The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Dad's Infant Sourdough Dilemma

Jezella's picture
Jezella

Dad's Infant Sourdough Dilemma

So I've given birth to my first baby. The sourdough starter and named him William and as a male, I'm doing a fine job (to date) of feeding his hungry appetite of white bread flour and water at 1:1:1 and watching him belch and wriggle around. Oh so much fun.  Now I want to be selfish and eat him, but worry that this youngster is far too weak at a tender age of 10 days. Remaining selfish and with a need of self satisfaction I propose using my little man as a proportion in my next loaf with a steroid of perhaps 1.5% dried active yeast. After all, I don't want to be disappointed with a brick. What does the reader think here. Should I gave baby more time to develop some muscle. Rock on TFL.

Donkey_hot's picture
Donkey_hot

The only way to know a true character of you starter is to bake bread with it...  pure and simple... no steroids.

davidg618's picture
davidg618

If so, add your commercial yeast. However, then the question is, "Did I get that spectacular oven spring from my sourdough starter's yeast, or from Red Star?

Nothin' wrong with that. The books are full of recipes written by belt-and-suspenders persons; but if you really want to know, you've got to forego the suspenders.

If your sourdough starter peaks in 8 or so hours at room temp, exhibits substantial volume increase--at least doubles--and has a "clean" smell I'd recommend you forget the commercial yeast, and go for it.

David G

linder's picture
linder

If you are worried about the strength of the fledgling sourdough - you could also try something less demanding - like sourdough pancakes or sourdough english muffins.  I'll bet your little boy will do just fine!

Best of luck,

Linda

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

build a levain with some of it to the right amount and see how long it takes to double each time.  If it can do it in 12 hours bake with it.  But at the same time make a poolish with a pinch of yeast and let it work its magic on the counter for the same amout of time.  If the starter is ready bake a loaf of bread with it and another with the poolish to see how they differ. 

If the starter isn't quite up to snuff or a flop then mix the two together and make two loaves from the combination SD starter / poolish.  Either way you get two loaves of nice bread.

Happy baking

Jezella's picture
Jezella

Sorry all for the delayed reply. I've decided to give the baby a few days extra. Having said that, I'm playing around with some of the discards with ideas as mentioned above. Trying something now as I write. Ta and thank you for your time, interest and help. It's appreciated and all in all, what a great place this is to spend countless hours.