Making Sourdough Bread

[johnno]

Great job Doc! And Johnno that all looks fantastic! Cob oven? Is that just a term for wood fired or is it specific to a different design and build etc??

Hi Merc,
cob ovens are named after the material they are made from. They are wood fired. Cob is usually a mixture of clay,sand, earth straw, and water. These have been used in various forms through the ages for cooking in. Easier for a non handy person like me to make. As opposed to the flash ones made from brick.

I also started a sourdough starter on Friday night. Just the flour and water mix for now. Will see how it goes over the next week.

cheers

johnno

 

[Katherine]

K & L's Stout Sourdough

The best one (we have done) yet....

 

[Doc]

They look great Katie.
What is your recipe ? How much beer ?

Doc

 

[Katherine]

In this batch we started with a traditional wild yeast starter (so no beer added at this stage, though we have done previously)
We now have a constant wild yeast starter going "named Frank, and what a personality he has, comes out to play for at least four hours a day then back into the cool room"

The last flour and water addition was replaced with home made stout.

It was left to rest for at least 12 hours before shaping then proved for 12 hours over night before baking.

End result FANTASTIC best ones yet!

 

[Doc]

In this batch we started with a traditional wild yeast starter (so no beer added at this stage, though we have done previously)
We now have a constant wild yeast starter going "named Frank, and what a personality he has, comes out to play for at least four hours a day then back into the cool room"

The last flour and water addition was replaced with home made stout.

It was left to rest for at least 12 hours before shaping then proved for 12 hours over night before baking.

End result FANTASTIC best ones yet!

Sounds awesome.
Just pulled my starter out of the fridge (hasn't been feed for about 4 days), and it still looks nice and healthy.
Just added a cup of Imperial Vanilla Bourbon Porter and a cup of flour and put it on the heat plate (lowest setting). Should be making up the dough tonight. Looks awesome colour already
Thanks for the idea.

Doc

PS: Still working on a name for mine.

 

[glennheinzel]

Sounds awesome.
Just pulled my starter out of the fridge (hasn't been feed for about 4 days), and it still looks nice and healthy.
Just added a cup of Imperial Vanilla Bourbon Porter and a cup of flour and put it on the heat plate (lowest setting). Should be making up the dough tonight. Looks awesome colour already
Thanks for the idea.

Doc

PS: Still working on a name for mine.

C'mon Doc, when are you going to use the bugs from that jug in your brew shed?

 

[Doc]

C'mon Doc, when are you going to use the bugs from that jug in your brew shed?

Maybe when I come up with a name for it.
I've named the one I've created for Sourdough "Gonzo".
A reference to Hunter S Thompson because I'm going to through all manners of alcohol at it, and I'm sure it won't die :beerbang:

Doc

 

[Katherine]

Doc.... Are you doing a starter from scratch each time? Its a lot of work but we have to make bread everyday so we just through what we take from FRANK and put it into the daily batch so there is no wastage and were in the kitchen every day so feeding FRANK constantly isnt a problem.

We did a redwine sour dough yesterday, beautiful though we didnt add enough red wine so it's a pinky colour!! Try putting some more in next time.

Oh yes, if your starter ever show's signs of a pinkish colour you know its not quite right!

 

[Doc]

I'm keeping alive the starter I did for the first batch.
But using your idea, I'm feeding it beer and flour instead of water and flour to keep it alive.
The two loaves from the last feed (Imperial Vanilla Bourbon Porter) are starting their second rise now. Will bake them late this arvo.
The next feeding will likely be my Pliny clone (insanely hoppy beer 200+ IBU's and 7.5%).

Beers,
Doc

 

[Katherine]

Have not thought of doing that, a hoppy bread... mmmm next project! Let me know what that tastes like.

 

[Doc]

Here is a piccy of the Imperial Vanilla Bourbon Porter sourdough.
Unfortunately it looks like it added colour, rather than a lot of flavour. The sliced loaf also had some cinnamon in it, but it seems I didn't add enough as it isn't really detectable.
Great texture and density to the bread though. Just need to get it a bit more sour.

Doc

 

[Doc]

Have not thought of doing that, a hoppy bread... mmmm next project! Let me know what that tastes like.

Made the bread tonight (Bake tomorrow arvo).
I must say that this was the most pliable easy working dough I've done for sourdough. Either it is the super hoppy beer, or the starter is starting to get into its own.

Doc

 

[Doc]

I didn't get a chance to bake yesterday arvo, so left it until this morning (a 24hr second rise).
I think this is my best beer loaf ever. Bitterness from the beer has come through, and there is a nice sourness to it.

Beautiful.

Doc

 

[Katherine]

Doc...

The hoppy bread looks good... I will try that one.

Yesterday we baked a Red Wine and Wholemeal Sourdough. Result they looked great but a little doughy less wholemeal next time. Also trying to source Cabernet Flour which give a real rich red look instead of red wine in the mix.

We have two starters now, we still have Frank who gets feed every day, then Francis who will only be feed twice a week... so she'll be quite sour. Next week project will be just a nice white sourdough.

 

[Katherine]

Our Sour Dough made out of LCPA.... Best one yet...

 

[Katherine]

Lean Choc Malt Stout Sourdough

 

[notung]

I have a question for those who brew andbake sourdough.

In mid April I was wondering about attending a sourdough baking workshop at Redbeard bakery in Trentham, VIC. The 6 hour workshop covers starters, flours, mixing, proving and shaping the dough etc. The thing is - I have heard from a friend that they spruke a 'yeast free kitchen' approach and claim that yeasties getting into your leven lead to offness & bad odours.

As a brewer, I am not really able (or willing) to ban yeasts from the kitchen. What do others think of this idea? Is there anything to it? If I do attend this workshop, is there anything I should bear in mind while they are talking about this? I want your opinions!

Cheers

 

[LLoyd]

Good to see you fermenting my beautiful girl's chilli and kaffir lime leaf ale. As a brewer you know how much work is involved in preventing a wild yeast or lactic acid INFECTION... Combine some flour containing massive amounts of wild yeast spores and dormant lactic acid producing bacteria and water.... and hey presto! You have a sour dough culture!! I assume the yeast FREE kitchen refers to commercial BAKERS yeast.... HOWEVER there is no such thing as a YEAST free ANYTHING!! Commercial bakers yeast is an easy way to start the fermentation process as is any yeast containing product (live cultured BEER), however, most commercial yeast won't survive the PH found in a sour dough culture.

BUT... What really counts is how you make your white bread CANVAS ,do you know how to develop your gluten properly? If not, you're pushing **** up hill!!!

You can't help creating a wild yeast infection using ingredients that a choc full of wild yeast (such as flour) the only thing that will stop you getting a sour dough culture going is the total mass of your culture.... Make sure you start with at least a cup of flour as a critical mass is somehow important in getting a culture started and active ...

I am really DRUNK so if none of this makes sense blame my editor who is also really DRUNK however she is also really DRUNK....

She is also my typist....

If you have any questions do NOT ask my drunken editor (Katie)...

However my drunken editor has saved ME from re writing this post .....

 

[LLoyd]

Lets talk sour dough!!

 

[Katherine]

LloydieP's Rye Sourdough....

The left one is a Rye Sourdough and the right is Rye, Date, Caraway seeds and Coffee...

My workmates are loving it...