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| Sourdough |
| Sourdough is one of those foods that keeps me from staying on the low-carbohydrate diet I've been employing for the better part of the last year. It's sour, slightly tangy flavor is one of my all-time favorites. The tartness comes from a special yeast starter that is used as the bread's leavener. San Francisco is known for its superior sourdough bread, primarily because of the composition of the air-borne yeast. Every town has air-borne yeast, but no town has the same geographical make-up that San Francisco does. Steady year-round temps and air rich with Pacific ocean moisture give the yeast in San Francisco the right elements for making the world's most famous sour dough. Because sourdough bread is so popular and people flock to the Bay Area to get a taste, many food stores in the area sell packages of dry sourdough starter for home bread bakers. To make sourdough bread, you will need to make a sourdough starter. Slow-Method Sourdough Starter Ingredients 1 1/2 cups milk 1 1/2 cups flour Method Place milk in glass jar or bowl; cover loosely with plastic wrap or cheesecloth. Let stand 24 hours at room temperature. Stir in flour; cover with plastic wrap or cheesecloth. Let stand at room temperature until bubbly and sour smelling, 2 to 5 days. Use in any sourdough recipe Fast Sourdough Starter Ingredients 1 cup milk 1 package [1/4 oz.] active dry yeast 1 cup flour Method Place milk in glass jar or bowl. Stir in yeast to dissolve; let stand 3 hours at room temperature. Stir in flour. Let stand at room temperature until bubbly, about 1 day. Use in any sourdough recipe How to Feed Your Starter If you plan to use your sourdough starter within four days, leave it at room temperature. But each time you use your starter, you will need to feed it, by stirring in 1/2 cup milk or water and 1/2 cup flour. Leave at room temperature for 24 hours until it begins to bubble again. If not used within four days, store covered with plastic wrap in refrigerator If the starter is not used for two to three weeks, divide the starter in half and replenish half of it with 1/2 cup milk or water and 1/2 cup flour. Stir to mix. You can discard the other half, or give it to a friend. Try to maintain about 1 1/2 cups active starter. The longer you keep an active starter, the more pungent and flavorful it becomes. Slow-Rising Sourdough French Bread Ingredients 5 cups unbleached flour 1 1/2 cups warm water 1 cup sour dough starter [see recipe] 2 tsp. each: sugar, salt Method Mix together 4 cups of the flour, water, starter, sugar, and salt in large bowl. Place in oiled-bowl. Turn to coat entire ball of dough with oil. Set aside, covered with plastic wrap, until doubled in size, about 18 hours. Place dough in bowl of electric mixer fitted with dough hook attachment. Knead, gradually adding remaining 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough begins to pull away from side of bowl. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary, about 10 minutes. [If done by hand, knead on lightly floured surface, until smooth and elastic, about 30 minutes. Shaped dough into one round loaf or two baguettes. Place on greased baking sheet. Let rise until almost double in size, about 2 hours. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Make diagonal slashes on top of bread; brush top with water. Place ice cubes in a shallow pan; put pan on bottom rack of oven. Bake bread on rack above ice cubes until lightly browned and sounds hollow when tapped, about 50 minutes. Quick-Rising Sourdough French Bread Ingredients 1 1/2 cups warm water [105 - 115 degrees] 1 package [1/4 oz.] active dry yeast 1 cup sourdough starter [see recipe] 5 1/2 cups unbleached flour 2 tsps. each: sugar, salt Method Pour water into large bow. Stir in yeast to dissolve. Add starter, 4 cups of the flour, sugar, and salt; stir to mix. Place in a greased bowl; cover with towel or plastic wrap. Let rise in warm place, until double in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Place dough in bowl of electric mixer fit with dough hook attachment. Gradually add remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough begins to pull away from sides of bowl. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary, about 10 minutes. [If done by hand, knead on lightly floured surface, until smooth and elastic, about 30 minutes]. Shape dough into 1 round or 2 baguettes. Place on greased baking sheet. Let rise, covered with towel or plastic wrap, until almost double in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Make diagonal slashes on top of bread; brush top with water. Place ice cubes in a shallow pan; put pan on bottom rack of oven. Bake bread on rack above ice cubes until lightly browned and sounds hollow when tapped, about 50 minutes. Sourdough Corn Bread Ingredients 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmean 1/2 cup flour 2 Tablespoons sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1/4 teasponn baking soda 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 1 cup sourdough starter [see recipe] 2 eggs, beaten 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, cooled Method Heat oven to 450 degrees Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; set aside Mix next three ingredients together in a medium bowl. Mix liquid mixture into dry mixture just until blended. Mix in butter. Pour into 10-inch greased cast iron skillet or greased 8-inch square baking dish. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Serve warm, cut in wedges or squares. tom saaristo © Thomas Saaristo All Rights Reserved tom@tomsaaristo.com |