Sourdough Starter

Now that I am changing roles and will be working from home, I have decided to bake our sourdough instead of payng $7 a loaf for the goooooood stuff! Don't get me wrong, it is worth every penny - its outrageously fresh, the taste is incredible, it makes next level toast, and because it has no preservatives, it goes moldy well before the date on the tag and well before we can use it all! Still worth it - it really is that good - but being able to bake more manageable loaves that are just as fresh - will be a better use of time and money!

The extra time in my day saved by commuting will go a long way toward upgrading so many things in our daily life! I bake plenty of bread and rolls - I have been enjoying learning the finer points and its really satisfying when you can start trusting your instincts instead of being a slave to the recipe and directions.  (When I stopped following the direction "knead 5-7 minutes" and started to just "knead until windowpane is achieved" (when appropriate!) and had the confidence to blow well past those 7 recommended minutes to get to the stage I knew I needed to produce the best bread, the result was night and day!)

I wasn't supposed to start my new role (and officially working from home) until Monday, but after more than 2 years of dodging it, my office had a Covid exposure - since my boss knows that I have consistently taken precautions, he told me he had no issue with me finishing my last day working for him from home.  It's not like I won't be heading back to pack up the rest of my stuff and to drop by to help train my replacement, but its the end of an era - I worked for Mike for 8 years and I will genuinely miss working for him and the office - both the people and the building itself.  I was given a lot of responsibility and purview and it felt like "my house" since hospitality and daily operations were a large part of my role. But since the work from home aspect is starting unexpectedly early, I may as well get started on my starter! 

ChainBaker on YouTube is my Bread God™ - today I am watching and taking notes on his method for Sourdough Starter!

Equipment:

• Strong White Bread Flour - use the same flour you will bake with
• Room temperature filtered water - do not use tap water, the additives to tap water are not ideal for feeding a starter
• a jar for mixing
• spoon/spatula
• scale

Day 1

• Add 50g of flour and 50g room temp filtered water to the jar and stir (100% hydration!)
• Screw on lid loosely
• Leave the jar of starter out for 24 hours

Day 2

• Remove and discard 50g of starter
• Add 25g flour and 25g room temp filtered water
• Mix ntil you don't see any more dry flour - screw on lid loosely and leave for 24 hours

Repeat the steps from Day 2 until you get results. It can take up to 14 days - it will work! Chainbaker started seeing activity day 5, but his kitchen is contaminated with sourdough so it likely worked faster for him.

Once you start seeing activity, the feeding process changes to a 1:10:10 ratio - 1 part starter, 10 parts water, 10 parts flour.  Mix until all the flour is incorporated, cover and leave for 24 hours.

Now the starter is ready to be used! The starter needs to be maintained - for daily feeding in the first month, use a 1:10:!0 ration - as little a 1 gram of starter is enough - make as little as possible to reduce waste!

After the first month you can put it in the fridge and feed it about once a week. If the starter ever looks flat and runny, it is overfermented.

Building the Levain

The Levain is used in baking to leaven breads.  To build levain, use 1:2:2 ratio - it takes about 10 hours to rise and be ready for baking. Always keep starter separate from Levain.  The whole Levain will be used in the bake.  

There is another video on maintaining a starter and building a Levain:

Pizza dough

 https://www.onceuponachef.com/how-to/pizza-dough-recipe.html

This was great - just as written! I kneaded longer until windowpane, would increase salt a bit.

This pizza dough recipe yields a crispy, chewy, and flavorful pizza crust. 

Servings: Two 1-lb dough balls

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Total Time: 20 Minutes, plus at least 90 minutes rising time

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups all-purpose flour (520g), spooned and leveled-off, plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoon instant/quick-rise yeast 
• 2¼ teaspoons salt
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons warm water (see note)
• Cornmeal, for dusting the pan before baking

