This uses the basic sourdough recipe for 2 loaves and adds garlic, rosemary, and cheese.
Basic sourdough bread
1 head garlic
1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
black pepper
Peel the individual garlic cloves, place on oven pan and drizzle with olive oil. Grate black pepper over the cloves. Roast in the oven at 425° for about 20 minutes. An alternate method is to drizzle the entire garlic head with olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil, and roast the head whole. Then, squeeze the garlic out into a paste and use in the bread. The first method results in more brown, chunks of garlic in the bread.
Prepare the sourdough bread, using 1/2 cup of rye flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour in place of 1-1/2 cups of white flour. Crush about 1/3 of the roasted garlic cloves and combine with the dough prior to kneading. Once kneading is nearly complete, combine the rest of the roasted garlic cloves (whole), the rosemary leaves, grated black pepper, and the grated parmesan cheese, in equal amounts in both loaves. Briefly knead and form loaves. Don't over-combine the ingredients so that they are not evenly distributed throughout the loaves. This will create pockets of flavors throughout the bread. Bake as directed.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Cornmeal Pizza Crust
Adapted recipe from the book "Pizzas: The Little Guides". Cornmeal pizza crusts add a different texture and flavor with pizza than regular crusts. This makes 2-12 inch pizza crusts.
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour (plus another 1/2 cup as needed)
1 cup yellow corn meal, plus some for sprinkling
In a small bowl, combine warm water, yeast, oil, and salt. In a large bowl, combine flour and 1 cup of the corn meal. When the yeast mixture is frothy (after about 10 minutes), create a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the yeast mixture into it. Combine the mixture.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead, adding flour as needed to make a fairly stiff dough that is smooth and elastic, 6-10 minutes. Divide in half. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
Grease 2-12 inch pizza pans, sprinkle with corn meal. Roll out each half of the dough into a circle, transfer to the pizza pans. Build up edges of dough slightly. Do not let rise.
Prick the dough with a fork in multiple places in a regular pattern. This will keep the dough from puffing up and distorting. Pre-bake at 425° for 7-9 minutes, until golden brown on the edges. Add toppings, bake for 10-15 minutes more.
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour (plus another 1/2 cup as needed)
1 cup yellow corn meal, plus some for sprinkling
In a small bowl, combine warm water, yeast, oil, and salt. In a large bowl, combine flour and 1 cup of the corn meal. When the yeast mixture is frothy (after about 10 minutes), create a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the yeast mixture into it. Combine the mixture.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead, adding flour as needed to make a fairly stiff dough that is smooth and elastic, 6-10 minutes. Divide in half. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
Grease 2-12 inch pizza pans, sprinkle with corn meal. Roll out each half of the dough into a circle, transfer to the pizza pans. Build up edges of dough slightly. Do not let rise.
Prick the dough with a fork in multiple places in a regular pattern. This will keep the dough from puffing up and distorting. Pre-bake at 425° for 7-9 minutes, until golden brown on the edges. Add toppings, bake for 10-15 minutes more.
Stan's Pizza
Stan's pizza crust
3-4 peeled and chopped Roma tomatoes
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
fresh basil, chopped
Rub garlic in the salt until combined. Chop any remaining garlic and add to the salt. Spread dough on oiled pan. Spread olive oil, and garlic/salt mixture onto crust. Top with tomatoes and cheese. Bake at 400°, near the bottom of the oven for a crisper crust. Garnish with chopped basil.
3-4 peeled and chopped Roma tomatoes
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
fresh basil, chopped
Rub garlic in the salt until combined. Chop any remaining garlic and add to the salt. Spread dough on oiled pan. Spread olive oil, and garlic/salt mixture onto crust. Top with tomatoes and cheese. Bake at 400°, near the bottom of the oven for a crisper crust. Garnish with chopped basil.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Stan's Pizza Crust
My father's pizza dough, which goes with his pizza recipe. Or, use it for other pizzas.
Warm Milk, butter, sugar (not hot), add yeast (keep metal utensils away until yeast bubbles.) Mix in salt then flour. Add more water or flour to make stiff dough. Let rise 15-30 minutes. Spread dough (crust will be thin) on oiled pan.
1/4 cup Milk
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 package yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 package yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour
Warm Milk, butter, sugar (not hot), add yeast (keep metal utensils away until yeast bubbles.) Mix in salt then flour. Add more water or flour to make stiff dough. Let rise 15-30 minutes. Spread dough (crust will be thin) on oiled pan.
