[BusyMommy]

Hi Cathe--my neighbor and I both started our sourdough Sunday and have dumb questions. On the 7th day, you make bread. I assume you take 2 cups out and what's left is to start your next starter? Do you add anything that day (day 7)?

And, then you start adding your 1/3 and 1/3 everyday again, right?

Thanks!!

 

[BusyMommy]

bump

 

[cathe]

Sorry busymommy - Whenever you make bread you replace the starter. Add 2 cups flour and about 2 cups water (enough to get the right consistency). Then leave it out for a few hours, until it is bubbly and smells sour. Then refrigerate.

 

[BusyMommy]

Whoa, you lost me. Maybe it's the chardonnay I just poured after 5 hours on the playground, though.

Will we be using ALL of the starter for the 2 loaves? And, then start all over?
OR
Add the 2 + 2 cups to the leftover starter, set out, refrig and THEN add 1/3 + 1/3 c. everyday again?

That's cool.

I remember as a kid, my mom had this friendship cake deal where we had the cake once/week and had to find someone to give starter to. That was fun.

 

[cathe]

sorry - I'll try to be more clear.

When you make the bread dough, you use 2 cups of the starter (about 1/2). To the leftover starter, add 2 cups flour and water. Mix it in, let it sit until sour and bubbly. Then refrigerate. You never have to do that every day thing again after you get your intial starter going. If you don't use your starter for a week or two, you will need to "feed" it. Add about 1/2 cup flour and water.

I also have other recipe to use the starter that I can give you once you get going (cake, waffles, muffins, etc.). They're nice when you don't have time to make bread but you want to use your starter. Always replace whatever starter you take out so you maintain about 4 cups.

 

[BusyMommy]

Thank you!!!

I'll let you know how it turns out Monday and likely ask for some recipes soon.

YEA

Appreciate your patience

 

[Persephone]

Makin sourdough bread right now! I'd love those other recipes too!!

 

[witch's mom]

I just started my first sourdough starter yesterday and looking forward to feeding it today. (Well, it's my second if you count the one I threw out last week because it had milk in it and I suddenly got scared of food poisoning.) Cathe, now that I discovered your renowned recipe, I'm following that.

Do you happen to know if, and how, your sourdough bread recipe might translate to fit into a one-and-a-half-pound bread machine?

 

[BusyMommy]

YUMMMMMMMMM Awesome bread--thanks again!

Hey, one more Q, though...it's now bubbling away in the fridge for the next week. I have it cracked open w/a loose lid. Should I seal it airtight for the week?

Witch's Mom--bread machine recipe would be cool, but if not avail., try this anyways. I was surprised at how much easier it was than "other" bread recipes. And, nice, too, that it hardly made any flour mess w/the kneading since I followed Cathe's wet hands advice.

 

[witch's mom]

Thanks, BusyMommy. Hey, now I have another question for all you sourdough experts: I'm on day three of my starter (have fed it twice and will feed it a third time today), and it smells cheesy. Cathe's recipe says it'll smell fermented like wine, and I've gotta say, wine that smelled like this wouldn't make it into a glass anywhere. It doesn't smell rotten, exactly, just moist and cheesy. Please advise! Shall I continue with this starter?

 

[cathe]

Witch's Mom: I'd say - keep the starter going unless it smells BAD. It goes thru different stages of smells - and cheesy is okay. I don't have a recipe for a bread machine. I used to use my food processor to knead dough but since sourdough takes much less kneading, I don't bother anymore.

Busymommy - I keep my starter covered tightly in the refrigerator. I have read different things - but most say to cover tightly.

I'll go find my other sourdough recipes . . . .

 

[cathe]

Okay - here are a couple:

Sourdough Spice Cake
This moist, delicious cake is a great way to use your sourdough starter.

1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup applesauce
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup wheat or oat bran
1/2 teaspoon ground cinammon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup pure maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or honey
1 egg, beaten
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Oil 9-inch cake pan or springform pan. In large bowl, mix together starter, applesauce, flour, bran, cinammon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and milk, oil, sweetener, and egg. When completely combined, fold in walnuts and raisins. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake one hour, or until tester inserted in middle comes out clean.

Serves 12

Sourdough Waffles
These are light, crispy and have an incredible flavor. It's a great way to use your sourdough starter when you don't have the time to make bread and the enzymes will help digest your breakfast. Double the recipe and make extra to freeze.

1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup whole wheat or spelt flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
3/4 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)

Mix together starter, flour, salt, baking soda. In separate bowl, beat together egg, oil, sweetener, and milk. Stir milk mixture into flour mixture and mix well. Add additional milk if batter is too thick. Let batter rest while you preheat the waffle iron. Follow manufacturer's directions for amount of batter to use. Bake until waffle no longer steams. Serve with yogurt and fresh fruit or butter and fruit-sweetened jam.

