Another bread thread

[Duer 157099]

You'd think that we have already posted everything we could possibly post about bread, but apparently not.

So I've been making bread regularly now for several months, and in the beginning I was weighing and measuring very carefully etc, but we know how that often goes (especially with me. I don't know what it is. Natural born rebel? :shrug: )

Anyway, since every loaf was coming out fine by my standards, even when I was getting slack about being consistent, I've more or less abandoned the recipe route and just wing it every time.

But I wanted to branch out into the sourdough realm just to add more flavor to the bread (I had been using the Cook's Illustrated method with the overnight at RT rise, beer and vinegar added for flavor).

So I found a Sourdough starter at my local grocery store and used about half of it to get a starter going. At first I followed the directions but now I sort of treat it like I do my houseplants. Sometimes I leave it in the fridge (no, I don't do that with my houseplants, lol), sometimes I leave it on the counter, sometimes I feed it every day, sometimes not, etc.

When I use it for bread, what I've been doing is just pouring some (10-15 oz) into a bowl then adding some salt, a little yeast, bread flour and water until what seems to be the appropriate consistency, and let it sit overnight at RT. Then, the next day I put it into the KitchenAid and let it knead for a few minutes, form it, let it sit for a couple hours then into the cast iron dutch oven (preheated at 500 degs).

Is this ok? Can the starter (biga? sponge? I don't even know what to call it) go "bad"?

It just seems that recipes I read have more steps or are more complicated and I'm wondering if I'm omitting any important steps.

I find that I'm more inclined to make it if I don't have to worry so much about procedure and timing, but just sort of throw it together and deal with it when I can. So far, all the bread I've made has been good, but it's possible that my standards are very low.

Maybe I need to understand more about what is really happening at each step and why it is important. I thought I did, but it seems this is one of those areas where the more you know, the less you feel you know (or the more you know there is to know)

[Warpy]

1. Starters can and do go bad

but as long as you keep it covered and away from possible contaminants and remember to feed the bugs you want, that's not really likely. It's best to keep it in the fridge once it starts working, though. You'll know a starter is past its prime or downright contaminated because it will no longer smell fresh and sour, it'll smell distinctly funky. You won't like bread baked with a bad starter.

Back in the psychotic 60s, people who went the 100% back to nature route used to mix up flour, water and a little salt and let it sit out at room temperature until it got inoculated by wild yeast in the air and doubled. Sometimes those wild yeasts turned out a decent loaf of bread. Most of the time they didn't, but it was always edible. Well, almost always.

I'm beginning to think bread baking is the least fussy thing we can possibly do in the kitchen. The one thing to remember is never proof that yeast, hot water has killed off more yeast than anything else ever has.

As for proofing the first mixture overnight, that's what most of us are doing these days. I've done it for 20 years, ever since I realized that same day bread at 6000 feet tastes like cardboard. It takes overnight to develop any flavor, at all.

However, if you want to get a breadmaker bible that will explain it all, try "Crust and Crumb" by Peter Reinhart. http://www.amazon.com/Crust-Crumb-Master-Formulas-Serious/dp/1580080030

[Duer 157099]

6. Speaking of Reinhart: Heads up

I have the book on hold at the library, but in the meantime I just noticed this is my local paper:

http://www.biteclubeats.com/2010/03/peter-reinhart-be-his-breadbaking-apprentice.html

If you're interested in becoming a recipe tester for Reinhart (and trust me, people line up by the hundreds to do this), you can email him at [e-mail]. He recently used some 500 testers (including a number of SoCo locals) for his new book, Artisan Breads Everyday , and not just as "thanks for helping" guinea pigs, but as serious testers of his innovative home-breadmaking techniques.

[Tesha]

2. I think you're doing it right!

Some foods are so basic, and you make them so often that the recipe is in your head and what matters when making bread is the look and the feel of the dough, and the sound of the machine.

A hunk of our baguette and an ounce of cheese is the normal breakfast for my husband, so we have this available either baked or ready to go in the fridge every day. Using a familiar process, I can have dough ready for the first rise 5 minutes.

Now... when I'm looking for something different or want something special - a sandwich bread, or rolls or a quick bread or scones - then I hit the books and dig out something fun. Or go straight to King Arthur Flour's site.

[EFerrari]

3. If your starter goes bad, you will know by the smell. n/t

[Duer 157099]

5. I hope. LOL

Right now it just smells sort of ... pungent. Not unpleasant, but y'know, some people fine those stinky cheeses pleasant, so I guess it must be sorta subjective.

[EFerrari]

8. When it turns, it TURNS. I thought Zool would like a china container

better than the clear plastic I had him in and it killed him. The odor changed from sour-cheeselike to horrible. He died screaming that round, poor guy.

[Duer 157099]

9. Zool? LOL, you name your starter!

It must really feel like murder now eh?

Jeez, I wonder why he didn't like the china? Could you resusitate him by just taking enough to innoculate a new batch, and then by healthy feeding, promote the growth of the "good guys" (whoever they are, in this case)?

[EFerrari]

10. He's back in the empty Costco cashews container.

And doing okay. Yeah, I name my starter, it helps me remember to feed them. There's a new girl in town, Pacha. She's doing okay, too. I don't know about the china. Maybe there was something reactive in there. Mayba he took the bullet! :)

[housewolf]

4. Pay attention to the color

When it starts to turn a bit orangish or pinkish, it's gone bad. You might still be able to resusitate it, but it's iffy and tricky.

The grey-ish color that you see when the hooch separates out is okay.

[Duer 157099]

7. Oh, I'd better go take a look

As for consistency (texture, that is) I sort of aim for pancake batterish. When I feed I just pour in some flour, mix and then add water to get it back to that state. Does that sound right?

edit: just looked at it, it is still the cream-beigeish color that is expected. When the liquid separates, that's a darker albeit still transparent color.

Sometimes I let it go without feeding to where there are no bubbles, everything looks dead, but then I add some flour and within hours it is back to bubbling. I wonder if this is good or if it encourages the wrong "types"?