Scott's Pizza
This is not a specific recipe, but methods and options for making pizza. The photo shows a pizza with vegetarian sausage, mushroom, and roasted peppers. If you don't have time to make your own crust, there are pre-made doughs or crusts available. Trader Joe's has good refrigerated pizza dough. I've listed some topping combinations that I like, however single topping pizzas are also always good. Also, cheese pizzas, or herb topped pizzas are nice too.
Crust options:
Sourdough Pizza Crust
Stan's Pizza Crust
Cornmeal Pizza Crust
Sauce:
Pizza Sauce
Cheese:
1-2 cups grated low-moisture mozzarella cheese
Topping ideas:
• sliced mushrooms and sliced green olives
• blanched spinach leaves (squeeze out extra moisture), crushed garlic, fresh basil leaves, red pepper flakes
• sliced zucchini and reconstituted sun-dried tomatoes
• sliced yellow, orange, and green bell peppers, topped with pine nuts
• very thinly sliced potatoes, rosemary leaves, black pepper (try this also with just an olive oil base instead of sauce, and no mozzarella. Don't pre-bake the crust and bake this pizza for 25 minutes so potatoes cook).
Prepare the crust on pizza pans as indicated in the crust recipe. Add 8oz pizza sauce, spread evenly on the pizza up to the crust edge. Add mozzarella, then toppings. One trick to making great pizza is not to over-do it with cheese and toppings. Make sure the overall pizza is not too thick - keep a thin layer of toppings and a thin layer of cheese. It's OK to see through the toppings and see through the cheese. This will allow the pizza to cook through to the crust. Also, the toppings should not be too "wet" - too much moisture on top of the pizza will keep it from cooking correctly. For instance, if you use mushrooms, don't rinse them in water but brush them off with a dry brush. I've listed blanched spinach leaves as a possible topping - if you use these, be sure and squeeze out the extra moisture from the leaves after blanching.
Bake at 425° for about 15-20 minutes, until the bottom of the crust is golden brown. You can check the progress by slightly lifting the pizza from one edge with a utensil to view the bottom. For crisper crust, pre-bake the crust for 5 minutes before adding sauce, cheese and toppings.
Pizza Sauce
This is a simple way to make pizza sauce, which I think is better than any pre-made sauces that I've found. This makes enough sauce for 1 12-14 inch pizza. You can experiment with different herbs in the sauce.
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon Herbes de Provence or Tarragon (optional)
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
Combine and let sit in your refrigerator for at least an hour before using.
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon Herbes de Provence or Tarragon (optional)
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
Combine and let sit in your refrigerator for at least an hour before using.
Sourdough Pizza Crust
This recipe makes 2 12-14 inch pizzas. I eliminate the salt and it tastes great without it. The sourdough starter is used for flavor, not for rising. You can let this dough rise however this will add a lot of time to the process.
2 cups sourdough starter
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon yellow corn meal
Mix the ingredients, except the corn meal, in a large glass or ceramic bowl until stiff. Transfer to a floured surface and knead to form smooth dough.
Depending on how much time you have, you can let the dough rest for a few hours, or rise, which will take 6-12 hours. The extra time will create a more sour flavor and will change the dough texture. I usually just let it rest for an hour or so and don't bother with the time for it to rise. If you are short on time you can use it immediately without resting.
Divide dough in half, knead a little more, and flatten with a rolling pin on a floured surface to make it as thin as you like. Be sure it is slightly larger than your pizza pan. Grease the pizza pan with oil, dust with corn meal. Lay the rolled dough onto the pan, and fold overlapping dough over the edge and pinch to form a nice crust edge. Prick the dough with a fork in multiple places in a regular pattern. This will keep the dough from puffing up and distorting.
Add toppings and bake at 425° until the bottom of the crust is golden brown.
For a crisper crust, pre-bake at 400° for about 5 minutes before adding toppings.
Basic Sourdough Bread
This recipe uses the sourdough starter outlined on this site. If you have another starter, you may need to adjust the amount of water or flour depending on the consistency of the starter. Also, proofing and rise times will vary with different starters.
You can substitute whole wheat or rye flour for a portion of the white flour. I reduce the amount of salt to about 3/4 teaspoon, and sometimes add onion powder or another salt 'substitute' to compensate.
