first sourdough bread - it really works :

Aloha everybody,

today I managed to bake my first loaf of homemade sourdough bread - while I did not come out perfect it worked better than I feared .
The sourdough starter consists exclusively of germs/bacteria that live in my kitchen, so it really is kind of unique...

I had found a guide to start a sourdough on a webpage and decided to give it a try - somehow I was in the belief that this was a complicated procedure, but actually it is rather easy.

So if anyone is hesitating to try - just go on and do it ! You only risk having to dump a few spoons of flour and a few minutes of your time if it doesn't work out...

So now I have my very own personal pet sourdough - you should too IMHO!

I feel quite proud today
br,
ToM

Great news ToM.

The last time I tried I had many many great pancakes but it never quite worked for me for bread. Maybe it is time to give it another shot.

ToM, check out this thread. Maybe they can help.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/351329-Tartine-Bread

I won't to give this one a try http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/basic-sourdough-bread-recipe

I might mix in some whole wheat flour for added nutrition..

Congrats, Tom. Well done. Enjoy your success.

Congrats, Tom!

I tried and tried but could never get a good starter growing. Ended up buying some from a baker in San Fran. Life was good then...

When i made starter in the house it was weak, made the next batch and put it out in my lanai all day, it turned out much better. So if its warm enuf outside , try keeping it out for a while and get some wild bacteria..

Thanks all for the comments, this was only a first step into baking "real" bread - in the past I tried some pre-made baking mixtures but did not really like the results.
So there is a lot of stuff to explore :=)

br,
ToM

Our sourdough start goes back 3 generations on my wife's side. Waffles are my favorite but I won't pass up the bread when she makes it.

You guys really have me wanting to put together some sourdough starter and bake some bread for the holidays.

Well done sir. This is one of those 'I am going to do this' things for me. I love to bake but have never taken the time to make the starter. Thank you for sharing.

I made my first sourdough loaf today. I got some starter at the beginning of October from a friend who is a professional baker. It has been sitting in my refrigerator since then getting regular weekly feedings and making me feel guilty but I finally overcame inertia and fear of failure. I sort of followed Ken Forkish's Overnight Country Brown recipe but I kind of winged it (a terrible idea when it comes to baking). Despite my improvisations and not really knowing what I was doing it was a lucky success. Now I have to find out if this was fluke or if I can produce good bread with some degree of reliability.

LostHighway said:

I made my first sourdough loaf today. I got some starter at the beginning of October from a friend who is a professional baker. It has been sitting in my refrigerator since then getting regular weekly feedings and making me feel guilty but I finally overcame inertia and fear of failure. I sort of followed Ken Forkish's Overnight Country Brown recipe but I kind of winged it (a terrible idea when it comes to baking). Despite my improvisations and not really knowing what I was doing it was a lucky success. Now I have to find out if this was fluke or if I can produce good bread with some degree of reliability.

Click to expand...

Forkish's recipes are reliable, but you should follow them exactly when you start. The most subjective part is figuring out when your loaf is finished proofing, but you can look at his how to videos on youtube, where he takes you step by step through the process.

Phog Allen said:

Well done sir. This is one of those 'I am going to do this' things for me. I love to bake but have never taken the time to make the starter. Thank you for sharing.

Click to expand...

Todd, from my little experience you do not need much time - you know most of the work is done by the little creatures floating around in the air...
Just mix up a little flour and water in a container and put it in a reasonably warm place.
Open and stir daily for a few days until you notice changes. (Smell, color, little bubbles...)
Then feed it daily with a teaspoon of flour and a little water for 1-2 weeks and you likely have your starter.

Sooo - maybe start today ?

br,
ToM

Use your hand to mix it around. It definitely helps with getting it started.

Hi guys,

just a little update - today I made sourdough bread for the third time and it seems the starter has really improved over time.
This time i got nice cavities in the loaf and the flavor is a lot better:



br,
ToM

That is what I like to hear, Tom.

When I was prowling around San Francisco I lived on a steady diet of sourdough bread and clam chowder.