Posted on 08/18/2020 11:02:16 PM PDT by Oshkalaboomboom
The Covid-19 pandemic has tightened our social circles and narrowed the scope of our lives in ways no one imagined just a year ago. But the lockdown also brought an unexpected solace: Everyone, it seems, turned to baking sourdough bread. Social media has been overflowing with photos of frothy sourdough starters — many of them named, like a family pet — and the fresh-baked loaves that result. And though peak sourdough may have passed, many a fridge still contains that jar of starter.
Most home sourdough bakers know that their starter contains a vibrant herd of microbes, which leaven and flavor their bread. But where conventional breads rely on a single species of baker’s yeast — the microbial equivalent of a cattle ranch — sourdough is more like the Serengeti, a diverse ecosystem of interacting yeasts and bacteria. The nature of that ecosystem, and hence the flavor of the bread, is a profound expression of a particular time and place. Scientists are beginning to discover that the microbes in a sourdough depend not just on the native microbial flora of the baker’s house and hands, but also on other factors like the choice of flour, the temperature of the kitchen, and when and how often the starter is fed.
“When we study sourdough science, we learn that we know remarkably little for a technology that’s — what? — 12,000 years old,” says Anne Madden, a microbiologist at North Carolina State University. But even that limited knowledge is enough to cast light on a diverse, tumultuous microbial world — and provide a few hints to home bakers hoping to up their game. (We probably still have plenty of time to be baking, alas.)
(Excerpt) Read more at smithsonianmag.com ...
“Where’s a good place to get some?”
Make your own starter.
L
“It freezes well and keeps a long time frozen.”
I’m currently using yeast I bought 2 years ago. I keep in frozen in a Mason jar. Works just fine. Buy it bulk at Costco.
L
I make that No Knead Bread once a week. Super easy and it’s delicious.
L
Thanks for the tip! We have a few Breadsmith locations in Wisconsin; none near me, but I have an awesome local bakery (owned and operated by REAL Grannies) called ‘Quality Bakery.’
https://www.breadsmith.com/location/
The ‘Rona hasn’t slowed Quality Bakery down one tiny bit! I think our Mayor PERSONALLY made sure they stayed open when other shops were closed, so there would be no rioting in our Cow Town! ;)
Thanks!
“King Arthur flour website, (BLM Supporting Woke Company)”
Made me very sad to lose them! Jerks. :(
Oh, Goody! I’m waiting for cooler weather, then I’ll get on it, again.
It’s so good, I’ll be giving it as gifts this Christmas. My immediate family does all gifts as ‘consumables*’ because NONE of us need another ‘thing.’
*Though, BOOKS count as ‘consumables’ to us. ;)
:) Enjoy!
I am so stealing that graphic!
LOL! It’s the truth, isn’t it?
Smithsonian
Baking Channel!
oh boy, i need to know this! my sourdough bread has the proper texture but little sourness
I still use the King Arthur flour website all the time for recipes and information. Anything that they sell you can get elsewhere. Let them spend money.
You are creating a yeast culture using yeast that is already in the air and in the flour. Different starters may taste slightly different, due to different predominant yeast species. Something like 2000 yeast varieties have been identified, virtually everywhere in the world. At least one is floating around in the air in your room right now...your starter depends on one variety becoming the dominant one in the jar.
Here’s how I made mine -
Start with equal parts water and flour. I used 2 TBSP each. Let it stand, covered with a cloth, overnight, at room temperature. Above 72 is best. I started in a clean quart jar. After 24 hours, add the same amount of each, water and flour. At the end of about 48 hours, you should see bubbles, possibly foam on top. That tells you the yeast is growing. Keep feeding it. Otherwise, throw it out and start over.
Once you see foam, double the amount you feed it daily, working up to 1 cup water, 1 cup flour. Once it can double its own size, it can raise your bread, but not until.
A couple of critical points -
DO NOT use chlorinated tap water, it will kill your yeast. Fill a wide mouth gallon jug, or a plastic water jug, a couple of inches from the top (more surface area) leave it uncapped, and let the chlorine evaporate out for 2 days. Once you cannot smell chlorine, it should be safe. Or use bottled spring water. I’m not sure if purified drinking water would work, I’m not sure what chemicals they put in it.
DO NOT use metal utensils or containers. Any type of metal will set up a chemical reaction that will kill the yeast. Use glass, crock or plastic to make and store starter, use wood or plastic to stir it with.
Once you have working starter, it can be kept in the fridge, feed once a week and stir well. Same ratio, 1 cup water, 1 cup flour.
Rye flour works best (stone ground is best), it has the most natural yeast already in the flour, whole whest is second. Once you get it started, you can slowly switch over to unbleached flour, should work but I never tried it.
Rye bread without the caraway seed is excellent, hard to tell it from wheat bread. Same recipe, just leave out the caraway seed.
Sourdough takes twice as long to rise, sometimes up to 4 hours in cooler temps. Be patient.
If, at any time, you see green, blue of black mold growing, throw it out and start over, mold has taken over your culture.
You can also spread a thin layer of active, working starter on clean paper or cardboard, or wood I guess, dry it at about 180 - 200 degrees, break it into chips, and use that to start another culture later, just add water. Store in a closed, airtight container.
A closed oven with just a pilot light should be perfect temp. I’ve dried other things that way before. Check with a thermometer...up to 205 should not damage it.
Among the artifacts found in King Tutankhamun’s tomb was yeast to make bread in the afterlife. Over 3000 years later it was still viable.
In all seriousness there was a lot of science going on but since it was for practical reasons rather then theoretical reasons it was not considered such.
Excellent advice. Thank you.
We have excellent well water. We had it tested and you could bottle it.
For which we are very grateful because most water in NH is hard, and high in iron and arsenic.
Agreed!
It rises in the Yeast and settles in the Waist.
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