1/2 cup sourdough starter
2 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
7 cups unbleached, organic, all-purpose white flour
1. Mix the starter with 1 1/2 cups of flour and 1 cup of water in a large glass or ceramic bowl, with a wooden or plastic utensils. Proof (let stand with a damp cloth cover) for 12 hours at room temperature or 6 hours at 85°.
2. Add 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup water. Mix well. Proof for 12 hours at room temperature or 6 hours at 85° C.
3. Punch down. Dissolve salt in 1 cup of water and add to the dough. Mix in and spoon knead remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, reserving 1 cup for the floured board. When too stiff to mix by hand, transfer to the floured board and knead in remaining flour.
4. Form pan or French loaves and proof them at room temperature or 85° until ready to bake (they should double in bulk in 2-3 hours, if not, you may have an unstable starter. see the starter recipe for more information).
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 375° for 40-45 minutes, or start with a cool oven set at 375° and bake for 50-55 minutes.
6. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.
You can substitute whole wheat or rye flour for a portion of the white flour. I reduce the amount of salt to about 3/4 teaspoon, and sometimes add onion powder or another salt 'substitute' to compensate.
1/2 cup sourdough starter
2 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
7 cups unbleached, organic, all-purpose white flour
1. Mix the starter with 1 1/2 cups of flour and 1 cup of water in a large glass or ceramic bowl, with a wooden or plastic utensils. Proof (let stand with a damp cloth cover) for 12 hours at room temperature or 6 hours at 85°.
2. Add 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup water. Mix well. Proof for 12 hours at room temperature or 6 hours at 85° C.
3. Punch down. Dissolve salt in 1 cup of water and add to the dough. Mix in and spoon knead remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, reserving 1 cup for the floured board. When too stiff to mix by hand, transfer to the floured board and knead in remaining flour.
4. Form pan or French loaves and proof them at room temperature or 85° until ready to bake (they should double in bulk in 2-3 hours, if not, you may have an unstable starter. see the starter recipe for more information).
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 375° for 40-45 minutes, or start with a cool oven set at 375° and bake for 50-55 minutes.
6. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.
Sourdough Starter
Sourdough starter is an alternate to packaged yeast. It can provide better flavor and texture than commercial yeast for breads, pizza crusts, pancakes, etc. There are many methods for making your own starter, I'm describing one method here that I've had success with. It is relatively simple and creates a stable starter that you can keep (with proper maintenance) for years. It does, however, require time and patience to get it established.
Creating the starter
Ingredients:
1 cup white flour, unbleached, organic
3/4 cup water
Tools:
glass or ceramic bowls/containers
wood or plastic spoons (no metal)
Mix vigoriously (to capture air) in a large bowl, cover with a cloth, let stand at room temperature for about 12 hours. Add another cup of flour and 3/4 cup water, mix vigoriously, cover with a cloth, and repeat this every 12 hours for about a week. When the bowl gets a little over 1/2 full, dump about 1/2 of the mixture out just before adding more flour and water. If after a week it has developed a sour (not rotten) smell, and is very bubbly, then you have succeeded. If it doesn't seem 'active' - ie. develops bubbles or foam, keep repeating the process until it does. If it develops mold, the starter is bad and should be discarded. Wash everything and start over. This is pretty much all there is to it.
Many things you read say not to use metal containers or utensils with the starter, there is some issue with the acid of the starter interacting with the metal. I don't know if it is a problem for the utensils or the starter, but I just avoid metal.
What this process does is breed bacteria that like to eat flour. This is yeast. The bacteria comes from the air, from the environment in and around your kitchen. The flour mixture is bombarded with different kinds bacteria as it sits. The bacteria that responds best to the flour will prevail. I don't know all of the science behind the process, but what you end up with is a colony of different kinds of bacteria that like the flour, can maintain a balanced state, and can kill any 'bad' bacteria that will spoil the mixture. This is why it takes time, you are allowing a process to take place where different bacteria grow, fight each other, and the eventual outcome is the bacteria colony that survives best in this environment. The amount and types of bacteria available, the temperature, the humidity, etc, are all factors in this process, which is why it is somewhat unpredictable.
The mixture can develop "hooch", or a liquid that floats on top. This is OK, just mix it in when you add more flour and water.
The way you know if you have been successful is to make some bread. The final rise time will tell you if your yeast is active and stable enough. It should take no longer than 3 hours for the dough to double in size (on the final rise - recipes will follow). If it takes too long, you need to continue the above process until you have an active starter.
