The Leaven

From "The Fresh Loaf" at http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/233.

I have been baking with wild yeast sourdough for the past 5 years. It all began when I purchased a starter from Sourdoughs International. One starter led to another starter, until I had 5 different ones. Recently, I felt up to the challenge of making my own wild yeast starter from scratch. I had tried this once before, many years ago, with no success at all. At that time I knew next to nothing about wild yeast and how it works.

This starter recipe is awesome because it really works, and it explains why it works. The starter I made is very good. The flavor is amazing and it rises very well. I purchased rye and wheat berries at my local health food store and ground them in a coffee grinder to make flour for my starter. It was kind of tedious to grind but I only needed a few tablespoons. I'm sure that you could just buy freshly milled flour at the health food store and it would work just as well. The wild yeast is on the grains and you just need to provide the right conditons to wake it up.

Procedure for Making Sourdough Starter

Day 1: mix...
2 T. whole grain flour (rye and/or wheat)
2 T. unsweetened pineapple juice or orange juice
Cover and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

Day 2: add...
2 T. whole grain flour
2 T. juice
Stir well, cover and let sit at room temperature 24 hours. At day 2 you may (or may not) start to see some small bubbles.

Day 3: add...
2 T. whole grain flour
2 T. juice
Stir well, cover and let sit at room temperature 24 hours.

Starter at Day 3:

Day 4:
Stir down, measure out 1/4 cup and discard the rest.
To the 1/4 cup add...
1/4 cup flour*
1/4 cup filtered or spring water

*You can feed the starter whatever type of flour you want at this point (unbleached white, whole wheat, rye). If you are new to sourdough, a white starter is probably the best choice. All-purpose flour is fine--a high protein flour is not necessary.

Repeat Day 4:
Once daily until the mixture starts to expand and smell yeasty. It is not unusual for the mixture to get very bubbly around Day 3 or 4 and then go completely flat and appear dead. If the mixture does not start to grow again by Day 6, add 1/4 tsp. apple cider vinegar with the daily feeding. This will lower the pH level a bit more and it should wake up the yeast.

Starter at Day 7:

How it Works

The yeast we are trying to cultivate will only become active when the environment is right. When you mix flour and water together, you end up with a mixture that is close to neutral in pH, and our yeasties need it a bit more on the acid side. This is why we are using the acidic fruit juice. There are other microbes in the flour that prefer a more neutral pH, and so they are the first to wake up and grow. Some will produce acids as by-products. That helps to lower the pH to the point that they can no longer grow, until the environment is just right for wild yeast to activate. The length of time it takes for this to happen varies.

When using just flour and water, many will grow a gas-producing bacteria that slows down the process. It can raise the starter to three times its volume in a relatively short time. Don't worry--it is harmless. It is a bacteria sometimes used in other food fermentations like cheeses, and it is in the environment, including wheat fields and flours. It does not grow at a low pH, and the fruit juices keep the pH low enough to by-pass it. Things will still progress, but this is the point at which people get frustrated and quit, because the gassy bacteria stop growing. It will appear that the "yeast" died on you, when in fact, you haven't begun to grow yeast yet. When the pH drops below 3.5--4 or so, the yeast will activate, begin to grow, and the starter will expand again. You just need to keep it fed and cared for until then.

Once your wild yeast is growing, the character and flavor will improve if you continue to give it daily feedings and keep it at room temperature for a couple of weeks longer.
After that time, it should be kept in the refrigerator between uses/feedings.

Originally posted to LJ's The_Leaven community on February 26, 2007 by Winterlion.

This recipe is from "Extending the Table" (Joetta Handrich Schlabach) but as per usual I like to make small and large changes. As an aside this cookbook has been a lifesaver for me for years as - I've been so poor as to make even the purchase of flour a welcome luxury. As it contains many "third world" recipes, I adapted as I could and survived for years on that fare...

Spicy Tea Bread (from Ethiopia)
Ambesha - according to the writeup, Ethiopians serve Ambesha and sweet, spiced tea as refreshments for meetings and social gatherings. A delightfully spicy yeast bread.

Dissolve in 1/2 cup (125mL) warm water: 1 T active dry yeast.
Set in warm place until foamy and doubled in bulk. (just a few minutes if kitchen is nice and warm)
Add 1 1/2 cups (375mL) warm water.

