Sour Dough Bread

[duh]

Well I've proofed the starter now I just have to make the dough.  But first I'm going to play some tertis.  I deserve a break after fixing the shed door and digging up more rocks for the tree border.  lol.  I'll let you know how it goes.  This is my second time making sour dough bread.  I'm hoping this one is more sour than the last one.

[barleychown]

The more you use the starter, and the older it gets, the more sour and complex the flavor is. I have one starter that was alomst a year old when I decided to freez it and take a break for the summer, it is just starting to develop a really awesome flavor.

Also, if you allow your break a long slow rise in a cooler part of the house, the extra time allows more flavor to develop. I mix a batch in the evening, put it out in the garage overnight for the first rise, punch down and shape the next morning, put it back out in the garage to rise again, then bake...more time, but better bread.

Don't be afraid of failures...they happen. I buy my flour in 50 pound sacks now, so each loaf is literally pennies to make. 

[duh]

Thanks for the information.  I made the bread yesterday and I loved it.  The only problem is how much I eat of freshly baked bread lol.  I'm glad the taste will improve with time.  I'd like more flavor.

[Bonnie]

Well snockers, I threw my starter out because I was tired of eating bread. I sure wish that I had known that you could freeze it.

[notherdigger]

     BC, you never cease to amaze me how knowledgeable you are about many subjects that come up here.  You give some good advise on all kinds of things.  I commend you on being so smart about so many things at your age.  Many people have done alot worse.  I just like learning things from your comments.  Have a nice day all.

[barleychown]

Aw, thank you! 

I enjoy learning new things, and sharing what I learn with others. I've really enjoyed working with sourdough. It makes GREAT pretzels. 

[notherdigger]

     I love the sourdough bread, I should get off my lazy butt and make some starter.  Did oncebut it started smelling real strange but might of been ok.  I have an old Harrowsmith mag with lots of articlers bout bread making, the whole wheat one is the only one I use, and a long one all about sourdough.  The title is something like "the bread of Tukenkommen"*.  Anyway it is interesting.    Here are two of my whole wheat loaves I baked some time ago. 

[duh]

Nice looking loaves.  WTG

[Dianna]

I love homemade bread, but never have tried to bake any...

That bread looks good enough to eat! Bee-yu-ti-ful...

[Triss]

That bread does look good!

Dianna, I have a super easy bread recipe that you could do.  I mean super easy!!!

[notherdigger]

     Well nw thank you all, that weren't my last loaves.  The last 2 or 3 sets didn't come out as good.  I have runs like that then I do most right and they get good again.  Only thing bad is they don't stay round long.  A little bread, little butter......lol now if I can do some good sour dough.........btw, that's my screen saver rofl

[duh]

I have a hard time with making regular white bread the crust is always to hard.  But the sour dough and french breads come out much better for me. 

I think it's a matter of patience.  I don't have any lol.

[notherdigger]

    If you are not, it is good to coat them with butter soon as they come out and cover with a dish towel for as long as you can wait before eating but not more than 20 or 30 minutes roflmao.......I usually make bout 5 minutes.....but seriously, that helps and mayby knock off bout 25 degrees on the oven.  That helped me with the same problem on those loaves. 

[Bonnie]

I wanna make super easy bread, Triss.

[Dianna]

Triss, it would have to be super easy for me to be baking! We are waiting on the recipe!

BTW, Aunt Bonnie makes good bread, too...

[duh]

The french bread recipe I have is super easy.  So is the sour dough recipe except making the starter takes a week and you have to rememberr to feed it.

And thanks notherdigger.  I definitely am going to turn down the oven and apply butter.  I love a soft crust.

I'm making more sour dough bread today since I am out of regular bread and since no illness has ever suppressed my appetite.

[notherdigger]

Well one thing is for sure, home made bread is real bad for nursing an appetite if you get my drift lol.

[duh]

Applying the butter worked wonderfully well.  Thank you so much for the tip.  I only have one of two loaves left lol.  But that's cool. 

[barleychown]

I have moved into making the "flavored" loaves, like parmesan garlic and rosemary. The smell during baking is awesome, and by the time they finally come out of the oven, you can not help but eat a whole loaf.  I ty to time it so there are at least two other people home with me. 

I'm also working on more free-form artisan breads. They are challenging, but I'd rather screw up 10 times at home than pay $5 for a loaf at the store.

[Triss]

Oops, I forgot I was supposed to get that recipe.  Here you go.  Sarah, could you start a topic specifically for bread recipes and share some of your successes???

English Muffin Bread

2 Cups Milk
1/2 Cup water
5-6 cups flour (I use exactly 6)
2 packages yeast
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (I use 1/2 cuz it makes the bread airier)
Cornmeal

Warm milk and water. (very warm about 120 degrees)

Place 4 cups of flour, yeast, sugar, salt and baking soda in bowl and mix. Add warm liquid to mixture. Add remaining flour mixing until thoroughly combines. Dough will be VERY sticky.

Spread dough in loaf pans that have been greased and sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

This bread really freezes well if you make enough to last that long.

[notherdigger]

     Glad it worked out for you with the butter, also you may substitute 1 half to 1 cup gluten flower for the other in whole wheat bread and it will have a finer texture.  Gluten flour is high dollar where I live but worth it.  Nother thing I do sometimes is exchange a half cup of wheat germ for the other flour as well. 
     BC I know what you mean bout the 5 dollar bread.  Its 3.50 here on sale but rediculous even at that price but I have been lazy lately, actually working alot. But homemade can't be compared to that store stuff.  And I would like to try the other myself sometime, sounds delicious. 
     That recipe looks good Triss, I will try it sometime.  There are so many recipes it is amazing.  One question, how do some of you check your temp.  I do the on the wrist thing but that's why I have had some failures I think.  The temp gets too hot and kills the yeast early.  I'm pretty that is what has cause my 100 lb. loaves I get sometimes.  Anyone who has made much bread knows what I'm talking bout lol.

[Triss]

When I am using just water, I just run it hot from the tap and use that.  When I am doing a milk or milk/butter mixture I will melt the butter first, add the milk and as it just starts to get nice and warm by touch, I use it.  I never test temps with a thermometer.  I have rarely killed a yeast.

[duh]

i'm looking for a flavored bread that tastes like stuffing.  Perfect stuffing.  I had a friend bring me some from a Georgetown resturant once but I can't remember the name of the place.  But the bread was to die for.

[notherdigger]

Thanks Triss, sometimes the bread don't rise much or very fast and I'm guessing it is because the water is too hot but I could be wrong, was once but can't remember when, yea right lol.

[Triss]

Yep, that could be a reason, too hot water... or bad yeast too.  I have had that happen as well.  Very frustrating to spend the time making bread when it does not turn out.

I did make some English Muffin Bread today and it is yummy stuff.