This flour/water ratio (1 cup flour to 3/4 cup water) produces a liquid starter, the consistency of thick pancake batter, that is about 48 percent flour and 52 percent water. Some starter methods create a thicker starters (lower percentage of water), and some produce thinner starters. You may have to adapt the amount of water in recipes that you find, depending on the consistency of the starter it was developed for. As you get experience with using the starter, this will become easy - you'll recognize dough that is either too wet or too dry.
If the starter seems overly active, even prior to the week time frame, you may have some 'bad' bacteria, or an unstable 'colony'. Sometimes before the bacteria colony stabilizes you have some overly active bacteria - which isn't necessarily a bad thing but it won't create a stable starter that will keep for a long period of time. If hooch develops quickly, or develops in the middle or bottom of the mixture (not floating on top), this can also indicate an unstable colony. To deal with this, go through the "Washing the starter" process described below. You may have to go through this multiple times. Don't get discouraged - just be patient. Once you the starter is properly established, it is very easy to maintain.
Long term storage and maintenance
Store the starter in a glass container with a loose fitting lid in your refrigerator. Never freeze it. Whenever you use it, add another 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup water to the container, mix vigorously and let it sit out at room temperature for about an hour before putting it back into the refrigerator. If you haven't used the starter for a few weeks, take it out and feed it with the flour/water mixture before returning it to the refrigerator. You may need to dump some of it out prior to feeding.
The starter will likely develop a brownish liquid that floats on top, called "hooch". This is normal - just mix it in before using the starter. Don't dump it out, as this will alter your moisture ratio of the starter.
Washing the starter
Sometimes the starter becomes 'unstable' - this can happen during the initial establishment period, but can happen any time. Unstable starter will either be overly active, to the point where it becomes foamy and expands very rapidly after feeding it, or will be inactive, where it won't cause a prepared loaf to rise to double its size within about 3 hours. The starter may also develop a bad smell, which indicates contaminants have overcome the desired bacteria. To deal with this, reserve 1 cup of the starter, dump everything else out, and wash the container. Then add 1 cup of flour and 3/4 cup water to the mixture, and start the 'creating the starter' process again. You may have to go through this process a few times - this is a way to encourage the good bacteria that really likes to eat flour to overtake the bad or unstable bacteria.
Type of flour
I've indicated using an organic, unbleached white flour in the starter. You can use any flour you like, however keep in mind that your starter culture will be created to prefer the type of flour that you use. So if you maintain your starter with the type of flour that you use most often, it should work best for you. I've read about people who have different starters for different types of flour, which for me is too complicated. Using a white flour starter in recipes for whole wheat, rye, and other flours seems to work OK.
Always use organic ingredients in your starter, so your chances of killing your good bacteria with unwanted chemicals in the flour are lessened.
Other ingredients
As mentioned earlier, there are many different methods for creating a dough starter. Here is a discussion of some other common methods, and why I've chosen to stick with this simple flour/water method:
• commercial packaged yeast: some starter recipes have you add fast acting yeast. This speeds up the process of creating a starter, however won't produce a starter that will stay consistent over a long period of time. Commercial yeast is developed to act quickly for a one-time use, but won't stabilize through multiple feeding cycles. Over time, the wild yeast (bacteria from your environment) will overtake the fast acting yeast and you'll end up with the same starter as if you never used the commercial yeast. There may be an unstable period as this process occurs, which is why I start with wild yeast from the beginning.
• other sourdough starters: you can purchase established yeast or starters to use yourself. As with the commercial yeast method, over time your local, wild yeast will most likely overtake the foreign yeast, and you'll likely end up with a starter of wild yeast.
* grapes: some recipes start with grapes. There is apparently a bacteria on organic grapes that can create a fairly fast acting yeast with good flavor. However, unless you constantly feed your starter with the grapes, it will transition to the local wild yeast starter, and possibly go through a period of instability as this happens. Also, a yeast the prefers grapes over flour will not likely result in the best starter for any bread recipe.
Its the same issue with other ingredients in the starter. Over the long term, you'll most likely end up with a starter consisting of your local, wild yeast from your local environment, no matter how you start the starter. Also, by keeping a colony of yeast that prefers just flour, this will work best as a general starter.
Flavor
I've found that the flavor of my starter is good, however isn't necessarily the flavor I associate with sourdough breads that are purchased. I've read about different methods for making breads with a more sour flavor, such as adding rye flour, adding citric acid, adding vitamin C, proofing the dough at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time, etc. I haven't tried these methods yet, but would love to hear if someone has.
