THE NOVEL:
Been really on a sourdough fact finding mission, the last 2-3 weeks. But one thing i have learned, is you basically have to decide on what YOU want in a sourdough. Just like each of us have to find out how much smoke flavor you like, the smoking woods you like for each different kind of smoked food, sourdough is the same!
I guess i can blame first Vlap:
http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4982
for this quest. And then Gunny, was also involved , and he is where any of us wanting to learn more about baking our own bread, go. Also Lee had summing to do with my search for a SOUR sourdough. Something to compare with the san fran sour,(tho i found out, ALL starters go thru a SanFran stage of sourness), I fell in love with YEARS ago, when i used to go out there once a year, for several years.
IN my quest, you can find as many DIFFERENT answers/reasons/excuses/methods/etc. as you can on boiling ribs.........
lolol....
So ANY way, while researching vlaps recipe, i run across the term "Levain", which to my "understanding", is a "preferment". But it sometimes uses a stiff starter!
STIFF STARTER? ? ? ? ? Never heard of such a thing. Tho maybe its just me and all of you breadmakers KNEW of such a critter. THIS post is for those of us that didn't KNOW of such a critter! SO, then i go on my GOOGLE quest. google IS your friend......lolol. When every anyone asked a question over at the dark side, i would just google it, give the answer, and get attaboy points, for doing something the MEMEBER should of done....
Well, as i was saying, when doing a internet search, you can find answers you want to hear on a issue, BUTT, there will be OTHER answers that will tell you the exact OPPOSITE ! ! !
My question was, which is more sour, liquid or stiff, to get the SOUREST sourdough you can, with just a starter, not with baking soda, buttermilk, etc. And i found pages saying the liquid is the sourest. Others, the stiff is the most sourest. Piss on it. So made a stiff starter to compare to Gunny's VERY ACTIVE starter.
On a side note, i also found out, that to get the sourest out of your starter, feed it, let it get active, and JUST as it,(bubbles) starts to collaspe, you have a window of time to use the starter, for the best results ! ! ! ! Wether its a liquid, stiff, or a poolish (BTW Lee, the sponge you use, is really a poolish), when it starts to collaspe, you have some time to use it as its best potential. The window has to do with how you re-activate the starter. Won't get into ALL that, here.
ANYWAYS, sorry for the rambling, typing while trying to watch the colts game, I made a stiff starter, let it rise, let it collaspe, fed it, and go thru the cycle a couple times. ALL the while, it sits on the counter. You do this, so you know you have a active healthy starter. When it gets to the activeness you want, you can either use it, or like me, put in the fridge. I don't bake as much as Gunnys does, so i fridge mine to slow down the activity. Tho you have to let it warm up, feed it, as to wake it up, before using, if fridged!
SO, after making the stiff starter, and getting ready to put in the fridge, momma and I tasted both. Gunnys' liquid, and the stiff starter, which STARTED with Gunny's liquid. Got some sour with the liquid, but the STIFF, OH MY GOD ! ! ! ! ! was it SOUR ! ! !.
another way to help get more sour, is retarding the dough mixture for a bit, in the fridge. Won't get into all that either.
BUT, for those of you that really want a SOUR sourdough, check out a stiff starter.
here's some links to get you started.
Vlaps recipe. I GOT to make this. This is where I got on the trail of a stiff starter.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/393...baguette-bacon
the rest is just some more info. Its easy enuff, to look around these sites, to further explore.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/696...arter-countter
converting a liquid starter to a stiff starter.
http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/12/07/stiff-starter/
and one more link
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/117...evain#comments
the home links to where i found alot of my info
The Fresh Loaf. This is the forum link, but pretty sure you guys know how to naviagate around a web site. Sourdough Forum, bout halfway down the page.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/forum
No forum, but she has some great info and recipes here. The Wild Yeast. more of a blog, but worth the view.
http://www.wildyeastblog.com/
Mike Avery's sourdough site. No forum, but all these guys are REAL good at answering ANY question you mave have! Mike has he book you can dl for free i believe.
http://www.sourdoughhome.com/index.html
Been really on a sourdough fact finding mission, the last 2-3 weeks. But one thing i have learned, is you basically have to decide on what YOU want in a sourdough. Just like each of us have to find out how much smoke flavor you like, the smoking woods you like for each different kind of smoked food, sourdough is the same!
