[isa]

For the first time in those last few weeks I actually remembered to save a bit of dough to try this recipe. I wrapped the little ball of dough in plastic wrap and stored it in the fridge. Will it be all right to make the first starter tomorrow morning?

Thanks!

 

[kimmie]

Yes Iza, you can start tomorrow morning. Let it come to room temp first; then proceed. It's quite easy to use the bread-making plan on p. 113 and adjust it to your own schedule.

 

[isaac]

so i have a question.


i just read something on using old dough left over from the prevouis day to make bread. is it like using a starter? *** it in with the rest of your ingredents? i suppose you would need to miss all the ingredents first and then add the old dough so it wont double mix.

what do u think?

also, what purpose does the old dough do versus a sour starter?

 

[isa]

Thanks for your help Kimmie, I am curious to see how this will turn out. I think I'll half the recipe as I already have have one loaf to eat.

I can only answer you with regard to this recipe Isaac. To make the first starter aka the old-dough starter, you start with a little ball of white bread dough add water and flour and let it rest for 8 hours or so. You then add more flour and water and let it rest for 4 hours. Then you make the dough and let it rise then after a final rise, you shape and bake it.

 

[isaac]

so i wonder what the diffrence would be if you just used a sough dough starter apposed to old dough or maybe i am just a confused little boy. wouldnt be the first time

 

[kimmie]

Well then, it would give you a totally different bread. Note that this recipe is not a sourdough bread.

 

[isa]

I hope the litt' ball o dough can wait 24 hours. I couldn't do it today. I'll know tomorrow if it can stand the wait!

 

[kimmie]

Isaac,

Here's more on Sourdough starters
This one is based on Lionel Poilâne's natural sourdough loaf which uses the "chef" method.

Happy reading!



[ July 31, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]

 

[isa]

How long do you think I can keep the ball o dough in the fridge before using it to make Sullivan's starter?

Thanks!

 

[kimmie]

Iza,

If you plan on using it soon, it should be fine. Otherwise, I would freeze it until I'm ready.

 

[isa]

You read my mind Kimmie I was just wondering if I could freeze it. I don't think I'll be able to do it before the weekend and that is if I feel better.

Thanks!

 

[kimmie]

I'm sorry you don't feel so good. Hope you recover very quickly, Iza.

 

[kylew]

According to The Bread Builders

"The addition of a yeasted dough that is 3-12 hours old to a new mixture of the same formula is an easy and controlled way to get some of the flavor (but little of the acid) of fermentation into volume produced bread."

It seems to be more of a time savor than anything else.

 

[isa]

In Artisan Baking Steve Sullivan makes the litt' ball o' dough the night before. He calls it the scrap dough. From there he makes a poolish then his dough.

That loaf is the one on the cover Kimmie. You can still make his bread even if you forget the ball o' dough.

P.S. I got the last copy Kimmie you might want to order it. Takes a few weeks to get in.

 

[kimmie]

Thanks for the info, Iza. I will order it right away!

 

[katherine]

I've made "naturally" leavened bread a couple of times. You use only a small amount of yeast in the dough, so it rises over a day or so. The next day, you put it in a pan, reserving part as a starter, and bake. You repeat this every few days, and next thing you know, you have a dough that's wet and soft, and a bread that's so sour and spongy, no one else will eat it. I like it, though, and it can be used as regular sourdough starter, too.

 

[kylew]

I had a piece of Firm Starter in the fridge for about a week. Firm Starter is basically the Crust & Crumb starter combined with enough flour to make a relatively firm dough. I hadn't used all of it a week ago and just left it in the fridge. It looked kinda sad and had even developed a little skin. It is as close to an Old Dough as I have worked with. The results were great. This weekend I am going to try and remember to save a chunk of a completed dough and try it. Now it's back to the math thing How much old dough added to how much flour and water etc. In the Bread Builders they talk about the old dough being 50% of the flour weight. Does that sound right?

[ August 02, 2001: Message edited by: KyleW ]

 

[isa]

50%? What are you making Kyle stale bread? It sounds like an awful lot of ball o' dough for one loaf. But then what do I know about it.

If you trust the book go for it and please take some more pictures and keep us posted.

That brings me to another topic. We talked about recipes that don't work but what about when you read the recipe and know it can't work. Will you try that recipe or trust your own judgement and experience?

 

[momoreg]

Thanks Kyle, that's good to know that the firm starter is still okay after a week. I have one in my fridge from 5 days ago, and I was wondering whether I'd get any leavening out of it. I believe Reinhart says it's only good for a couple of days.

 

[thebighat]

I can enthusiastically recommend Reinhart's pate fermentee starter,(old dough. You make a dough 100% flour, 62% water, 2% salt and 2% yeast, ferment it for three hours, then refrigerate it. Next day incorporate it into a dough, I think I use his French bread II, ferment it, shape it, then retard it.Bake it next day. You won't believe what a 2 lb boule of that looks like. People will eat it faster than any other bread you've made yet. It's one of those breads that crackles when it comes out of the oven. I find it's best to retard this dough because if you bake it the same dough it just erupts all over the place it's so full of leavening power.

[ August 02, 2001: Message edited by: thebighat ]