Starter Extravaganza!

I'm a huge fan of sourdough bread. When I first got married I was sure that making my own starter and then baking fresh bread at least once a week would be easy tasks to accomplish. Bwahahahaha! I did attempt a starter and it wasn't too bad but it really never had time to fully mature because I would forget to feed it or use it in the days BBM (Before Bread Machine). I finally put it out of its misery and ran it down the drain. In my own defense, however, easy access to tips and recipes from the internet were not yet readily available (yeah, I'm that old). The resources currently available, at any time of day or night, from professionals and amateurs alike, is a hugely exciting and inspiring thing! 

In January I purchased a starter from King Arthur Flour. I scrupulously followed their directions for feeding, sure that if I missed a step or added a smidgen too much flour that the starter would die a horrible death. After a couple of weeks I realized that the starter was thriving and that there was some flexibility as to how much water and flour got added during a feeding. The usual proportion is about half a cup of starter gets fed with half a cup of warm water and a scant cup of flour. I actually add closer to  2/3 cup of water.


This was about a week in. Seeing the bubbles was heartening!


I found a really dependable sourdough recipe for bread machines and I have been baking a loaf once a week; sometimes more often if the starter needs to be fed. I check the starter and if a thin liquid starts to appear on the top, I know it's hungry. That liquid is called alcohol and, no, I don't have any idea if it is intoxicating. I just pour it off, measure out the amount of starter I need for the recipe and feed the rest. The starter stays on the counter until bubbles start to form again and then it gets returned to the refrigerator.


Good aeration, great texture! Cutting it evenly is a pain; partly because I like to just tear chunks off of it and partly because, as you may remember, I have challenges getting things even.

I had so much luck with this starter, I decided to try making one of my own. Since we are currently in a rental house, I like the idea of making the starter here and taking some of this place back to our own home once we move out. I started it when we decided to cancel our family trip to the Grand Canyon. Another thing to remember this starter by. Oh well.


I especially liked this particular recipe because it uses a mixture of whole wheat flour and pineapple juice. I mixed them up and let it sit for a couple of days. I used a chopstick to stir it around a couple of times a day. The starter was fed and rested for a total of three more days after that.


After close to a week, the pint jar couldn't contain it anymore!


Though this starter is also successful, it gives slightly less rise than the King Arthur starter. Whenever I feed it, I continue to use whole wheat flour. That is probably one of the things that accounts for the rise difference.


Though the whole wheat is only in the starter, the color is not that of a pure white bread.


The two side by side, after a feeding, and after a couple of hours on the counter. Back in the fridge they go!

Both starters get full marks!


Here are the promised links:

 Best Bread Machine Sourdough

Pineapple Juice and Whole Wheat Flour Starter

King Arthur Flour
They have cool stuff but shipping costs are rather high.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kincaid's/Ryan's Grill-Style Pea Salad

Image
I was so sad when Ryan's Grill in Ward Centre closed down. For many years it was a favorite gathering place for both my family and my friends. Similarly Kincaid's, formerly Horatio's, at the now demolished Ward Warehouse was, too. I always ordered the pea salad that both restaurants served and have been wanting to re-create it. Today's recipe is the closest I've come! Today's cast! Sour cream, mayo, salt, and pepper are combined for the dressing. In the meantime, I put the frozen peas into a colander to help them thaw and drain. After that, it's just a bunch of chopping. Interestingly, the recipe mentioned that Hormel bacon bits work much better than bacon that has been cooked up and drained. Who am I to argue? I added the bacon bits to the dressing along with chopped water chestnuts and red onions. I de-stringed the Chinese peas. Sugar snap peas can also be used. The peas and pea pods were combined with the dressing, then I popped it into the fridge. The re...
Read more

Anthony Bourdain's Macau-Style Pork Chop Sandwich

Image
I read, and own, all of Anthony Bourdain's books except Kitchen Confidential.  It seems like an odd omission considering it's the book that made him famous and brought to light a dirty side of the restaurant business that the public apparently loved hearing about, but no, for me, it was his first show, A Chef's Tour, followed by No Reservations,  that really made me a fan. Yes, the show was about food, but more importantly it was about the people who made the food and the places the food grew out of. That cultural and historical connection has always been the key factor in my own burgeoning food obsession. Bourdain was sarcastic and edgy but he was also intelligent, well-read and so adept at putting words together to unite the food with its people into an appreciative, thoughtfully crafted whole. His suicide in 2018 saddened me in a way I would never have anticipated. I decided that henceforth I would honor his influence on my culinary interests and every year, on his bir...
Read more

Ethereally smooth hummus

Image
I swear I didn't name it. My sister had sent me the link after I posted about making falafel. My friend, D, loves hummus but doesn't like it when it's gritty or chalky. This seemed like it would be right up her alley. Today's cast! Once the skins began to loosen, I drained the water and put the beans into a pot on the stove. Over medium heat, I sautéed them with some baking soda. The soda is supposed to make them less gassy. I'll keep you posted on that one. After a few minutes I added the water and brought it up to a boil. There's a whole lot of foam at the beginning. Skim it off and discard it. Let the beans simmer for about 20 minutes or until they can be easily split. Here's a perfectly cooked bean; the skin slides right off of it and it separates easily into two halves. In order for the hummus to be "ethereally smooth," all the skins must be removed. I don't mind doing this (see my post on Falafel) but cooked ...
Read more