Sour Dough and the Science of Food

Getting the kitchen geared not long after moving to Scotland

 When I've been around chefs while cooking, I was amazed at how they understood what works food wise with combining ingredients for recipes; how fats react to each other for instance. Fry diced bacon and red onion, add peas, pesto and double cream and then the olive oil from the pesto combines itself with the fat in the cream. Voila! (Delicious pasta recipe right there.) Its a super simple science but to me at the time, it was amazing. I knew I had to learn this; the ability to understand food structure. So, when the opportunity of discovering how sourdough works arose, I jumped at it. 

Jamie's bread mixture

 Since the BCDO, we had moved house to Stirlingshire, Scotland, during which time I was able to get some work experience. (See previous post 'Work Experience - Part 1') I mentioned in 'Tools for the Job - Part 1' that I've worked with agas before. Well, this house was the one that had an aga. Going from a fan-assisted electric to this oil guzzling beast was quite a transition. Anyhow, after a few months we had the family whose Dad I worked for at the BCDO come stay and they had brought with them in a tupaware this alien object: a sourdough starter. This peculiar organism was the road that helped to understanding what happens inside food by breaking it down into its raw components. 

 A sourdough is comprised of water and flour. The bacteria in the water eats the gluten in the flour, creates a lactobacillus culture, (passes wind so that bubbles form in the mixture), thus creating a natural rising agent. Genius! Here is how to make a sourdough starter.

 RECIPE:

Is that not a cool hat? Come on, that needs some comments!

 1) Heat 175ml of skimmed milk gently over a hob and then stir that into a bowl of 5 tbsp of live yoghurt. (Yeo Valley works.) Cover this and leave it over night somewhere warmish, stir in any liquids that separate. In the morning add 120g of wholemeal flour, incorporate it evenly and then leave that at room temperature for about two days until it starts to create bubbles and generate its own, sour smell. 
 2) Add 180g flour with 100ml of water and a couple of tbsp of milk. Mix, cover again and leave over night. By the next day the starter should be full of bubbles. Half the starter and freeze some for a backup, give half away for someone to start their own sourdough, use it in a recipe or do that which I loathe to do and discard it. To the remaining half add 150g flour and 150ml water and mix thoroughly. Leave over night and then it should be read to use.

 Click here if you want to know more about sourdough and here and here for my other bread recipes.

 If you are making a sourdough everyday you will need to feed the starter daily using a cup of water and a cup of flour, keeping it at room temperature. Discard some of the starter if it bubbles up to too much. If using it less often then keep it covered in the fridge and feed it once every four or five days. Now that you have a starter, you will need to know how to use it.

The Big Black Beast cooking my homemade pizzas. The
flour tiger stripes are a baking thing.

 Time: 7 or so hours

 Serves: (Makes two loaves)

 RECIPE:

 1) Mix together 500g flour (I use 1/4 spelt to 3/4 white), 300g of your sourdough starter and 250ml in a bowl with a good handful each of sugar and salt. When it starts to come together, dump it all on a clean, kitchen surface and really knead it. As Jamie said, "It's where you let all your emotions out. If your boss has been giving you a hard time then kneading is where to deal with it." Make sure you dust with flour here and there to stop it sticking to your hands and surface. It usually takes a while but the more you do with bread, I promise you, the better you will understand it.

 2) Put your dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea-towel and let it rise for three or so hours. Sourdough doesn't usually rise as fast as bread made with yeast so don't panic. Flour your surface and knead the dough again before halving into two loaves or you can roll the dough into balls for rolls. Grease well two loaf tins or flour a large flat tray if making rolls and place your dough portions in/on them. Let the loaves rise for two to two and a half hours in which time set your oven to near 230 degrees. (The rolls will need less rising time.) Score the tops of your loaves diagonally for that groovy, bakers look, dust with flour and bung them in. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. 

 Wanna-be-chef's Tip - Put a tray on the rack under your bread with few ice-cubes in it as this keeps the oven environment moist. Again, I encourage you to be adventurous with this. Try some raisins and cinnamon in there with a handful of sugar instead of salt for a sweeter loaf. A buttered slice of that toasted is great. Alternatively you could grate a big handful of Parmesan cheese in there with finely diced red onion and basil.   

Seasoned with Ambitiousness,

Jacob

 P.S. Just for a laugh, can anyone tell me which movie I'm quoting? "How do you tell good bread? Not by the colour, not by the smell but by the sound of the crust..."

"To glorify my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Creator  

of the universe and spread further abroad His glorious gospel." - Yours Truly