November 15, 2010 - 10:35am
Using sourdough to flavor other doughs
Hello,
Some have talked about using leftover sourdough to 'flavor' other doughs. I wonder, how much you would or could use in a one loaf recipe, and what adjustments, if any, you would make in the recipe.
Thanks!
Mary Clare
I've used it to flavor breads such as zucchini or banana bread but I haven't used it to flavor a yeast bread. Old sourdough (not fed for a while or sat around warm for a few days) can have a high level of enzymes that quickly degrade the gluten and cause the loaf to literally fall apart. On the other hand, if it is merely leftover from a very recent bake, I'd probably use it to enhance a loaf, along with yeast. You'd have to count it as a liquid and compensate for that. I don't think there are any established ratios-just wing it, but prob no more than 1/2cup per loaf.
I like to add a little bit of sourdough to the yeasted baguettes I sell - just for the taste. I have not really tested different amounts of sourdough additions, since I only want to add a hint of tang (and not use up my mother starter).
Today I baked Epi baguettes (with 10% rye content) and added 35 g rye starter to the 1107 g flour (= ca. 3%).
Karin