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir with a spoon to combine. Add the oil and water and stir until the dough comes together into a shaggy mass. Fit the stand mixer with the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. (Alternatively, you can knead the dough by hand.) The dough should be slightly tacky and cling just to the bottom of the bowl; if it seems too dry during the kneading process, add 1 tablespoon of water. If it seems too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour. 
2. Dust your hands with flour, then gather the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
3. When the dough has risen, punch it down and place on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half and roll each piece into a ball. 
4. If you’re not using the dough right away, lightly coat the dough balls with olive oil. Place into freezer bags and seal shut, squeezing out all the air. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to use, let the dough sit out on the countertop for 30 minutes to warm up before stretching. The dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to use, defrost in the refrigerator overnight (or for at least 12 hours), and then let it warm up on the countertop for about 30 minutes before stretching and proceeding with your pizza recipe.
5. If you're planning to use the dough right away, cover the dough balls with a damp kitchen towel and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes (the dough will rise a bit). Using your hands, stretch the dough to the desired shape. Proceed with your pizza recipe, or follow the general baking instructions below.
6. General Baking Instructions: Preheat the oven to 500°F and set an oven rack in the bottom position. Dust a 13x18-inch baking sheet lightly with cornmeal. Place the stretched dough on the baking sheet, and gently stretch it out again so that it maintains its shape. Spread your sauce over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the crust is partially cooked. Remove from the oven and scatter the cheese and toppings over the sauce. Slide the pan back into the oven and cook until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbling, 4 to 6 minutes more. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Slice and serve.
7. Note: Active dry yeast may be used instead of instant yeast, however the dough will take longer to rise. To give active dry yeast a boost, you can dissolve it in the warm water and let it sit until frothy, about 10 minutes. Following that, add it to the mixing bowl with the flour, oil, and salt and proceed with the recipe.
8. Note: The water should be warm to the touch — not hot — as anything over 130°F will kill the yeast and keep the dough from rising. It’s not necessary to measure the temperature, but you’re aiming for around 105°F.

Drop Biscuits

 https://www.inspiredtaste.net/47394/drop-biscuits/#itr-recipe-47394

Next time I will try oven at 425 - would be great with cheese and/or bacon

Makes 8 biscuits

YOU WILL NEED

8 tablespoons (115 grams or 1 stick) cold unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, see notes

1/2 cup (118 ml) cold whole milk, plus more as needed

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (see notes for using a hotter oven). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Alternatively, set aside a medium cast iron pan for baking the biscuits in.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together until well blended.

Remove one tablespoon of butter and set aside (this will be melted and brushed onto the biscuits once they are baked).

Cut the remaining 7 tablespoons of butter into small cubes. If you are not immediately moving on to the next step, place the butter back into the refrigerator to keep cold.

Scatter the cold butter cubes over the flour mixture then use a pastry blender or your fingers to cut or rub the butter in until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs (see photos or video for reference).

Using a fork, gently stir the milk into the biscuit mixture until the dough comes together. It will be a bit sticky and look shaggy. If the dough is too dry, add a little more milk, a tablespoon or two should do it.

Drop mounds of dough, about 3 tablespoons in size, onto the prepared baking sheet. Dough mounds should be about an inch apart from each other. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the biscuits are puffed and starting to turn brown on top. If some butter pools out around the bottom, it’s okay.

Meanwhile, melt the reserved tablespoon of butter. When they come out of the oven, gently brush the butter onto the top of each biscuit. Serve warm.

• Salt: I love my biscuits to be well seasoned with salt, which is why I choose to add 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt. If you don’t like your salt level as high, stick with 1/4 teaspoon instead.
• Oven temperature: These can be baked at 400° F and at 425° F. I find that 425° F gives the biscuits a nicer golden brown crust on top, but some ovens vary and can be temperamental. If your oven runs hot, stick with 400°F and keep an eye on the biscuits as they bake. I check the biscuits at 10 minutes and stay close by until I am happy with the color on top.
• Vegan variation: Use a cold vegan stick butter and non-dairy unsweetened milk.
• Measuring the flour: Flour should be spooned and leveled in the measuring cup. Use a spoon to add the flour into your measuring cup, and then use a flat edge to scrape the top of the cup flat. This method of adding flour to your measuring cup makes sure that you do not add too much flour to the dough.
• Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.

If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste

NUTRITION PER SERVING: Serving Size 1 biscuit (1 of 8) / Calories 199 / Total Fat 12.3g / Saturated Fat 7.5g / Cholesterol 32.1mg / Sodium 155.9mg / Carbohydrate 19.6g / Dietary Fiber 0.7g / Total Sugars 0.8g / Protein 3g

AUTHOR:Adam and Joanne Gallagher

The full recipe post can be found on Inspired Taste here: https://www.inspiredtaste.net/47394/drop-biscuits/