Bread ****

[Tim F]

What's your process now Margrethe? What are your results like?

 

[jakethedog]

So where does one get a good sourdough starter? I've had two before, and both weren't real flash.

I'd love some help on getting my sourdough better! Mine doesn't look anywhere near as flash as the ones you've posted! I'm super jealous!

I made my own. Tastes nice and sour - have been using it for a year. Took about 2-3 weeks to make it.

 

[Airgead]

I made my own. Tastes nice and sour - have been using it for a year. Took about 2-3 weeks to make it.

Me too. Fred is about 12 years old now and does a great job.

Takes about 2-3 weeks to get a starter going or you can cheat and get some off someone who already has one. They can even be posted and still survive well.

Cheers
Dave

 

[pdilley]

I use Greg Lehey's method. It helps since he lives across the road. He was aiming to replicate a German Graubrot. I had light rye flour from a health food shop. Unfortunately I have used all my rye flour and don't have any more, nor could I source any cereal Rye to make my own flour. When I get back into town off the train, all the local shops are closed including the shop Greg gets his flour from. I'll have to find something in the Melbourne CBD and carry it back or get Greg to pick some up for me next time he is in town.

Dave, I should get you to send me some of your starter to compare. I got mine from Greg but its not as sour as I like my sourdough breads

Cheers,
Brewer Pete

 

[Airgead]

Dave, I should get you to send me some of your starter to compare. I got mine from Greg but its not as sour as I like my sourdough breads

Cheers,
Brewer Pete

Ask and yea shall receive.. or more to the point, PM me an address and yea shall receive.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Steve@PMF82]

Nothing like hot bread on a cold morning

2/3 white
1/6 whole wheat
1/6 rye

 

[redbeard]

Ive had a starter going for 3+ weeks, have done several loaves (using white flour), all sour tasting but they are dense like they havennt risen enough, not like the lighter commercial sourdough loaves. I let the last one "rise" for 48 hours on the benchtop, it was the best of the previous but still chewy. Does my starter just need more time to grow ?

Also where do you get (cheap) rye & spelt flour ?

cheers

 

[Airgead]

Ive had a starter going for 3+ weeks, have done several loaves (using white flour), all sour tasting but they are dense like they havennt risen enough, not like the lighter commercial sourdough loaves. I let the last one "rise" for 48 hours on the benchtop, it was the best of the previous but still chewy. Does my starter just need more time to grow ?

Also where do you get (cheap) rye & spelt flour ?

cheers

A lot of commercial "sourdoughs" use yeast as well as a starter to speed up the process and get a lighter result so I wouldn't judge too much based on commercial examples. They also tend to use a lot of chemical "dough improver" to lighten things as well.

48 hours is a long time. Maybe its not an under rising problem but an under kneading problem. If the glutens aren't developed enough, the dough doesn't have the strength to hold a good crumb structure and it will collapse to form a very dense bread.

I buy my spelt and rye in 5 of 12.5 kilo sacks from demeter, either straight from them or through the wholesale arm of Honest to Goodness.

Cheers
Dave

 

[seamad]

Not as sexy as other loaves here (cheat bread made in machine). This is my schwartzbread made from spent grain from my last schwartzbier. I give most of the spent grain to my local baker, she wants me to drink more as it has become very popular. They make a couple of different sourdoughs, really good, will try and hit her up for some of their starter as a trade. I think their starter is about 6 years old now, I think the older the starter the better it rises and tastes.

cheers
sean

 

[Margrethe]

I got a starter from a friend, and it worked lovely for her- but it just won't work for me.

Loaves are coming out dense, with a real nasty sour smell (not that lovely yeasty sour smell). I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong- and can only attribute it to the starter being bad somehow. I've followed my friends instructions to the letter, but I just can't get a nice loaf!!

I've made thousands of loaves of bread in the past- just can't seem to get this sourdough right. Its bloody frustrating! I make a mean pizza dough, great loaves of ordinary style breads...its just the sourdough thats gmf!

 

[kocken42]

I am really getting hooked on bread! I think yeast and fermentation science is without a doubt my calling in life!

Made this loaf the other day, a rustic multi-grain loaf...

and tonight I made this work of art...a delicious cinnamon log!

Not sure what to make next. I'm thinking of a turkish bread!

 

[Deebo]

How would I use some spent grain in a bread recipe? Just mix it in with the dough and do everything as normal? (I have no use for all my spent grain but using some in bread sounds nice)

 

[seamad]

As the spent grain has some moisture just cut back your water.
I just make standard white loaf and @ 20 % less water with between 150-250 g spent grain:

300ml water
650g flour
200g spent grain
tsp salt
tbsp sugar
2 slugs evoo
2 tbsp milk powder
tsp bread improver
1.75 tsp yeast

Just check dough after 10 minutes of kneading for moisture content and adjust.

voila

Also add @ 50-75 grams to my pizza dough recipe ( for 2 pizzas)

Nothing better than eating a pizza washed down with the beer made with the same grain !

cheers

sean

 

[seamad]

I find that the darker beers produce the best bread (most flavour), I do like dark beers though. Having said that the pale beers are also pretty good too in bread.

 

[Deebo]

As the spent grain has some moisture just cut back your water.
I just make standard white loaf and @ 20 % less water with between 150-250 g spent grain:

Gave it a shot today.. She may not be pretty, but tasted pretty good.



The dough looked pretty dry when I was kneading it (I BIAB so squeeze a bit of water out) so I added a bit more water.
Not sure if it was too much water or I didnt cook it long enough but the bread was still a bit sticky?

 

[seamad]

If it was a bit sticky just cook a bit more , makes a fairly heavy loaf so needs some cooking.
With my bread machine I check the dough after @ 10 minutes, give the dough a squeeze, then add a bit more flour /water as needed. All flour is different, as is the moisture in the spent grain, so you need to get a feel for the right consistency.
cheers
sean

 

[drsmurto]

Had a bakefest over the long weekend. Kitchen was covered in flour as was I.

Made some smaller ciabattas for sandwiches, more sourdough (rye) and finally had a crack at baguettes. Happy with how they turned out although i should have shown more patience and let the baguettes prove for a tad longer. I used the poolish method for the baguettes from Crust.

 

[cubbie]

Rippa!

That is a lot of bread to eat.

 

[drsmurto]

The more i make ciabatta the better i get at it.

This batch had a lot more holes in the crumb.

 

[drsmurto]

Had another bakethon today B)

Demolished one of the tomato, garlic and basil breads for lunch, very tasty.

Wholemeal poppy seed rolls for lunches

Small ciabatta rolls

Sourdough (white/wholemeal/rye)

Tomato, garlic and basil bread from the book Dough