Classic Sourdough Bread--Day Two, On to the firm starter...

Are you ready?

Yesterday we increased our regular sourdough starter. If you have been following the practice of adding less water than flour with each increase, your starter will be fairly thick. This is good. You have probably noticed that it is a very different texture than just flour mixed with water...those little yeasties have been busy at work!

DAY TWO

Today we are going to form the base of our dough, the firm starter. The principle is similar to a "sponge," but this is firmer than a traditional sponge. It will take 6-8 hours of time to develop and some resting time in the fridge overnight.

Mix together:

1 c sourdough starter at room temperature
1 c all-purpose flour
Room-temperature water as needed to form a soft ball (70-72*F)

Knead these together by hand or in a heavy-duty stand mixer until they form a soft ball, adding water as needed. The amount of water depends on several factors, including the water content in your starter and the humidity in the air and the flour. Your dough ball should be soft and smooth and even a bit sticky. Remember that the yeasties need a moist environment to work their magic, so err on the side of stickiness if you have any doubts. If your lump is dry now, you will end with a dry lump--literally--later.

Place the ball of firm starter in a clean bowl, cover with a layer of plastic wrap and let it sit out at room temperature until doubled. Doubling time varies with the vigor of your starter, the temperature of the room, the mood of the yeasties on that day, you name it. Refrigerate overnight, covered.



Ready to rise...





4 hours later...think I'll put this in the fridge

There are several things to note:

--a good probe thermometer is going to be more accurate than your wrist at determining "room temperature." I trust the thermometer much more than my own wrist.

--"sticky" dough will be tacky to the touch. You can lift it off the countertop but it doesn't want to sit there very long in one place or it will stick. Dough that it too sticky makes a mess of your hands and immediately latches like a limpet on the the surface of the counter. It can be corrected by kneading in a wee bit more flour. Dough that is too dry does not feel tacky and can sit on the counter without adhering. Naughty dough.

--kneading times can vary somewhat. For this step, you want the dough to be pliable and spring back into shape when pinched. But don't overknead. I am guilty of this and it's not a good thing. While dough has to be kneaded long enough to develop long strands of gluten protein, overkneading breaks the strands down into little pieces that can't hold the structure of the bread. If you are using a mixer with a dough hook, watch for the dough to climb the hook and clean off the sides of the bowl. It's easy to overknead with a mixer, so watch closely. It is also quite possible to overknead when kneading by hand (take flattery from the fact that you are so strong!), so be alert to that stage where the dough springs back.

--you'll notice that I use a steel bowl for mixing and raising. Yes, there are purists who say your sourdough should never touch metal, but I've never had a lick of trouble using metal bowls for this. To be perfectly honest, I haven't owned a glass mixing bowl to try instead, but this way has never failed me.

Tomorrow we get to make our loaves. Such fun! I hope you'll join me.