Groovychook Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 Has anyone else had success with this? I need some advice! I decided to have a go at this the other day. I followed a Nigella recipe which cheats a little bit with a tiny pinch of yeast to get the starter going. I put it in a lock and lock, but just sat the lid on top rather than fixing it down as she said to keep it loosely covered,on a shelf in my (fairly cold) kitchen and left it for the required 3 days. I've had a few peeks and on day 2, it was frothing and smelling nice and yeasty. Was due to do the second stage this evening, but I've just had a look and it appears to have split Help! What have I done wrong? I've just googled a few recipes on line and seen that other people say to cover with cling film. Didn't do this as I didn't think that would be a 'loose' cover. I'm now wondering if too much air has got in... along with too frequent peeking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 OH is making a sourdough starter as we speak He is using a recipe from Dan Lepard (despite what I said in another thread ). I believe involves yogurt and grapes? He started it on Weds, it is in a plastic bowl, loosely covered with clingfilm. It was residing in our very warm and sunny porch on Weds but transferred to a nice little bed next to the radiator yesterday and today in this artic chill! In fact, I was relegated to painting our very cold kitchen yesterday so the bread is being treated better than me Perhaps yours needed to be warmer and more loosely covered? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted February 22, 2013 Author Share Posted February 22, 2013 Thanks Daphne Blimey, there's more to this than meets the eye. I've just been looking on the River Cottage forum and somebody on there said that their starter had split. They were reassured that this wasn't a problem and that they could just whisk it back together... before feeding it Feeding with what?! I don't know about making bread- I feel as though I've acquired a new pet! I might google the River Cottage recipe and adapt my Nigella starter to that, although I'm wondering if I'd be better starting a different recipe from scratch. Best of luck to your OH- let me know how he gets on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsk Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 I used the Baker Brothers recipe. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/20/how-to-start-sourdough-culture Think mine will be getting on for it's 1st birthday soon. ETA - just seen you recent post but the above link should explain the feeding process. It is rather like a pet and you do have to give it a name, mine is called Beatrice the bacteria I do tend to feed mine with 1/2 wholemeal and 1/2 strong white rather than all wholemeal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted February 22, 2013 Author Share Posted February 22, 2013 Thanks Kinsk That's an interesting read... now just deciding whether to keep this starter alive or to start again. I've given mine a whisk and it's all nicely combined- doesn't smell nasty either so I don't think it's died... yet! Think I'll snap the lid down too after reading that your version is in a sealed Kilner jar. If I decide to feed my Nigella starter- which began with 150ml strong white flour, pinch of yeast, half tsp milk & 200ml water, do you think I should just add 75g of flour & 75g water a day? I'm going to hold off naming her yet- don't want to tempt fate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 I kept one for a while last year until we went away for a few days. I kept the tub sealed and gave it a really good whisk each time that I fed it. I used the Baker Brothers too. I think that I decided that it was too much work and I also didn't like the initial waste of throwing half of it away. I felt constantly pressurised to make sour dough bread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted February 23, 2013 Author Share Posted February 23, 2013 Did the bread taste good though Liz? Think I'm going to abandon 'Nigella' and start again with the Baker Boys... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Last night the starter took its chance in the fluctuating temp of the sitting room whilst some dough spent hours being moved next to the fire, away from the fire, back to the fire etc etc. At one point I thought it was coming to bed with us Needless to say this morning I still had to go and buy some bread as it wasn't risen enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted February 23, 2013 Author Share Posted February 23, 2013 Who'd have thought it was possible to get so neurotic over a bit of dough?! My new dough baby (Baker Boys recipe) is sat at the side of the rayburn. I am fretting like mad that it will be getting too hot so keep edging it away slightly. I have been contemplating making it a little tea cosy for night times The problem I have is that I don't have a constant temperature anywhere in the house. It's hot by the rayburn and open fire and pretty draughty everywhere else as we don't have central heating. Anyway, early days for me- hopefully it'll start bubbling soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Reading this with great interest as a dad at ES' school (who is a very good chef and has worked at some great resturants and does private dining too ) has promised me a sourdough starter and I am terrified already! How will I keep it going? Suppose it dies? I would feel awful - I am far more worried about nurturing this fermenting mass that nurturing my own two darling boys (BAD, BAD mother! ) We make ALL our own bread, with the help of a Kenwood and dough hook, but I am really getting worked up about this and beginning to wonder if its worth the angst! I vividly remember watching a bread cookery prog where they featured a Scandanavian baker with a sour dough 'starter' that had been passed down from his several times great granny and was,technically, over one hundred and something silly years old! Now theres responsibility! Still, he hasn't passed it on yet somaybe he will forget! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted February 23, 2013 Author Share Posted February 23, 2013 Oh blimey soapdragon- pressure on!!!! You'll have to join our support group Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 The bread that we made was ok, but I am not convinced that I actually like sour dough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 OK - this morning OH got up early, ostensibly to go out on a club run on his bicycle but it turned out that he had been proving the dough overnight in the oven (not sure if it was turned onto very low or not) and then he started to bake it, before yelling up the stairs that I had to turn it down in 10 minutes time and get it out in 50. Bang went my lie in Anyway, we do have a loaf which I will report back on later. The starter seems to be living in the sitting room, but I remember from when he did it before that it ended up living (unloved) in the fridge I do really really like sourdough We lived in rural France over 20 years ago and the local bread was a massive wheel (like 2 foot diameter). You bought it by the weight, they would cut off a triangle to suit. It kept just as badly as other French bread, I think it was really designed to pad out a plate of soup or stew. We used to call it vinegar bread it was so sour, but I love sour anything. Chickencam - I think I'd stop if I were you and make something you actually like Although before you do that, have you tried it toasted? I think its almost nicer, either with sweet or savoury toppings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted February 24, 2013 Author Share Posted February 24, 2013 How did it turn out Daphne? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 Dense I like a chewy loaf so not too much of an issue but the rise wasn't great. It must be possible to get more height than we have managed as the organic bakery locally manages to produce something more loaf and less round brick-like It was quite flavourful but not very sour. OH thinks this will improve in time as the starter gets more mature. It did have a good thick crust and we may have it for breakfast tomorrow for the toast test. OH is very keen and has already promised some of the starter to a friend so they can experience the same giddy excitements Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 My current starter's probably about a year old - it now lives in the fridge for most of the week (plastic bowl with cling film with a few holes in it) but comes out for 24 hours when it gets fed. I usually make at least one sour dough loaf a week (it works well in the bread maker and we all like it). I feed the beast after I've taken starter out for the loaf - if I've taken a cup of starter out then it gets a cup of bread flour and a cup of warm water and a quick stir. Mine separates but a quick stir with a wooden spoon sorts it out (my recipe says not to let the starter come into contact with metal). It's very straightforward really. Good luck with it Groovychook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 Just an update - our first loaf was nicer toasted The next time OH left it proving for over 24 hours. But instead of baking it on 250 (I know, very high ) for 10 mins and then turning it down to 190ish for 40-50mins, he left it on superhigh for about 40 mins Anyway, the result was very crusty but edible and super-sour, I'm not sure why; I loved it but he was less keen. Its still a pretty dense loaf, but I understand you don't knead it very much? There are still plenty of airholes in it. Tomorrow he is going to put a bit of the sourdough starter in with a normal breadmaker mix as a bit of a halfway house as we are pressed for time, and then will try to make a proper loaf again in a few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted February 27, 2013 Author Share Posted February 27, 2013 Sounds like things are slowly improving! I'm still feeding my Baker Boys starter. It's by the rayburn, wearing a tea cosy to keep it warm at night Have got my MIL staying this week, so haven't been as focused on it as I was but it seems ok... had to transfer it to a larger kilner though as I was running out of room in the small one with the daily top ups! Must check the instructions again actually- I can't remember how long I should be carrying on with the daily feeds. Surely I'll stop soon as I'm going to end up with an enormous quantity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted March 2, 2013 Author Share Posted March 2, 2013 Have worked out that it is a week since I started with the baker boys recipe. I've checked the instructions but am still a little confused. Am I right in thinking that I can transfer it to the fridge today and stop feeding it until I decide to use it? I've been feeding it every day and not chucking anything away - not sure if I should have been or not . Now I have a large quantity and I'm going to struggle to fit the big kilner jar in my tiny fridge! Do you think it would be okay to discard some of it and transfer the remainder back into the smaller jar that I began with? It's bubbling nicely, smells yeasty and hasn't split, so I think it's all going to plan so far- just don't want to wreck it at this stage. Think I'm going to be firm with myself and resist using it for another few weeks so hopefully allow it to mature out of it's particularly 'sour' stage Having said that, I probably won't be able to resist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beulah59 Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 The bread that we made was ok, but I am not convinced that I actually like sour dough I gather the flavour develops ... a friend of mine said it took 6 or 8 loaves before she was happy with it? I'm just trying to get one started now, but after 24 hours there's no activity. I followed Hugh F-W's recipe and I can't wait to get it into a proper routine, but I don't really have anywhere that's constantly warm ... so we'll see how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsk Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 Have worked out that it is a week since I started with the baker boys recipe. I've checked the instructions but am still a little confused. Am I right in thinking that I can transfer it to the fridge today and stop feeding it until I decide to use it? That's the way I understood it, but when you want to use it, say if you are going to make bread on a Saturday, bring it out Thursday night and give it a feed. If it's doing well I don't see any reason why you couldn't get rid of a bit so it fits in a smaller jar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 That's my understanding too Once its started then you just leave it alone (ours is now in the fridge) and get it out and feed it about 24 hours (or more) before you are ready to bake. Ours is kept in a 1kg tub. We've had another loaf, this time made in a tin (the others were freeform). It keeps being tasty but heavy. Its fine in this cold weather to have with soups or as toast, but I'm not sure I'd want too many sandwiches made from it. Anybody got any tips on getting a better rise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsk Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 I've always found mine pretty heavy to, quite a few attempts have gone straight to the pigs and on one occasion even they wouldn't, or couldn't eat it Some have been okay though. I've been wondering for my next attempt whether leaving it overnight to rise, slower and longer, might help and also if I'm over kneeding the dough as I'm guessing it doesn't need as much There was a website I found years ago which gave a lot of tips, will have to see if I can find it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsk Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 Found it - some good reading http://doughblogs.com/ and also this http://www.bakerandloaf.com/bread-baking-advice/day-5-refreshing-your-sourdough-starter/ rooting around both sites gives some good tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted March 4, 2013 Author Share Posted March 4, 2013 Thanks both of you for the reassurance! It's in the fridge now in the smaller kilner but I did notice yesterday that it had split. I mixed it back together and am just going to leave it alone, hoping that it will burst back into life when I take it out and give it a feed before using it. Thanks for the links to the blogs, I'll go and have a mooch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
