Making Sour Dough from Starter
I've been working on a starter and feeding it daily for a while now and it really seems active, smells yeasty vinegary and generates plenty of bubbles.
I am trying to test out my starter by making a small loaf of sour dough. I came across this article, which says to use one part starter, two parts water and three parts flour as a general rule.
Following this example, my dough is wayyy too sticky and not really workable at all. How come I am getting this result? did I do anything wrong? should I just keep adding flour until the dough is less sticky and I am able to knead it?
Also, I recently bough a baking stone which I plan to use for baking the bread, I appreciate any advice and getting the best result possible.
Best Answer
It sounds like you're making something closer to a barm. In "The Bread Baker's Apprentice", Peter Reinhart recommends making a 'Barm' using by weight, 7oz starter, 1# each water and flour. His starter is .5 cup water and 1 cup flour daily and discard half.
He uses the barm to make a firm starter ( 4oz barm, 4.5 oz flour, 1-2 oz water). Let this rise for 4 hours and refrigerate overnight. Add 20.25 oz flour, .5 oz salt, and 12-14 oz water. Kneed together and let rise for 3-4 hr, proof and bake.
You could just add more flour and you'll be fine though, or reduce the water some AND add flour. It wouldn't hurt to increase the percentage of the starter in your final dough to closer to half the weight of the flour.
One thing to know is that the ratio of water to flour in your starter will affect the ratio of acetic acid bacteria and lactic acid bacteria. Acetic acid bacteria prefer firm starters, so if you prefer that flavor, adjust the hydration of your starter.
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How much of my starter should I use for a sourdough loaf?
Remove however much starter you need for your recipe \u2014 typically no more than 227 grams, about 1 cup. If your recipe calls for more than 1 cup of starter, give it a couple of feedings without discarding, until you've made enough for your recipe plus 113 grams to keep and feed again.What is the ratio of sourdough starter to flour and water?
Think of it as one part starter, one part water, plus one part flour (or 1:1:1). Just remember to keep all parts equal by weight. This is the ratio that I recommend for starting and feeding your starter until it is well established (after the 10-14 day initial time frame).How long does it take to make sourdough from starter?
Notes & Tips. The overall process typically takes 7 days, if the temperature is warm enough. However, it can take up to 2 weeks or more for a strong starter to become established.How do you make sourdough bread from dry starter?
In a clean pint-size mason jar (or similar) combine 1/2 Tbsp of dried sourdough starter powder or flakes (one H&C package) with 1.5 Tbsp of filtered lukewarm water. Allow the dry sourdough starter and water to sit for several minutes to soften and combine. Use a fork or spoon to stir it on occasion.The Ultimate Sourdough Starter Guide
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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