the Food Cache section. There's another thread in here about sourdough, so I just thought I'd scoot it over here. Hope you don't mind.

When I make sourdough starter, I do use the wild yeast. Last time I went into town, my sourdough sort of went bad on me while I was gone. Chuck doesn't bake much bread, especially when he has to stay home with the boys. Anyway, I do need to get some going again. If I make it in when the weather isn't freezing, I set it outside a few days, but this time I'll do it in the house. I'll try it with potato water this time, like you suggested.

I have some organic rye flour. Recently I read that it's great for making a starter, so I'll give it a try, too.

Terri, I didn't know that about kneading more. Years ago I had a bread machine, but I only used it when I wanted fresh bread when I woke up in the morning, or when I came home from work, so I never watched it work. I always thought that if I kneaded more, it would make the bread chewier, rather than the other way around. I have one sourdough bread recipe that Chuck and I never really cared for, but when my boys were teething, I'd make it up for them. Kind of like "chew toys", only for babies instead of puppies ;D I'd just pull off a chunk, then they'd knaw on it for hours. Sometimes I'd find pieces they'd slimed up good, then dropped in an out-of-the-way place. They'd dry like bricks; could probably cement them together if I had enough and build a house, too. ;D

[smwon]

I have a way to make the sourdough bread with a starter that only used potao, water and sugar. It isn't sour at all. I will find my recipe and post it soon. But now I gotta go to bed. Cheers!