Makes 4 (regular 4-square) waffles

Note: Extra waffles can be refrigerated or frozen. To reheat, just toast in the toaster.

Sourdough Corncakes
One of the best things about this recipe is you mix up the batter the night before and in the morning, you can have pancakes without all the work. These cakes are crispy on the oatside and very chewy. They have a strong, sour taste that might not appeal to young children but my husband and I love them.

1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 cups whole wheat, spelt, or rye flour
1/3 cup sourdough starter
2 3/4 cups water or milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

Place cornmeal, flour, starter, and water or milk in bowl. Mix well. Cover with a towel and let mixture sit overnight in cool place.
Stir salt into dough. In separate bowl, beat eggs and sweetener together. Beat into batter. Let dough sit while griddle heats. Place about 1/4 cup batter on hot, oiled griddle for each pancake. Bake over medium heat about 3 to 4 minutes until sides look dry and bubbles form on cake. Turn and bake about a couple minute longer. Make sure to cook through because undercooked pancakes will be very sour.

Makes about 25 pancakes

Note: Extra pancakes can be refrigerated or frozen. To reheat, just warm on griddle or in skillet.

 

[BusyMommy]

Very cool!
But, gee, you'll have to decide btw bread & these?

:LOL Almost makes you want to have 2 starters. :LOL

Thanks again!!

 

[witch's mom]

My sourdough bread came out like a boat anchor. Hard as a rock, very dense and jaw-achingly chewy. My dough was incredibly sticky as I worked with it, and I had to add a lot of flour. It never rose very much, on either rising. Help!

 

[cathe]

I wonder if maybe you overkneaded it? Or maybe added too much flour.

 

[Mumum]

Hello, I got Cathe's sourdough recipe a few months ago. I wanted to wait until I got my grain mill so I could grind my own rye to make my starter before I tried it, so here I am, now on my fourth batch of bread. My starter has been busy bubbing away so it seems to be working but all my attempts have created dough that has not risen. What is going on? Please, can someone offer some advice before I give up the whole process! The bread is very very tasty but I keep expecting a much lighter loaf, that should rise beautifully! I have even tried the oven-warming technique to create a warm environment but all it does is make my dough sweat, and it does not rise.

 

[xenabyte]

So where is this original recipe with starter instructions? Is it similar to the NT one? I looked at Mothering.com under Peggy's Kitchen and the 'Bread' Section, but no info. I must have missed it somehow or is it just WAAYYYY back in this forum?

Thanks

 

[Mumum]

I took a quick look and could not find it. I know Cathe resonded to my inquiry and that was a few monthes ago.
Aha - I found it. It was back in April.
SOURDOGH RECIPE:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...31#post1326931
I have just made a fourth batch and it was much better. It actually rose but it took over 12 hours from when I Kneaded it. Encouraging, none the less! I am determined to master this.
Cathe, if you are out there .... does YOUR bread have a soft crust? And if so, I know you mentioned about kneading with wet hands, have you heard of pouring boiling water over the loaf before putting it in the oven. I was wondering what that would do for the crust.
That's all, folks.

 

[cathe]

Here I am!

Okay - I'll start by saying this this bread is quite dense and not at all soft like white bread - however, it does (and should) rise. I was actually surprised when I started making sourdough that it did rise like yeasted bread - it does take a little longer but I don't think more than 2 or 3 hours in a fairly warm place.

Mumum - where are you rising it? How does your starter smell - does it smell really strong and fermented? Are you using starter at room temperature - if you use it cold, it will take much, much longer to rise.

About the boiling water - I have heard to rise your bread in the oven with a bowl of boiled water on the rack underneath. I have also heard when you put the loaf in the oven, sprinkle a little water on the bottom of the oven to create a little steam.

I also looked in Nourishing Traditions to see if they give any advice - they start by saying "traditional sourdough bread made with a starter instead of yeast has a deliciuos flavor but tends to be heavy for modern tastes" It does take some getting used to - maybe you could try using 1 cup unbleached white flour instead of whole wheat to see if it lightens it up a little and rises better . . .

 

[Mumum]

Thank you for your feedback!
Ok, here goes...I have tried rising it in the oven like you suggested. The first couple of times, the dough just seemed to sweat, and did not rise. The next time, I let it rise overnight and by morning it had finally risen. Then, my latest attempt, I did not knead it as much (your instructions say to knead for 5 minutes but I have another method that says to knead for much longer, so I did that and I think that may be part of the problem). With this last batch, the dough rose beautifully the first time but then not after I put the loaves in the moulds. I think I let it rise too much the first time. The loaves did not rise much in the oven but they were very nice compared to past attempts (softer crust and inside).
Lastly, my starter does have a strong fermented smell. Since I have been using it almost everyday, I have been leaving it out on the counter. Should I not do that?
Thank you for your help. It is getting better with each attempt.