SDJ - day 25

Another 2 sets of sourdough bricks have been produced using 2 different recipes and methods of proofing and shaping the dough.  It's so disappointing. 

It's time to take stock.  I now think that my starter is not as active as it should be and I'm experimenting with 3 different ways of reviving it.  No, reviving is not the right word.  The starter needs to be strengthened.  It just doesn't perform as it should.  The initial rise is very slow and not at all vigorous.  The dough becomes very liquid and virtually impossible to shape and retain any form.

• Starter version 2.1 is enjoying a feeding of a little rye flour.
• Starter version 2.2 will be fed some pineapple juice.
• Starter version 2.3 has consumed some grapes.

Now that I have read more, I do think I was hasty to discard Hooch.  Too late now!  My interpretation of the feeding instructions was actually starving the starters. I thought "Equal flour and water" meant by volume, but it's actually by weight which is a big difference.  Also, you can develop your starter using small amounts of ingredients and stay fairly small until you are reaching the stage of using the starter in a batch of bread.  Live and learn....

SDJ - day 21

I haven't posted for a while so here's an update.

Yogi has matured into a very nice starter. Smells yeasty and remains active.

I attempted my first sourdough loaf the other day and ended up with a brick. The taste is lovely but it's destined to be reborn as tasty breadcrumbs.

Perhaps my mistake was to treat the dough as I do yeast bread dough. It's quite different. The way the natural yeast works produces a dough that is delicate so a gentle touch is required past the initial kneading and rise.

Now that I'm better informed, attempt number 2 is on it's way. I'll let you know how this one goes.

SDJ - day 12

Well, I do believe that Hooch has died and gone to heaven. He is smelling decidedly rank now and no action except for a few tired bubbles.  Hope the worms appreciate his remains.

Yogi is still smelling yeasty and froths. I expected a little more action though. He probably increases by about 50% in the 24 hour period. Perhaps I need to feed him more often now?

Collapsing dough

I'm still struggling with my dough being too soft to hold it's shape and little or no oven spring.

I really do think that I'm allowing too long for proof at each stage and indeed, my recent reading indicates that the time it takes for the double rise in the first sponge indicates how long the preparation should take up to baking the loaf.  So, if my initial rise is 6 hours, then bulk proof, kneading, shaping. and all the mini rests in between should be about this time or even a little less.

I timed my sponge at about 5 hours to doubling.  I let it continue for an extra hour and found that the sponge had collapsed at the 6 hour point.  So, to my thinking, the much longer proof times that recipes have been telling me to use has done nothing except exhaust the dough.  It becomes very wet and difficult to handle and there's no capacity for oven rise.