Sourdough Bubbles

I had a strange thing on my bucket list.  Ever since I heard about sourdough cultures, I always wanted to raise one.  That odd little dream has been realized and it was easier than I had ever thought it would be.  I busted several myths, too.

First of all, I’d thought that if I didn’t have access to a sourdough starter that was old and pedigreed, my bread wouldn’t be very good.

WRONG!

“Bob” is about three weeks old and is producing delicious loaves and rolls.

Then I thought that if I DID want an old and pedigreed starter, I’d need to pay a lot for one or know somebody.

WRONG!

Thanks to the fine folks at Carl’s Friends, you can get one for the price of postage.

I thought you’d need a bunch of fancy equipment and materials.

WRONG there too!  I was able to do it with nothing but flour, water, time, and the warm spot on top of my hot water heater.

I am not going to tell you how to make a starter other than to say that it’s actually pretty easy.  I’ve included the article I used at the bottom of this post.

However, there is something so amazing about mixing flour and water, feeding it every day, and after a couple weeks of waiting having a wonderful, bubbly, symbiotic culture of yeast and bacteria ready to lift my dough.  That’s why I’m calling my second culture (the one from the Carl’s Friends site) “SCOBY-wan Kenobi.”  I named my own culture, Bob, after my coworker’s split personality.  Long story.

The bread from this process has been light, wonderfully flavored, and filled with bubbles to an extent I haven’t been able to achieve with yeast.  Having “Bob” to feed every day has been oddly like having a pet – or an alien creature that bubbles energetically when I Feed it flour and water.  It has rhythms and behaviors, of a sort, all within its little plastic crock.  I can even refrigerate or freeze it if I want the culture to cool its jets a bit and give me some breathing room.

So far, baking sourdough has been a fun and rewarding project!  Here is my latest bake.  If anyone wants to know where I got those rings, here is where I got them.

When I bake sourdough, I don’t think it’s all just my doing.  It’s a partnership between me and my starter.  As with anything, if I treat that starter well, I’ll get great results.  If I neglect it or don’t understand it, my efforts will fall flat.  Maybe it’s just the culture getting to my brain, but I get philosophical when I bake.

For those who want to join me in this wacky, bubbly journey, here are my sources:

Carl’s 1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough Starter: http://carlsfriends.net/

How to make a Sourdough Starter in 7 steps: https://www.theperfectloaf.com/7-easy-steps-making-incredible-sourdough-starter-scratch/

Where I bought my rings and other kitchen equipment: https://amzn.to/2HYDwKH

 

 

via Daily Prompt: Bubble