Currently writing a guide on sourdough starters; these posts are us working on topics for guide inclusion
The lull after the storm Dec 2016. Nearly Christmas. The lull before the storm. Actually it feels more like the lull after the storm, having just had our second child, and having moved into our new home. So in this lull felt it was high time to press out some words on the lovely WordPress… Continue reading 2016 Re-hydrating
Sourdough is a journey. A journey from a) to b). It begins as a pot of sourdough starter (a) It ends as a loaf of sourdough bread (b) The journey in the depths of a Parisian bake house (France) starts with mother - the chef - that is built up into a Levain, which journeys… Continue reading The Sourdough Journey
Starter hydration has an impact on how you maintain and use your sourdough culture. For example, the other day one wordpress commenter pointed out on my blogpost when is a sourdough starter ready that hydration impacts whether you can successfully use a float test - if for example you have a low hydration, stiff sourdough starter, it won't float… Continue reading Starter Hydration – Liquid, Stiff or somewhere in the middle?
The readiness of a sourdough starter, for baking or otherwise, depends greatly on the age (hours since refreshment) of the starter in it's perpetual cycle of refreshment. Here's a little diagram of this cycle which we will explore in the text below:- How old is your sourdough starter? Your starter cycle begins at hour zero… Continue reading When is a sourdough starter ready?
One of the great things about writing a guide, especially a "how to guide", is learning through doing and then writing about it. A good example is drying and storing a sourdough culture. I've read numerous times about the concept of drying and storing sourdough culture, and indeed have seen dried sourdough culture for sale,… Continue reading Drying and Storing Sourdough Culture
One of the questions I am exploring as part of writing a guide on Sourdough cultures is "what is in a typical sourdough culture?" Magic? No. Micro-organisms? Yes. Lots of micro-organisms; numerous strains with long latin names. But broadly speaking there are two micro-organisms - wild yeasts (the "yeasties") and bacteria (the "beasties"). Although an over… Continue reading Sourdough Culture – What’s in it?
I'm all in a ferment thinking about the simple process of fermentation. To ferment - also read agitation; unrest; excitement; commotion; tumult. Fermentation is a group of living micro organisms (yeasts, molds, and certain bacterias) that can create wonderful exciting food. A sourdough culture (a fermentation of flour and water) is just one example of fermenting, and the one doughies have… Continue reading Fermentation
Sourdough culture awakening in depths of caravan, and wanted to use some culture throw aways = sourdough chapatis.
Flour arrived from our friends at Highland Wholefoods - some lovely Golspie Wholewheat flour from the far North, and some equally lovely Stoates white from the far south of our little island. We also got some Highland rapeseed whilst we were at it from a farm in Aberdeenshire. Love shopping good local food. Started the… Continue reading Wheat Sourdough Starter – Day Zero
Happy new year Doughies followers, wishing you all a happy 2015. 2014 has been a bit quiet on the sourdough front here at doughies owing to current life circumstance, with all our bread making equipment in local storage and life continuing in an oven-less static caravan whilst our house is built, and the wood fired oven… Continue reading 2015 – Project Sourdough Culture
doughies 