March 21, 2009 - 9:17pm
Alton Brown's Proto-Dough?
Anyone here have experience using Alton Brown's "Proto-Dough"?
I have a container of it percolating in the fridge right now. It's been there for about two weeks, actually, unused while I've worked on some other baking projects. Earlier tonight, I mixed in the quarter-inch or so of hooch sitting on top, and it smells fine, I guess, so maybe I'll use it in a simple recipe like Beranbaum's Basic Hearth Bread.
Seems an odd middle ground between a true sourdough starter and the "artisan bread in five minutes a day" approach. Is this something worth pursuing?
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It is a sourdough starter. It just uses a bit of yeast and sugar to get it off to a fast start. Something the purists frown upon, but I'm betting there are never any complaints that the starter didn't rise. This is the Godzilla of cultures.
I tried it a couple of years ago - that was my first foray into sourdough and I didn't use a container large enough to handle the subsequent explosion of yeastie beasties. You really a need a gallon container.
After I had fed it a few times, I used it with AB's country style french bread. I distinctly remember that bread because it was so good, I ate half a loaf on the spot.
I stopped using it simply because of the large amounts of flour involved. You could take a tablespoon of the culture, move it to a separate (smaller) container, and then just continue refreshing it as you would any sourdough culture.
Respectfully submit that this is *not* a sourdough starter.
Alton Brown's recipe for Proto-Dough uses commercial yeast - specifically, it calls for
This may produce excellent bread. It's just not a sourdough starter.
As I said, purists will frown upon it - but I still think it can be considered as a sourdough starter. It's just not a "wild yeast" starter.
Plus, if one keeps on refreshing it with flour and water, the wild yeast will eventually take over.