Sourdough, since I first stared reading about making bread, it falls back to wild yeast. The part that got me, was throwing away flour, while making your starter. I don't like throwing away money, and throwing away flour is the same thing. I'm on my third jar of yeast now, and have decided not to do the starter thing. Sourdough recipes, I just replace the starter with the yeast sponge, and it has been working just fine. I have gotten some great recipe.
Well, I got to thinking, and decided I would try a tablespoon of flour and a tablespoon warm water, in a jar. Just to see what happens. I went to bed and the next morning I added one tablespoon flour and water. That night the same thing, the next morning, so on and so on. After three of four days smelling the brew, it smells like flour dough. nothing bad. I decided to move it up some. Made it heaping spoon fulls.
It has been a week, and no dark spots, doesn't smell bad, but is starting to smell some what sour. So before I go to bed I put 1/2 cup of flour, and 1/2 cup warm water in. Tomorrow going to see what happens. In everything I've read the starter should double. Mine bubbles up some, but doesn't double, and they say it has to be at least a week old. The thing is it not going to rise. I think about using yeast and adding the brew for the sour taste. I pour one cup into a mixing cup, what is left I add some flour and warm water. That, that is left is the photo above. I put this up for next time.
San Francisco is where sourdough is famous. The germ that is the yeast, is called San Francisco sourdough yeast. No, it's not, I made that up, but it is named after San Francisco, it's called (sanfranciscensis), that is real. The lactic acid is the bubbles, and what makes the bread rise. I also read Pumpernickel means; well nickel means Devil and pumper means fart. So you have a bread that will make the Devil fart. If you want to know more about gas, and bram, go to Wikipedia. I did learn if your starter is to sour, feed it more. If it is not sour enough, feed it less. The one I made is very sour, with a strong taste, might even have San Francisco beat.
In this picture the dough has been rising about four hours. When I made this I just went by my regular bread recipe. Adding milk, water, sugar, honey, salt, and butter. I ended up adding a lot more flour, so next time not a whole cup of water and a whole cup of wet starter. As you can see it has risen, and that is about double. Notice I sliced the top and it did not fall. At this point I pre-heated the oven at 350 degrees. I've been having trouble with the oven being to hot. With this bread I should have heated it to 400 degrees. It ended up taking longer to bake, try the hotter oven next time.
Look how that bread has risen. Not one bread I have made using yeast has risen that much, not once. At this point I put foil over the top to keep it from burning. I close the door and wait the full thirty minutes, and take the foil cover off to let the top brown.
Sticking the thermometer in the bottom to see if it is 190 degrees I pull it out and wet dough is still on it. Back in the oven. This bread ended up cooking for an hour. That is why I said I should have baked it a 400 degrees. I'm learning and this has turned out as one nice bread.
The top where I cut it turned out beautifully. Now I let this sit till it cools off. I'm very nervous about this bread. Knowing that I grew the wild yeast, and it is basic bacteria. Boy, did it rise. Reading more about sourdoughs. Salmonella, and ecoli, start coming to mind. Cutting into the bread a very rich sour smell. Not a bad smell mind you, I taste it, it cut nicely I might add. It is good. San Francisco is famous for the most sour, but I think mine is right up there. The slice is so large it just fits in the toaster, end to end. After it is toasted I half it and make a ham and cheese sandwich. It is so good.
After it cools I bag it and put it away. Later as the evening goes on the sourness, I start feeling it in my stomach. Well it is germs that make sourdough what it is. No where did I read that any one died from making sourdough. O there was "Death by Sourdough" but it was a lady was hit by a bread truck. All the next day I didn't eat any of the sourdough. I ate the rest of another bread I had made. Always looking at how perfect the sourdough bread looked. Nice and big just like I had wished my other breads had turned out. Everywhere on the net, nothing. It said if it had dark stuff growing in it, or if it had a fowl smell, throw it out and start over. It had neither, it smelled kind of good.
San Francisco is world famous for having the most sourest, sourdough. I think I just tied with Boudin Bakery on my very first try. I didn't die that first night, and since then I have had it for breakfast with butter, and another ham and cheese. This time a whole sandwich. It does leave you knowing that it is a special bread. Most all bread is made from yeast from beer brewing. The active dry yeast in the packages comes from beer yeast. To get this strong, sour bread, you got to grow your own, yeast that is.
Now; to make everything clear. I did not add yeast to start my starter. I did not throw any away. Everywhere I read said one cup flour, one cup water, throw away one cup or bake with it. I started with one level tablespoon of flour, and add to it twice a day. I only increased the amount of flour after the forth day. All I used was flour and warm water. You do not want a real warm place to keep this. In San Francisco it is rainy and wet, and the 49er's did take it to Alaska for the Gold Rush. They kept it close to their body.
