Sourdough help

[msiddiqi]

So I'm attempting this for my first time. After two days I got a little bubble action but nothing really significant... just on the sides. I decided to feed it a little more flour the 3rd day and then all the bubbles disappeared. It still smells yeasty but no bubbles. Should I keep feeding it? Is anything even happening with it? How do i know??

[pampered_mom]

By in far the best and easiest resource online that I found was http://www.cox-internet.com/jpwright/sourdo.htm

I find (as was recommended in the site above) that it's best to feed the starter every 24 hours while it's young. I know some have had good results just mixing the flour and water and letting it sit, but I haven't been too lucky with that. I'd keep feeding for a week and see where you are at that point.

[msiddiqi]

Is it ok that I used plastic for my container : I didn't have anything glass that was big enough.

[pampered_mom]

What starter recipe are you using? The NT one? I'd actually go with the suggestions in the website that I posted. You don't really need anything larger than a 1 quart container for that one... I actually prefer her suggestions to the ones in NT. I didn't have very good luck with the NT recipes.

[msiddiqi]

I was using wild fermentation. They say to use 2 cups flour and 2 cups water. Should I just transfer some of my sourdough starter to a glass mason jar? Or start over?

[msiddiqi]

[artemis33]

I am just starting on this so I am by no means an expert...

However I started with a bit less - about 1c/1c and since it is cool (I had mine outside a couple weeks ago while we were visiting the coast!) I only fed it every 3 days or so.

Two days ago I finally made my first loaves but they were awful I let the first rise go overnight because it didn't seem enough but that was too long. I tried to re-knead and do a second rise but they were bricks. Ah, well.

Tonight I did my second try - just one loaf and one rise. It rose nicely and is now cooling so we shall see how it tastes. I suspect it is a little dense still and I think maybe I am still not kneading enough.

I keep my starter in a little ceramic crock. Do you have just a soup bowl or something you could cover with a towel? I bet you have something non-plastic around!

Despite my lack of experience with the actual bread making part, I think I have a good starter this time. It smells a little wine-like and a little sour - but now foul like the ones I tried to start over the summer.

I assume you have read the lengthy sourdough thread?

Anyway - good luck! It is a fun adventure!

[msiddiqi]

I was trying to get through that thread.... but I gave up after the first few pages :

I am going to try the mason jar (i didn't realize you could start off with so little)

I think I'm just going to start over from scratch and see how it goes. Let me know how your bread turned out!

[pampered_mom]

2c flour/2c water is actually very similar to the NT version if I can remember correctly. Does the WF recipe have you discard any? I found that by going with 2c/2c ratios and not discarding I just plain ended up with too much starter and too much bread. I would rather bake more frequently and have fresh bread then bread that sits around for awhile.

I don't think there's any need to start over at this point. Just transfer some of your sourdough starter over to a mason jar and keep going. If at a week you still think it's not working well - try again! :0)

[artemis33]

Well, we just tasted it and it isn't bad for my second try! Needs a little more salt and probably a little more kneading, but it wasn't a total brick this time!!! Yay for progress!!

Keep at it!!!!! I am so determined to be making my own bread!!

I bought this little pamplet from amazon.com that was referred to in the huge sourdough thread (BTW it is worth the read when you have time!! It took me a few days - I just kept coming back to it to get through all the posts!!). It is inexpensive and very straighforward. It is called Simple Sourdough by Marc Shepard. I also have NT and have WF from the library at the moment, but his directions are SO easy to follow!

Good luck and I would love to hear how it goes for you!!

Oh - and I agree not to give up too soon on your starter. I threw out my first attempt, but then when I tried again and it was worse I realized I probably could have salvaged the first one! You can always start a second one at the same time and see which one seems to be more productive!

[msiddiqi]

nak
oops, i already chucked it and started over. let's see what happens!
thank u both for all the info.

[MaMaLi]

I haven't looked at the link above so maybe this is there... Giving the starter a good stir everyday really helps.

[Josette Marie]

I got more bubble action when I put mine outside.

I use the NT recipe to make the starter. When I started to make the bread (one the starter was ready) I used less flour than the recipe called for.It seemed to me alot of flour and my dough was starting to get inmovable.

My loaves came out great. ( I got two loaves) I kept a bit of the starter on a mason jar in the fridge.
My husband says its a heavy bread ( I use unbleached flour) next time I am going to use spelt.

[saratc]

msiddiqi, if I remember correctly, the wild fermentation one takes awhile to get going. It doesn't call for any added yeast or whey or anything, so it's relying on wild yeasts to get going. I'm assuming you're covering with a cloth, not a lid, right?

[cloudswinger]

This site has some articles that help me a lot. http://www.thefreshloaf.com/lessons/sourdough

But the key thing is patience. The process takes more than a week to get a decent starter going.

[artsyfartsymama]

:
I am using a started from a refridgerated dough I was trying to make for sweet rolls but accidently left it out. The first bread I made was horrible(overkneaded it to rockdom and not enough salt), but I kept feeding it and stirring it and put it in an old crockpot and set it by the radiator and it is sure going. A starter definately needs a warm environment to grow in. I made a second bread from it and it turned out awesome!(I did not over knead it this time and got enough salt in it). It was delicious!

[artemis33]

okay, sorry for the tangent, but how do you know if your bread is OVERkneaded vs. UNDERkneaded? I have always assumed my hard loaves needed more kneading - can you really knead too much?

How long is reasonable for WWSD then - by hand and also with a breadhook in a kitchenaid?

thanks

[msiddiqi]

Originally Posted by saratc

msiddiqi, if I remember correctly, the wild fermentation one takes awhile to get going. It doesn't call for any added yeast or whey or anything, so it's relying on wild yeasts to get going. I'm assuming you're covering with a cloth, not a lid, right?

Yep I was using cheesecloth. I went away for the weekend and found fruit flies or something hanging out in my glass mason jar. Ugh. Threw it out again. Now I'm starting a new one today. I was thinking of putting it outside but then I wonder if it's too cold out there (it's in the 40's this week)

[pampered_mom]

Originally Posted by artemis33

okay, sorry for the tangent, but how do you know if your bread is OVERkneaded vs. UNDERkneaded? I have always assumed my hard loaves needed more kneading - can you really knead too much?

How long is reasonable for WWSD then - by hand and also with a breadhook in a kitchenaid?

thanks

Ummm....I don't know if you can overknead it. I've never had problems with tough bread, just tough crust. I usually do it until the bread feels right. Not much help is it?

From the link I gave above I think she said anywhere from a couple of minutes to 10-12 minutes. I never used my kitchenaid with the bread b/c I was uncertain about the metal bowl.

[msiddiqi]

Just an update - I made bread!!! (using the website you gave me pampered_mom) And I made pizza crust. Yummy - everything came out so great. Now I'm so excited to try different recipes? Anyone know where to get some good ones?