Sharing a starter with someone in a different state
If I transport some of my sourdough starter to a different state (locale), will it retain the same mix of bacteria and yeast?
--Pamela
If I transport some of my sourdough starter to a different state (locale), will it retain the same mix of bacteria and yeast?
--Pamela
Today I made Hamelman's Pain au Levain - recipe on page 158 of his book BREAD
For months now I've been baking his Vermont Sourdough series every weekend, allowing the shaped boule to retard overnight.
This recipe is slightly different - a little rye flour is used in the starter, and also in the dough. He does not recommend retarding the bread, instead it should be baked after 2 - 2.5 hs final rise at room temperature.
IN a way, it is a pretty "quick" method for a sourdough, and I did not know how it would turn out.
I am making this bread tonight to bake tomorrow - in his recipe, he says the bread profits from retarding the shaped loaves, which I will do
but it does not say if they can be baked straight from the fridge, or if they should stay at room temp for a few hours.
has anoone made this bread? I think I will remove it from the fridge and leave it for 3 hours over the counter, since I've been doing this for his Vermont sourdough and works fine, but if anyone has specific instructions, I am all ears!
Thanks!
There has been some discussion lately about how to tell when a levain is ripe, but why is it important that a levain be used when it if ripe? Why not use it when it is half-way ripe or 3/4rds ripe?
--Pamela
Is there a standard hydration level for a liquid levain vs. a stiff levain? I was reading Leader's Local Breads this morning and noticed that his liquid levain has about 130 % hydrated vs. his stiff which has about 50% hydration. I've also been readin Michael Suas's Advanced Bread and Pastry and notice that some of his SD formulas call for a liquid levain while others require a stiff starter.
So, I just got Hamelman's "Bread" and immediately mixed up his Liquid Levain culture. It is nice and bubbly after two feeds today and I'm hopeful that I can follow his instructions over the next week or so to wind up with a viable starter.
I don't feel like his book, though, addresses how to take care of the starter once you've cultivated it.
Say I'll only be making sourdough bread once a week or so ... How often should I be feeding it? How much should I be feeding it? Should I be storing it in the refrigerator?
Help!
The sourdough starter I'm trying to make (from The Village Baker) is quite a firm little ball and has such a thick crust on it that I don't see how it can possibly grow or form bubbles. It's day 3, and it should be showing signs of life. The recipe said to cover it with a damp cloth, but nothing about keeping it damp, so I let it dry out. Mistake? I could play with any of these factors at this point - an airtight lid instead of cloth, warmer or cooler temp, higher hydration of dough. I'd like to know how others have managed with this recipe.
Thanks, Doh!
Mmmmm... the top is chocolate & cherry sourdough and the bottom is cherry & pecans.