Stir in:
2 T. ground coriander (30 mL)
1 t. ground cardamom (5 mL)
1/2 t. white or black pepper (2 mL) (I've never tried green pepper but both are nice)
2 t. salt (mmm sea salt) (10 mL)
1/2 cup margarine (125 mL) - I usually substitute with olive oil. It already has salt - otherwise add in a bit extra. Adding a touch of sesame oil makes for a nice flavour as well. Perhaps a bit earthy but I like earthy :)
1 t. fenugreek (5 mL) (optional) - and this really is optional. It is quite nice though.

4.5 - 5 cups flour (rough measure) (1.1-1.3 L)
add 1/2 cup (125 mL) at a time, mixing carefully until dough forms a soft ball. Now I've tried various flours but using white flour tends to be the simplest.
Knead 5 minutes, adding flour if necessary. Spread out on a round pizza pan (or cookie tray *grin*), stretching dough to reach edges. Let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk. Bake in 350 degree oven (180 degree C) 30 minutes or until done. Baked bread will only be a couple of inches high.

While loaf is hot, spread top with:
2 T margarine (30 mL) - I use butter. Or olive oil + dusting of salt - or skip the salt if I use these spices.
dashes of Berbere or ground red pepper (entirely optional)

Berbere - now this is just a simple substitute. I've never tried the authentic and I will warn - this is rather quite hot.
1 t. ground ginger (5 mL)
3 T. ground red peppers (45 mL)+ - I used cayenne. Chile peppers are probably a better choice.
1/4 t. ground cloves (1 mL)
1/2 t. ground cinnamon

T = tablespoon. I just grab a tablespoon from my drawer...
t = teaspoon. Coffee spoons are a bit small.
c = cup but I usually just write this in full.

Without the Berbere spice it's a rich, flavourful bread that's best fresh. It has an "earthy" flavour even without modifications... I've tried this at various times with rye flour (needs the berbere, it's very strongly rye flavoured), whole wheat (yum!) and various blends of random flours such as chana (pea) flour. It's all good :)
With the Berbere spicing, it's perhaps most comfortable for those used to hot and spicy foods. One time I served it fresh, a flat of butter and a bowl of Berbere spice to dip... HOT - but yummy with a nice big pot of sweet tea.

Oh - much as I'd love to I haven't played with the spicing at all in the basic recipe. I usually add a little extra salt but as I substitute various oils ... it makes sense.

Originally posted to LJ's The_Leaven community on February 18, 2007 by TrystInn.

From "Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen"

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbs sesame seeds
1 tbs poppy seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup olive oil

In a bowl, combine the flour, seeds, salt, baking powder and pepper. Add the water and 1/4 cup of the olive oil and mix by hand until a dough is formed. Knead the dough for 3 to 4 minutes. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rest for half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 8 pieces. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each piece into a 6-inch round about 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured work surface.

For each flatbread, heat 1 tbs of the remaining olive oil in a skillet over a medium-high heat, then panfry the flatbread until golden brown, about 1 minute, flip, and place in the oven until the other side is golden and the bread is cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Repeat for the remaining flatbreads.

Originally posted February 18, 2007 by TrystInn

From "The Gourmet Slow Cooker: Volume II"

This is an interesting recipe, as it uses a slow cooker (i.e. crock pot).

Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 tsp salt
2 tsps baking soda
1 cup currants (optional)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
1/2 tsp ground allspice (optional)
2 eggs
2/3 cup molasses
2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup honey

Rremove one end from two (1-pound) coffee cans. Clean and grease thoroughly. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking soda, currants, cinammon, and allspice, if desired. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then whisk in the wet ingedients until thoroughly incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared coffee cans. The cans should be about two-thirds full to allow for expansion during cooking. Tightly cover the top of each can with aluminum foil. Place the cans in the slow cooker and pour water halfway up their sides. Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the tops of the loaves puff slightly and a knife or skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Remove the coffee cans ffrom the slow cooker and allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Turn the cans upside down and gently shake out the bread; it should slide out easily.

Enjoy!

Originally posted to LJ's The_Leaven community on January 7, 2007 by TrystInn.

Easy Focacia Bread

1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast
1 1/3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Recipe


1. In a large stoneware bowl, stir together the flours and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Sprinkle the sugar and yeast into that well. Carefully pour the water into the well. Let stand until the yeast begins to act, about 5 minutes. Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into the well. With a wooden spoon stir the mixture in the center of the bowl. Gradually widen the circle of stirring to take in all of the flour at the sides of the well.