Other information
There is so much information available on sourdough baking that it is overwhelming. At some point I'll post links to sites that I've found useful; also, I'd love to hear from people who have their own experience with sourdough baking.
Creating the starter
Ingredients:
1 cup white flour, unbleached, organic
3/4 cup water
Tools:
glass or ceramic bowls/containers
wood or plastic spoons (no metal)
Mix vigoriously (to capture air) in a large bowl, cover with a cloth, let stand at room temperature for about 12 hours. Add another cup of flour and 3/4 cup water, mix vigoriously, cover with a cloth, and repeat this every 12 hours for about a week. When the bowl gets a little over 1/2 full, dump about 1/2 of the mixture out just before adding more flour and water. If after a week it has developed a sour (not rotten) smell, and is very bubbly, then you have succeeded. If it doesn't seem 'active' - ie. develops bubbles or foam, keep repeating the process until it does. If it develops mold, the starter is bad and should be discarded. Wash everything and start over. This is pretty much all there is to it.
Many things you read say not to use metal containers or utensils with the starter, there is some issue with the acid of the starter interacting with the metal. I don't know if it is a problem for the utensils or the starter, but I just avoid metal.
What this process does is breed bacteria that like to eat flour. This is yeast. The bacteria comes from the air, from the environment in and around your kitchen. The flour mixture is bombarded with different kinds bacteria as it sits. The bacteria that responds best to the flour will prevail. I don't know all of the science behind the process, but what you end up with is a colony of different kinds of bacteria that like the flour, can maintain a balanced state, and can kill any 'bad' bacteria that will spoil the mixture. This is why it takes time, you are allowing a process to take place where different bacteria grow, fight each other, and the eventual outcome is the bacteria colony that survives best in this environment. The amount and types of bacteria available, the temperature, the humidity, etc, are all factors in this process, which is why it is somewhat unpredictable.
The mixture can develop "hooch", or a liquid that floats on top. This is OK, just mix it in when you add more flour and water.
The way you know if you have been successful is to make some bread. The final rise time will tell you if your yeast is active and stable enough. It should take no longer than 3 hours for the dough to double in size (on the final rise - recipes will follow). If it takes too long, you need to continue the above process until you have an active starter.
This flour/water ratio (1 cup flour to 3/4 cup water) produces a liquid starter, the consistency of thick pancake batter, that is about 48 percent flour and 52 percent water. Some starter methods create a thicker starters (lower percentage of water), and some produce thinner starters. You may have to adapt the amount of water in recipes that you find, depending on the consistency of the starter it was developed for. As you get experience with using the starter, this will become easy - you'll recognize dough that is either too wet or too dry.
If the starter seems overly active, even prior to the week time frame, you may have some 'bad' bacteria, or an unstable 'colony'. Sometimes before the bacteria colony stabilizes you have some overly active bacteria - which isn't necessarily a bad thing but it won't create a stable starter that will keep for a long period of time. If hooch develops quickly, or develops in the middle or bottom of the mixture (not floating on top), this can also indicate an unstable colony. To deal with this, go through the "Washing the starter" process described below. You may have to go through this multiple times. Don't get discouraged - just be patient. Once you the starter is properly established, it is very easy to maintain.
Long term storage and maintenance
Store the starter in a glass container with a loose fitting lid in your refrigerator. Never freeze it. Whenever you use it, add another 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup water to the container, mix vigorously and let it sit out at room temperature for about an hour before putting it back into the refrigerator. If you haven't used the starter for a few weeks, take it out and feed it with the flour/water mixture before returning it to the refrigerator. You may need to dump some of it out prior to feeding.
The starter will likely develop a brownish liquid that floats on top, called "hooch". This is normal - just mix it in before using the starter. Don't dump it out, as this will alter your moisture ratio of the starter.
Washing the starter
Sometimes the starter becomes 'unstable' - this can happen during the initial establishment period, but can happen any time. Unstable starter will either be overly active, to the point where it becomes foamy and expands very rapidly after feeding it, or will be inactive, where it won't cause a prepared loaf to rise to double its size within about 3 hours. The starter may also develop a bad smell, which indicates contaminants have overcome the desired bacteria. To deal with this, reserve 1 cup of the starter, dump everything else out, and wash the container. Then add 1 cup of flour and 3/4 cup water to the mixture, and start the 'creating the starter' process again. You may have to go through this process a few times - this is a way to encourage the good bacteria that really likes to eat flour to overtake the bad or unstable bacteria.
