The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Hello and thanks

tempe's picture
tempe

Hello and thanks

Hello,

Just wanted to do the right thing and introduce myself, I am a stay at home mum that loves cooking - anything really! And I have recently had this yearning for home baked sourdough bread, due to not being able to find anything decent regularly near home.  So I have followed Debra Wink's Pineapple Juice Solution and that has worked wonderfully, so I am looking forward to baking my first loaf on the weekend. I'm wanting to bake just a white with a little rye loaf, preferably in a loaf pan just for convenience really, does anyone have any suggestions as to what would be a good recipe to start with? I have mostly made pastries and cakes i.e brioche, portugese custard tarts, chocolate cake that kind of stuff before this bread baking bug got me! And can I say thanks so much to all of you wonderful contributors, so much to read, learn and bake!!

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

A first sourdough loaf...  How about Susan's Simple Sourdough?

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/13771/simple-sourdough-909

To get the firm starter just add a little more flour to your starter when you feed it so it is like a little ball of dough.  You can easily substitute a little rye for some of the flour, may have to add a Tbs or two of extra water because rye can be very absorbant. 

Again welcome!

Mini

 

tempe's picture
tempe

Thanks for the link Mini and the warm welcome.  Susan's simple sourdough looks great, sounds easy (famous last words) so I'll give it a try.  Will make it on the weekend and post how I get on, thanks for tip about adding extra water for the rye :

tempe's picture
tempe

Well as promised I am having a go at Susan's simple sourdough!  It's Saturday night here and I have just put my loaf in the refrigerator for overnight rest, so far so good.  My dough doubled nicely and the dough was quite easy to handle, so wish me luck for tomorrow's baking! 

I will post how I get on and if I can manage it put a photo up of the loaf regardless of how succesful it is so I can get some feedback/advice on said loaf.

Thanks again :)

tempe's picture
tempe

Well, I've baked my loaf, and I must say appearances are deceiving!  It looked good going in the oven, and looked lovely when it came out but there's where it ends.  I still have a heavy loaf at the end of it.  The positives - more practice on shaping dough, and was happy with how my slashing turned out, and there is a good sourness going on. The negatives, I think are not enough oven spring and subsequently a heavy loaf which make for heavy eating! I baked on an pizza stone, spritzed with water and covered with a bowl for the first 15 minutes, basically I was too scared to leave the bowl there any longer in case it shattered in the oven, but maybe that was unnecessary worry given that it's a pyrex glass bowl.I baked at 450 F then turned it down to 420 after removing the bowl, I must admit it was not the best time for me to have baked it, just after I put it in the oven, my family came in to make their lunches so needless to say my attention was somewhat diverted and my tiny kitchen was pretty crowded. Anyway, here are the photos, I would love some feedback and advice, many thanks, tempe.

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

because, yes, pyrex can shatter (if it does it happens outside the oven on a cold surface.)  If you use the site search machine and type in covers or covered loaf you'll get all kinds of ideas from flower pots to turkey roasters.   

Your loaf lookes lovely!  Sourdough is a little heavier than fluffy white store bought and can be chewier too.   That's part of the charm.  The loaf does look a little pale on the bottom but that could be the camera angle.  Let the stone heat up well before using or try a heavy sheet pan instead.    You have nice oven spring!  Your slashes opened up nicely!  If your room temps are cool, you may be right in letting the loaf rise a little more before baking.   That's a tweek that comes after a first bake.  

I'd say you did a Marvellous job!  Well done! 

:) Mini