2. Turn out on a floured surface, and knead just until smooth. Keep the dough soft. Pour 1/2 teaspoon of the oil into a clean bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, turning once to oil the top. Cover. Let rise until doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.

3. Punch the dough down. Use 1 teaspoon of the oil to coat a baking sheet, and place the dough on the baking sheet. Gently press the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Pour the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil over the top of the dough. Use the handle end of a wooden spoon to dimple the dough at 1 1/2 inch intervals. Sprinkle with the rosemary and the cheese. Place in a cold oven on the center shelf. Place a flat pan of hot water on the shelf below the bread. Let rise until doubled, 20 to 25 minutes.

4. Turn on the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake the focaccia for 20 to 25 minutes, or until browned on top. Remove from the pan, and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.
Tags: focacia

Originally posted to LJ's The_Leave on July 26, 2006 by Mzwyndi.

I love my breadmaker. Love it. It makes keeping up with sourdough so much easier, because you can realistically *do* a loaf a day. But, since my water's chlorinated, I have *issues* with keeping a starter alive. Here's my workaround: I totally cheat.

For the starter:
1 c. milk
1 c. flour
1 pkg yeast

I warm my milk up in the microwave to take the chill off of it, add the flour to moderate temperature, and then add the yeast to the whole thing. Let it sit for at least 24 hours; stir. Add 1 c. milk and 1 c. of flour; stir. Let sit another 24. At this point, I've got the "sour" smell going and the starter is nice and bubbly. (Compare to seven days for most sourdough starter recipes that use wild starter. Of course, you're only keeping a living culture of the yeast that came in the packet, but the yeast-plus-warm-milk still gets a nice tangy flavor.)

For the breadmaker recipe:

1 c. starter
2 tsp. butter
2 c. flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Add to pan in order listed. Set the breadmaker on a standard white bread cycle and let it run through the first "knead" cycle. Hit "stop" at the end of kneading. Re-set the bread machine for a timed white bread cycle... allow at least eight hours before it will begin to work the dough again. The result is a small loaf, of course, with a delicate crumb and a nice tangy sour flavor.

Originally posted to LJ's The_Leaven community on July 21, 2006 by Bunnysidhe.

DISCLAIMER: All measurements are in grams. You can go to any number of conversion websites to try to convert them into cups and spoon measurements, but please be aware that the measurements will not be exact and you will need to make adjustments. Converting from grams
to cups is not an exact science, but If anyone wants to convert these into something that makes sense, please feel free.

DOUGH:
200g flour
2 eggs
150 g softened butter or margarine
50 g yeast (that block yeast that you find refrigerated--though I don't see why you can't use the dried kind, if that's what you prefer)
A little luke warm milk to dissolve the yeast (if you're using the block yeast)
1 spoonful sugar (she means about a tablespoon)
1 pinch of salt
FILLING:
100 g sugar
100 g softened butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
raisins

TOPPING:
Extra sugar
Almond flakes

DIRECTIONS:
Farmor didn't leave any complicated directions. It's basically: Mix the dough ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix the ingredients for the filling in another bowl and add to the dough; however, as this a filling, leave some gaps in the dough to work the filling mixture in. It may help to transfer the dough onto the baking sheet you're going to bake it on. The kringle should be shaped as a banana anyway, so you could split the dough along the side, add the filling, and then reseal it. This has to rise for about an hour. Sprinkle sugar and almond flakes on top. Then place in a pre-heated oven at 180C (350F) on the lowest level. It only takes about 20 minutes to bake.

I imagine you could do a lot of tweaking to this recipe. You could put a glaze on top or experiment with different fillings. You could use Splenda or even make your own vanilla sugar.

Re-posted from LJ's "The_Leaven" community from July 10th, 2006, original poster mzwyndi.

Old School Sourdough

At night, mix together:
1.5 cup 85* water
1 cup sourdough starter
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. honey
2 tsp. salt

Let stand overnight to form a sponge. (I usually warm my oven just slightly, then turn it off while I mix the ingredients. This gives the sponge a nice, draft-free, warm place to work while I'm in dreamland.)

In the morning, add:
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp butter
1 egg

Mix well, then turn out onto 1 cup flour on board. Knead until smooth and elastic. Split in half and place in bread pans. Let rise until doubled in bulk.

Bake at 400* for 45 to 50 minutes.