.jpg)
Experimenting with feeding sourdough starter - getting it to double in size
Some bakers won't make sourdough unless their starter doubles in size after being fed. I'm not one of those bakers, I've been using sourdough starter since before facebook was a thing, so I didn't know all of these rules until recently. :-)
But since it was such a big deal for so many sourdough groups, I started experimenting on different methods to get that "more than double" result - mostly because I was curious. But also, because facebook can make you insecure & feel like you aren't doing it right, no matter how much experience you may have.
I tried different flours, different temperatures, exact weights, and most successful- much less water.
Contrary to everything I learned about protein content in flours, exact measurements, and warming mats - my starter doubled fastest when I used plain old all purpose flour and very little water. I did not weigh or measure anything. I just added about 2x as much flour as starter, then added a few drops of water. Very thick. Almost dough thick.
It tripled in size in about 2 hours, in a rather cold kitchen.
As I have been giving out more and more sourdough starter recently, I've been giving copies of my Sour Notes Journal to some of my friends and family, along with it. This is page 2, telling them a bit about my sourdough journey.
=====================
Adventures In Sourdough
The Later Years
When I was in my 20s and 30s, I often had sourdough starter. Most I started from scratch. I never took it all that seriously, it was just something I made occasionally, then forgot about, tossed, and came back to a few years later.
Unlike many others, I did not take up sourdough baking during the pandemic. I was too busy delving into stories of local history, and going on long walks around the farm.
Then in 2023 I decided I wanted to try sourdough again. I asked around, and found a friend who had an old starter from her grandmother. She gladly shared it with me. 30 years ago, I had to go to the library to find sourdough recipes—today they are in my facebook feed nearly every other post. And boy do people have OPINONS about how you “must” handle and use sourdough. It really was all much easier before the internet.
As you probably know, if you are reading this, the second someone tells me I cannot do something a certain way, I feel the need to test it. That quickly became exhausting in the facebook age of sourdough. Everyone just has so very many opinions on what you can and cannot do.
I spent a lot of time researching, and I continue to do so. Only because I find it interesting. Not because I take it too seriously.
Sourdough IS Science. But that may not mean what you think it means. The definition of science is:
“the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and the testing of theories against the evidence obtained. “
In other words, it’s going to take some observation, and experimentation, to figure out sourdough. There is no short cut, no perfect manual, no one recipe that will always turn out perfect for everyone.
It’s just flour, water, and salt. It’s science, but not rocket science.
You’re just going to have to make the bread. And then make it again. And then make some changes, and make it again.
If it’s not fun—then just go to the store, or bakery, and buy it.
These pages are my saved notes, saved recipes, trials and errors. Some of it is my info, much of it is saved from others. It’s as much a sourdough diary as a cookbook.
====================
See more of my adventures in Sourdough here:
No comments:
Post a Comment