Basic Sourdough Bread
Thought I should give sourdough another
go - a simpler version. I wanted to try introducing steam today but
failed. I was going to use the ice cube method but realised at the
last minute that my fridge no longer produced ice (or iced water)!
So silly that I didn't check it before. So thought I'd quickly try
to boil water - then that was taking too long so ... no steam for
bread today.
This was different compared to my previous attempt with
sourdough rye. I did encounter some problems with my firm starter -
it didn't rise for many many hours. I am suspecting that my culture
is actually dormant and I will probably need to wash and reactivate
it. So in view of the culture not working too well (although the
flavours came through), I added 1½ Tspn of Instant yeast to give it
the extra lift it needed. This was otherwise a much firmer and
manageable dough, better for newbies. I've also introduced 10% of
rye into the flour mixture. I will probably give this recipe
another attempt using refreshed culture.
Everything was less than ideal but it was quite a relief that at
least the flavours came through. It had balanced flavours with a
nutty hint of rye. It was quite a wholesome feeling. I went on and
made bruschetta with it. It was wonderful, flavourful and much
relished!