An Alternative to wild yeasted sourdough
Starter:
1/2 cup Rye Flour
1/8 tsp Active Dry Yeast
1 Cup Warm Water 110F
1 Tbl Crushed Caraway Seeds
1 tsp minced onion
1 tsp live apple cider vinegar
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After 12-24 hours, add:
1/2 cup Warm Water (Whey) 110F
1 1/2 cups Rye Flour
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After 4 to 8 hours, add and repeat 1X:
1/2 cup Warm Water (Whey) 110F
1 cup Rye Flour
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Refresh after 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Discard some of the old if there is too much leftover to double. I never refresh more than once before restarting since it is to easy to start.
I picked this up off a website and modified it a bit with vinegar and whey. I use a proofing box and keep the first ferment at around 96 degrees for over 12 hours. I keep the second ferment at 96 degrees until is has almost doubled. Same for the second. The third I keep at room temperature (around 74 degrees in my house) for a few hours before sticking it in the fridge. I leave it there for a day or so before incorporating 8oz of sourdough into a recipe for one of my rye breads. I use whey from my yogurt making instead of water whenever possible when making rye (for the acid).
Okay, if you are still with me, here is where things get interesting.
When I make my dough, I'll add 1/4 tsp of instant yeast (don't know if it is necessary), mix the rest of the ingredients in my mixer till it forms a ball then stick it in the fridge for up to three days. If the "starter" has been in the fridge for more than a few days I up the yeast to 1 teaspoon.
When I'm ready to make the bread, I take out the dough the night before (around 11 PM ), and there is little if any rise in the morning. I then put it in a proofing box @ 96 degrees for an hour or two, and it magically doubles. Lately, I've been leaving it in the fridge at night, since the warmer summer nights pushed the ferment up too much to leave out overnight.
I place shaped dough on parchment paper. Then put the dough on the parchment into a covered ceramic baker, where it sits in a warm oven for about an hour. I use my lame, re-cover and turn on the oven to 425. Uncover after half an hour and finish baking.
What I find interesting is that I have complete control over when the dough rises yet still have the benefits of a long rise and a perfect sourdough deli rye flavor.
I don't bake often enough to keep a "real" starter healthy and happy, but this works for me.
Thank you for posting. A handy recipe worth trying. My curiosity is picked. I don't have active dry yeast but I think it might work with fresh or instant if I adjusted the amounts accordingly. Like the 96° in the first 12 hours. That alone will kick up a rye starter.
Have you ever made it without the onion and caraway? Perhaps adding it later on in the dough?
Mini
I wouldn't change the quantity of the yeast, the amount of time in the ferment should cause the yeast to reach a saturation point where any yeast will just give out from the acidic environment and food resources. I generally go over the 12 hours, more like 18.
While I suspect the caraway is optional, Its my opinion that the small amount of onion adds food and bacteria that are beneficial. By the time you get to the end you've got nearly 2 quarts of starter so I don't think it adds much in the way of flavor. I've kept the original starter in the fridge for over 3 weeks with good results without refreshment.
I made a new batch two days ago and have a rye in the oven right now, should be out in the next 30 minutes. I've got other pictures here on the site, all the Rye breads I've posted were done as described.
I think the acidity of the starter coupled with the acid in my very sour yogurt whey keep the rye from getting gummy, which was a problem when I first started making rye breads.
but contain sugars. I'm tempted to think the caraway seed would bring more bacteria to the mixture than the onion. The onion might be helping to prevent some nasty bacteria in the initial stages before pH is lowered naturally, eventually. Whey instead of water will also lower pH and add lactose and possibly lactose bacteria too.
Wow! Two quarts? Glad you warned me. Flavouring can build too under the right conditions. That is what I'm most curious about. Comparing this starter bread to my wild rye starter bread.
Bread and crumb look great.
I did recently, at that point you basically just have a CLAS rye sour.
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