Type of flour
I've indicated using an organic, unbleached white flour in the starter. You can use any flour you like, however keep in mind that your starter culture will be created to prefer the type of flour that you use. So if you maintain your starter with the type of flour that you use most often, it should work best for you. I've read about people who have different starters for different types of flour, which for me is too complicated. Using a white flour starter in recipes for whole wheat, rye, and other flours seems to work OK.
Always use organic ingredients in your starter, so your chances of killing your good bacteria with unwanted chemicals in the flour are lessened.
Other ingredients
As mentioned earlier, there are many different methods for creating a dough starter. Here is a discussion of some other common methods, and why I've chosen to stick with this simple flour/water method:
• commercial packaged yeast: some starter recipes have you add fast acting yeast. This speeds up the process of creating a starter, however won't produce a starter that will stay consistent over a long period of time. Commercial yeast is developed to act quickly for a one-time use, but won't stabilize through multiple feeding cycles. Over time, the wild yeast (bacteria from your environment) will overtake the fast acting yeast and you'll end up with the same starter as if you never used the commercial yeast. There may be an unstable period as this process occurs, which is why I start with wild yeast from the beginning.
• other sourdough starters: you can purchase established yeast or starters to use yourself. As with the commercial yeast method, over time your local, wild yeast will most likely overtake the foreign yeast, and you'll likely end up with a starter of wild yeast.
* grapes: some recipes start with grapes. There is apparently a bacteria on organic grapes that can create a fairly fast acting yeast with good flavor. However, unless you constantly feed your starter with the grapes, it will transition to the local wild yeast starter, and possibly go through a period of instability as this happens. Also, a yeast the prefers grapes over flour will not likely result in the best starter for any bread recipe.
Its the same issue with other ingredients in the starter. Over the long term, you'll most likely end up with a starter consisting of your local, wild yeast from your local environment, no matter how you start the starter. Also, by keeping a colony of yeast that prefers just flour, this will work best as a general starter.
Flavor
I've found that the flavor of my starter is good, however isn't necessarily the flavor I associate with sourdough breads that are purchased. I've read about different methods for making breads with a more sour flavor, such as adding rye flour, adding citric acid, adding vitamin C, proofing the dough at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time, etc. I haven't tried these methods yet, but would love to hear if someone has.
Other information
There is so much information available on sourdough baking that it is overwhelming. At some point I'll post links to sites that I've found useful; also, I'd love to hear from people who have their own experience with sourdough baking.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Eddie's Banana-Date Bread
This is Eddie's famous banana bread. Note that this is a vegan recipe, so it has no eggs or other dairy products. Also, it has no added sugar - the bananas and dates provide sweetness. Raisins can be a substitute for the dates. Here are the ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup oat bran
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 bananas, very ripe, chopped
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup grated citrus rind
Preheat oven to 375°. Grease and flour 2 bread pans.
Mix flour, oat bran, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg together in a mixing bowl, by hand. In a separate mixing bowl, mix water, lemon juice, bananas, dates, walnuts, and rind, also by hand. Pour banana mixture into flour mixture, mix by hand until just combined but still lumpy. Don't over mix. Pour into bread pans and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a knife comes clean when inserted into the loaves.
Changes/substitutions: use a combination of whole wheat and white flours, add millet for texture and flavor, raisins instead of dates, oat meal instead of oat bran, or add some sour dough starter for flavor. Honey or brown sugar can be added for additional sweetness. Be sure and adjust moisture content as needed when making substitutions.
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup oat bran
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 bananas, very ripe, chopped
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup grated citrus rind
Preheat oven to 375°. Grease and flour 2 bread pans.
Mix flour, oat bran, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg together in a mixing bowl, by hand. In a separate mixing bowl, mix water, lemon juice, bananas, dates, walnuts, and rind, also by hand. Pour banana mixture into flour mixture, mix by hand until just combined but still lumpy. Don't over mix. Pour into bread pans and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a knife comes clean when inserted into the loaves.
Changes/substitutions: use a combination of whole wheat and white flours, add millet for texture and flavor, raisins instead of dates, oat meal instead of oat bran, or add some sour dough starter for flavor. Honey or brown sugar can be added for additional sweetness. Be sure and adjust moisture content as needed when making substitutions.
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