Bread Rewind

I am sure you are all wondering how the first loaf of bread came out from my new venture on creating a tradition that we can pass down to our family and kids.  A quick refresher.  Last week I started a sourdough bread starter that we can grow as a family, enjoy the company of family in friends in enjoying the fruits of our labor, and create a story.

You must feed the sourdough starter everyday.  I started with 1 cup of unbleached bread flour, and one cup of warm water.  I mixed it in an old Jelly Belly container, as it was clear, and allowed us to see "inside the starter."  It is important to not only view the starter (that is the flour/water mixture in case you are wondering, I thought it was some kind of exotic brew, but nope) from the top for activity (bubbles, smell, growth), but also see inside.

After day one, I took out 1 cup of starter from the jelly belly container, and added 1/2 cup of new flour and 1/2 cup of new warm water and mixed the starter left in the container, the new flour, and new water.

Oh, by the way, the container is simply sitting on the counter all day every day at this point.  Be sure to mix, or swirl the starter several times each day to keep the little fellas we are growing in contact with new food (flour).  Also, keep the starter covered.  I am using the yellow cap that came on the jelly belly container and I punched a few holes in the top to allow the mixture to breath.

Funny thing is, I am told (or at least this is what I read all over the bread blogs) that with the same flour, and same water, but creating a starter in different parts of the country, the end product (bread) will have a different tasted due to air conditions.  The little critter of bacteria and yeast is ALIVE!

Anyways, each day, went like the day before, bubbles started to form, that sourdough smell started to brew.  Then, we went to San Jose, so Howard, my father in law was tasked with caring for our new family pet.  Same thing, dump 1 cup of starter, add 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup bread flour, and stir, then swirl a few more times throughout the day.

Get back from San Jose (gone 3 days), the little critter was all grown up.  The volume had more than double in the container, it had the sweet, sour smell that is indicative of sourdough.

Now, I decided to give it a try.  Mixed in 1 cup warm water, and 1 cup of bread flour and mixed it up.  Set it on the counter in an open container (i.e. dumped it out from its Jelly Belly home into a glass Pyrex container (NO METAL I AM TOLD SHOULD TOUCH YOUR STARTER).  I left, went out and did a meeting, and when I came back, the volume had nearly doubled (about 3 hours, but again, it sounds like every starter is different in terms of speed) and it was white frothy on top which told me it was done and ready to go.

Now follow the recipe.  The new mixture in the Pyrex is the Proofed starter that the sourdough recipe will call for a certain amount.  Stir the proofed starter which will reduce the volume and mix up the ol recipe.  My called for 2 cups of starter, about 3 cups of flour, 4 tsp sugar (feeds the yeast and helps it to rise), 2 tsp salt (helps kill the bacteria which eats the sugar for your yeast), and a couple of tbsp of olive oil.  That is it.  Mix, need, rise, degas (flatten the bread), form shape of bread, rise, cook for 35-40 minutes at 350 degree.

Done.  Okay, I haven't tasted it.  I had to leave yesterday while the bread was still rising.  One thing I learned.  Don't cut the score marks on the top of the bread before it rises.  It needs that continuous skin that is formed during needing to keep the gases in that causes the rise.  Howard, again to the rescue.  Reformed the dough so the cuts were gone.  Let it rise, baked it, took it out to early, cut a couple of slices, realized it wasn't done, put it back in (for those bakers out there, you know that doesn't work well), but all in all, it finished up, and he said it had a good taste.  Don't know what it looks like, or tastes like, but I know it works, and so the story begins!