Sourdough

bookworm1 · July 12, 2019, 08:38:19 PM

Quote from: Run Amok on July 11, 2019, 06:22:29 PM
I know the feeling!

Funny story: I started making bread because my husband has memories of the little bread you get at breakfast in Germany and he loves them so much and you just can't find anything like that here. So, after trying every roll in town I started making my own. Then chery convinced me to try the sourdough. So, I no longer make little rolls.

I'm switching to the little rolls because we almost never finish a loaf before it goes bad so I want something with a longer shelf life or that I can freeze some of. The sourdough is addicting.

CheryG · July 14, 2019, 09:56:53 AM

I just slice the loaf and freeze it so I can pull out slices whenever i want.

Ok folks, packaging presentation question!
Currently I put the loaf in a plastic bag, then into a kraft paper gift bag with handles, and slap my label on that. I need to get more of the gift bags so am considering options...

I could go with the same, or...

linen bags, hand stamped "logo" on it
wrapped in kraft paper, tied with string, again i could stamp the logo on it.

Which sounds better, as a gift?

I like the idea of the linen bag, but it seems wasteful to me, unless reused.

rocketgirl · July 15, 2019, 03:57:50 PM

I like the nice paper bags with handles. I feel guilty about having linen bags or whathaveyou that are hard to re-use - they don't stand up and really only fit a couple of books or spare pair of shoes - just not useful. Plus the nice paper bags stand up by themselves on gift tables or under the Christmas tree. I totally re-use those for gift bags, whether or not they have a logo on them that has anything to do with the gift I'm giving. (Note I just spent 5 years in a relationship with a man who uses duct tape on gift packages, so what is reusable got skewed a bit.)

Run Amok · July 15, 2019, 04:13:07 PM

I like the craft paper wrapping idea. Plastic ruins your crust.

CheryG · July 15, 2019, 11:55:49 PM

Quote from: Run Amok on July 15, 2019, 04:13:07 PM
I like the craft paper wrapping idea. Plastic ruins your crust.

Good point. When I give a loaf out that's been baked the same day I just put it in the kraft bag and twistie a plastic one to the handle for later. IMO, past 6 hour or so, plastic is actually the way to go to keep it fresher. The crust can be revived.

CheryG · July 16, 2019, 02:34:22 PM

Sourdough hack if you bake in a hot dutch oven on parchment...

Go buy a grill mat that is rated for 500F and above.

Cut the grill mat to fit the bottom of your dutch oven, but leave two tabs on either side to lower the dough into the oven.

I saw one on a FB group so made one and wow does it work slick!

Run Amok · July 16, 2019, 02:35:46 PM

Do you use the grill mat instead of parchment?

CheryG · July 16, 2019, 04:11:21 PM

Yes. It's easier to lower it in without burning oneself, and totally eliminates any parchment paper wrinkles along the side of the loaf. Woot!

Helps to dust the bottom of the loaf before inverting onto the grill mat, just in case you need to center it better.

Run Amok · August 12, 2019, 11:19:00 AM

Well, after a long hiatus, I have the Atine recipe working now. Hopefully Donovan is still hail & healthy (I did 3 days of feeding every 12 hours).

BW how's your sourdough coming along?

ETA today's effort. The first time I've baked in that dutch oven I bought. I guess I bought too large a size. Oopsie! Still turned out better than my previous improvisations though!

Run Amok · August 15, 2019, 04:38:54 PM

Quote from: CheryG on July 16, 2019, 02:34:22 PM
Sourdough hack if you bake in a hot dutch oven on parchment...

Go buy a grill mat that is rated for 500F and above.

Cut the grill mat to fit the bottom of your dutch oven, but leave two tabs on either side to lower the dough into the oven.

I saw one on a FB group so made one and wow does it work slick!

Can I see a pic of your grill mat?

Run Amok · August 16, 2019, 01:01:29 PM

Me again on bake day. Buying a dutch oven was definitely a game changer. Maybe next I'll get crazy and buy a banneton.

I used the Josh Weissman "no knead sourdough" recipe which is like 5 minutes of kneading and then 3 stretch & folds then form loaves and into fridge for 14 hours then straight into the oven. I think it was probably a little under proofed which is why it exploded all over the place despite my slashes. Also, a little under baked I think.

diablita · August 16, 2019, 04:16:47 PM

it's gorgeous though. bet it smelled fab out of the oven.

CheryG · August 16, 2019, 04:54:39 PM

It's beautiful! I like the exploded look.

The grill mats, cut down...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/CheryG/20190816_163227_zpsuv7q4f6m.jpg

CheryG · August 16, 2019, 07:11:20 PM

Has anyone else been getting ads for Challenger Breadware?

It's a beautiful pot, but $185? Oh my. I iist ordered a camp Chef 13" square DO for less than $50.

Run Amok · August 17, 2019, 02:48:57 PM

I looked that up Chery, they look cool but single use items are tough in my tiny kitchen!

Run Amok · August 19, 2019, 01:28:20 PM

So, my starter never really does the "double in 4 hours" thing although it definitely rises bread, obviously. So, in order to give it a little kick-start, I decided to go back to feeding it on whole wheat and feed it at 12 or less hour intervals to see if I could get it really rip-roaring. Well, it started to smell really badly (like eggs). I did some research and wrote in to KA and the consensus from everything I could find was that my starter had become infected with something & I should toss it.

I was struggling a little with that because DH *named* our starter and he always asks if our bread is from Donovan. I know.. silly. But there you have it.

So, I decided not to kill Donovan just yet and to try and start a new starter and see what would happen. Well. It was very active straight out of the gate but OMG by day two, it smelled and looked putrid. Just awful. Like gagworthy.

So, I've concluded it was something to do with the flour and after some MORE reading-- I've seen that others have had the same problem with whole wheat. So, I went and got some rye flour & I am now feeding both starters with that. Donovan is already smelling better. The other one is a little better but not 100%.

The trials of keeping a living colony happy!

CheryG · August 21, 2019, 08:59:09 PM

Oh my!!!!!!!! Is the new flour still better?

Run Amok · August 21, 2019, 09:31:58 PM

Yes! But it's taken all week?

CheryG · August 22, 2019, 02:07:50 PM

That's crazy. So strange! I keep meaning to dry some starter as a backup of something like that ever happens. Maybe you've inspired me to get going on that.

bookworm1 · August 27, 2019, 02:26:04 PM

Quote from: Run Amok on August 12, 2019, 11:19:00 AM
Well, after a long hiatus, I have the Atine recipe working now. Hopefully Donovan is still hail & healthy (I did 3 days of feeding every 12 hours).

BW how's your sourdough coming along?

ETA today's effort. The first time I've baked in that dutch oven I bought. I guess I bought too large a size. Oopsie! Still turned out better than my previous improvisations though!

I haven't done much baking the past month-ish. My starter is limping along in the fridge at the moment. I did do an 12 hour fermented (that actually ended up closer to 18 hours because I had a doctors appointment and was gone longer than I thought I would be)no knead bread a week or so ago. It was pretty good. I topped it with some trader joes everything bagel seasoning for fun. The 18 hour is nice because it gets a bit of the sourdough tang and the texture is dense and chewy like a sourdough but it takes very little work. I would probably skip the seasoning, it was good, but really messy. Sadly, the dog broke into the bin on the counter and ate the rest of it so we only got one serving. She has a weakness for bread products and will find them in all sorts of places we thought were out of her reach.