pastries recipe:

sourdough #02

ingredients

flour 1 cup
water (warm) 1 cup

production

1. Combine the cup of flour and water in a glass bowl (a plastic one may contain contaminants)
2. Cover with a cloth and allow to sit on the kitchen bench for 24 hours
3. Pour away approx. half a cup of the mixture and feed it with another ½ cup of flour and another ½ cup of water
4. Cover and allow to sit until the mixture becomes frothy and ferments (this is the yeast population growing)
5. Leave the starter on the kitchen bench for another five days (as the starter ferments, it will develop a strong yeasty aroma
6. Feed it every other day by dividing it in half (discard one ½ )and add ½ cup of flour and ½ cup of water to the other half
7. When a watery substance appears floating on the top, stir it in to the mixture (this is called a "hooch").
8. After approximately a week the starter will become a thick, batter like liquid and yellow in colour
9. At this point one of two things can be done:
10. Keep at room temperature and feed it every day (as per stage #6)
    
    or
    
    
11. Store it in the refrigerator (which slows down the yeast formation) and feed it every 5 or 6 days

chef notes:

Sour dough bread is made by making what is known as a 'starter' this is a flour and water mixed to form a soft, slack dough and leaving it for a week prior to requiring the bread. This 'starter' is used as the rising agent and was the basis of breads for 100's of years in many cultures. It uses the naturally yeasts found floating in the air, that are captured by the starter dough.

Lost to many countries over the years with the advent of yeast, it is now again making a comeback. Although, as many countries that lost sourdough breads there were others that maintained and embraced the loaves. Maybe it was for the cultural signifigance, maybe the traditional, maybe it was the exceptional taste of the loaves over yeast breads. Whatever the reason sourdough breads are back with us in am ever increasing big way, which this chef is more than pleased with.

email chef@tallyrand.info