The Fresh Loaf

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Making the bread, should you feed it before making the bread or just use the sourdough starter?

TheUninvited's picture
TheUninvited

Making the bread, should you feed it before making the bread or just use the sourdough starter?

As the title says so this is my first time making the bread and i am wondering should i feed it first before taking the starter to put on the flour or should you feed it first and then use it on the flour?

eddieruko's picture
eddieruko

Are you following a specific recipe? Many of them will spell out exactly how to handle the starter, how much flour/water to add, and how much time between steps to allow for the dough to rise. 

If your recipe doesn't address these steps, I would suggest that you first try baking bread by following a recipe. This is a good way to compare your results. Personally, I love the detail and explanation that Maurizio gives on his website www.theperfectloaf.com, but King Arthur also has very good recipes too. 

But to answer your question... Generally speaking, the starter should be fed and mature BEFORE it is mixed in with the rest of your ingredients. You can certainly have success at baking bread with an unfed starter as well.

clazar123's picture
clazar123

This is a very easy recipe developed by one of the FreshLoafers a few years ago. Give this recipe a try so you can get the feel of working with natural levain (sourdough starter).

Remember to raise your dough in a warm spot-80-84F if possible or it will take forever.

Your starter should be very active. I usually take my starter and feed twice a day for 1-2 days and then use it. On the day you bake, take the amount of strter you want to use before feeding again.

To figure out how much to use- a typical small loaf will have about 450g (3 cups) of AP flour. So 450/3=150.

150g starter+300g water+450g AP flour

Salt-1%= 4.5g (1 tsp=6g? I think?) I would use 1 tsp but it is personal preference.

Salt-2%=9g

Have fun!

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/9346/123-easy-formula-sourdough-bread

TheUninvited's picture
TheUninvited

in your recipe,  i would like to use 1 tbs of honey instead of salt and sugar and btw you didn't write about yeast. Should i use 9g like usual?

 

Total:

150g starter+300g water+450g AP flour+1 Tbsp Honey ? Yeast 9g?

clazar123's picture
clazar123

The starter IS your yeast. Starter, natural yeast, natural levain, leaven- it has many names. No commercial yeast needed unless you want to really speed up the process because your mother-in-law called and will be over for lunch instead of dinner and is really looking forward to the homemade bread you just started mixing at breakfast.

You can certainly add honey but dropping the salt may produce an exceptionally bland bread. Even 1/2 tsp (a very minimal amount of sodium) would affect flavor significantly.

Time to experiment