Bread Thread

With the weather cooling down and settling back into the routine of the school year, I'm back to baking most weekends. A fresh loaf brings me a lot of joy.
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These are 75% hydration, mostly Cairnspring Glacier Peak, but with 10% dark rye and 10% red fife
 
Started a new starter 5 days ago. A couple of times there has been liquid on the top, I just pour it off along with half of the starter before I feed it. It does look gross and almost looks like oil.

I assume it's that I just should have feed it earlier.. hopefully it should be ready to use tomorrow or soon. I'm just following the King Arthur recipe and it says it takes about a week or so!

Sorry Zak, I killed the starter you started me with since I took to long a break from making bread. Hopefully mine will grow to what yours was with time, plus I really wanted to try the process out. And it allowed me to buy some King Arthur whole wheat flour...20231014_084125.jpg

Cheers!
 
Started a new starter 5 days ago. A couple of times there has been liquid on the top, I just pour it off along with half of the starter before I feed it. It does look gross and almost looks like oil.

I assume it's that I just should have feed it earlier.. hopefully it should be ready to use tomorrow or soon. I'm just following the King Arthur recipe and it says it takes about a week or so!

Sorry Zak, I killed the starter you started me with since I took to long a break from making bread. Hopefully mine will grow to what yours was with time, plus I really wanted to try the process out. And it allowed me to buy some King Arthur whole wheat flour...View attachment 86006

Cheers!
It's great that you are staying with it, Bill! I have restarted with my starter a few times when it got gross from neglect and I think that's fine. Though they do come back from surprisingly old, unfed remnants.
 
I'm on my 3rd starter, killed it twice from neglect. Research into the living bacteria/yeast in starters suggests that anything past a month or two old is the same as a starter that is years old given the same location and flour used and that people just like their old starters because they get emotionally attached.

@flybill I can't tell if you are feeding with purely bread flour or not, but I find my starter to be happiest with a mix of 70% bread flour and 30% whole grain flour (I use rye, but any whole grain works). I make 1000g mix at a time so I don't have to measure 2 flours each feeding.
 
I'm on my 3rd starter, killed it twice from neglect. Research into the living bacteria/yeast in starters suggests that anything past a month or two old is the same as a starter that is years old given the same location and flour used and that people just like their old starters because they get emotionally attached.

@flybill I can't tell if you are feeding with purely bread flour or not, but I find my starter to be happiest with a mix of 70% bread flour and 30% whole grain flour (I use rye, but any whole grain works). I make 1000g mix at a time so I don't have to measure 2 flours each feeding.
I started it with whole wheat flour, but am just using up my King Arthur bread flour. Might get some rye flour next..
 
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Started my starter 10 days ago.. first loaf in the oven! Thanks @Zak and so many others.. will post a few more pictures when its done!
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I'm glad you are staying with it, Bill! I haven't baked bread in too long...
Too be honest I've been making bread since I was a kid. Just not with a sourdough starter. My loaf turned out fantastic! Not golden enough and the fact I used whole wheat flour to start it and then a percent of it to feed it. I also put some roasted garlic powder in this recipe.

Texture is fantastic! It tastes great too. Not tangy as it's a young starter. It's very dense too!

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Too be honest I've been making bread since I was a kid. Just not with a sourdough starter. My loaf turned out fantastic! Not golden enough and the fact I used whole wheat flour to start it and then a percent of it to feed it. I also put some roasted garlic powder in this recipe.

Texture is fantastic! It tastes great too. Not tangy as it's a young starter. It's very dense too!

View attachment 87643View attachment 87644View attachment 87645
I still make dough in the bread bowl my mom used when I was a baby, that my godmother made. I remember being excited to "punch down" the yeasted loaves.
 
I still make dough in the bread bowl my mom used when I was a baby, that my godmother made. I remember being excited to "punch down" the yeasted loaves.
I remember that bowl when you gave me the starter and we hung out and drank so Red Breast 12! In addition to be "dense" it's very chewy and does have a little bit of tangy taste too it. I'm going to feed the starter a combination of bread flour and whole wheat flour too. King Arthur of course!
 
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I remember that bowl when you gave me the starter and we hung out and drank so Red Breast 12! In addition to be "dense" it's very chewy and does have a little bit of tangy taste too it. I'm going to feed the starter a combination of bread flour and whole wheat flour too. King Arthur of course!
I find the tang increases significantly if I put the dough in the fridge overnight before baking. Give it a try!
 
I find the tang increases significantly if I put the dough in the fridge overnight before baking. Give it a try!
I will, I started the loaf last night and let it proof overnight. Kneaded it a couple of times before I headed out today. Kneaded it before making dinner and then let it proof up for a few hours. Baked it at 400 for about 50 minutes total. Let it rest.

Next time I'll let it ferment in the fridge for a few days. Did that with pizza dough a while back!
 
King Arthur All Purpose flour is on sale for $4.99! I bought one but will stock up later this week!
 
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