I guess i can blame first Vlap:
http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4982
for this quest. And then Gunny, was also involved , and he is where any of us wanting to learn more about baking our own bread, go. Also Lee had summing to do with my search for a SOUR sourdough. Something to compare with the san fran sour,(tho i found out, ALL starters go thru a SanFran stage of sourness), I fell in love with YEARS ago, when i used to go out there once a year, for several years.
IN my quest, you can find as many DIFFERENT answers/reasons/excuses/methods/etc. as you can on boiling ribs.........
lolol....
So ANY way, while researching vlaps recipe, i run across the term "Levain", which to my "understanding", is a "preferment". But it sometimes uses a stiff starter!
STIFF STARTER? ? ? ? ? Never heard of such a thing. Tho maybe its just me and all of you breadmakers KNEW of such a critter. THIS post is for those of us that didn't KNOW of such a critter! SO, then i go on my GOOGLE quest. google IS your friend......lolol. When every anyone asked a question over at the dark side, i would just google it, give the answer, and get attaboy points, for doing something the MEMEBER should of done....
Well, as i was saying, when doing a internet search, you can find answers you want to hear on a issue, BUTT, there will be OTHER answers that will tell you the exact OPPOSITE ! ! !
My question was, which is more sour, liquid or stiff, to get the SOUREST sourdough you can, with just a starter, not with baking soda, buttermilk, etc. And i found pages saying the liquid is the sourest. Others, the stiff is the most sourest. Piss on it. So made a stiff starter to compare to Gunny's VERY ACTIVE starter.
On a side note, i also found out, that to get the sourest out of your starter, feed it, let it get active, and JUST as it,(bubbles) starts to collaspe, you have a window of time to use the starter, for the best results ! ! ! ! Wether its a liquid, stiff, or a poolish (BTW Lee, the sponge you use, is really a poolish), when it starts to collaspe, you have some time to use it as its best potential. The window has to do with how you re-activate the starter. Won't get into ALL that, here.
ANYWAYS, sorry for the rambling, typing while trying to watch the colts game, I made a stiff starter, let it rise, let it collaspe, fed it, and go thru the cycle a couple times. ALL the while, it sits on the counter. You do this, so you know you have a active healthy starter. When it gets to the activeness you want, you can either use it, or like me, put in the fridge. I don't bake as much as Gunnys does, so i fridge mine to slow down the activity. Tho you have to let it warm up, feed it, as to wake it up, before using, if fridged!
SO, after making the stiff starter, and getting ready to put in the fridge, momma and I tasted both. Gunnys' liquid, and the stiff starter, which STARTED with Gunny's liquid. Got some sour with the liquid, but the STIFF, OH MY GOD ! ! ! ! ! was it SOUR ! ! !.
another way to help get more sour, is retarding the dough mixture for a bit, in the fridge. Won't get into all that either.
BUT, for those of you that really want a SOUR sourdough, check out a stiff starter.
here's some links to get you started.
Vlaps recipe. I GOT to make this. This is where I got on the trail of a stiff starter.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/393...baguette-bacon
the rest is just some more info. Its easy enuff, to look around these sites, to further explore.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/696...arter-countter
converting a liquid starter to a stiff starter.
http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/12/07/stiff-starter/
and one more link
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/117...evain#comments
the home links to where i found alot of my info
The Fresh Loaf. This is the forum link, but pretty sure you guys know how to naviagate around a web site. Sourdough Forum, bout halfway down the page.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/forum
No forum, but she has some great info and recipes here. The Wild Yeast. more of a blog, but worth the view.
http://www.wildyeastblog.com/
Mike Avery's sourdough site. No forum, but all these guys are REAL good at answering ANY question you mave have! Mike has he book you can dl for free i believe.
http://www.sourdoughhome.com/index.html
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