For a while now, I have wanted to create a sourdough starter. I have tried in the past to do this, but never really had a good enough temperature situation to do so. The Pacific NW is too temperate. Too hot in the summer and not hot enough the rest of the year, as well as being too humid ongoingly. Anyway, that was my excuse as to WHY I could not successfully get a sourdough starter going.
We got ourselves a proofer. It was a gift from Heather’s mom a couple of years ago, and for a long time, mainly because we do not make bread, it sat up high on top of the kitchen cupboards. Then we started making pizza dough, which had us pull it down and set up a place where it could live so it was accessible. That had us thinking about sourdough starter once again. This time I went for it.
A sourdough starter is a living culture made from just flour and water. Over time, it becomes home to
- Wild yeasts (which make dough rise)
- Lactic acid bacteria (which create sour flavor and help preserve the bread)
These microorganisms are already present on the grain, especially in the lovely wild stone ground flour we are using. Its also present in the air, and on our hands and kitchen tools. So, I began using a 50/50 mixture of water and flour and over about 10 days, I discarded most of it and fed it with another 50/50 blend. I did that religiously until it settled down and smelled lovely and sour rather than like acetone. At that point I put it in the fridge, sealed. Armed with a sourdough starter, that we call Guinnivere, we now have a new friend in our kitchen that needs love and attention.
When I make pizza dough, I use a specific recipe:
- 150g of pizza flour
- 9 g of salt
- 270 g of water (at 65 degrees)
- 1 packet of yeast
- Then once its combined, I mix it at medium speed for about 7 minutes.
- After that, I let it rise for about 5 hours in the proofer before I separate it and let it rise in the fridge for two or three days.
What makes working with sourdough starter is that it all takes a little bit longer. First of all, the quantities are quite different. There has to be an adjustment on both the amount of dough as well as the amount of water. This is what I do;
- 365 g flour
- 225 g water (instead of 220 g)
- 100 g starter
- 9 g salt
Then, I put it, covered, in the proofer, but instead of 5 hours, it lives there overnight. By that time, it rises quite a lot, which is good. It keeps yeast active, it speeds bacterial activity just enough, which it allows the gluten to develop before the cold (of the second rise) tightens it. Once it rises and I have divided it for the second rise, I cover it with olive oil so it does not dry out, I let it rise in the fridge for 30 minutes uncovered before covering it.
As it chills in the fridge, the fermentation slows, the structure set and the handling improves dramatically.
Divided, each piece makes a 14 inch pizza that tastes brilliant!
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