Drive Thru Sue Sourdough THM:E - Tips & Tricks

(this post may contain affiliate links - please feel free to click!)

Please check out all the pages related to making THM:E Sourdough Bread!

Sourdough - the process

Wild Yeast Starter

Day #1, Mixing Day

Day #2, Baking Day

Tips and Tricks, Larger/Smaller Loaves
Complete Baking Instructions (all pages)

******************************

If you've come this far, I hope you have eaten a few nice loaves of your own, wonderful homemade sourdough bread!  Isn't is amazing that you can bake bread for just a small amount of time and almost NO real work?!?  I'm still amazed that I can crank out fresh bread in just 2 hours!

This page will list some of the common issues that you will run across when working with sourdough, and also how to change the loaf size, and batch size.

Dough Refrigerator Life:

After your initial refrigeration overnight, you'll have around 3-4 days to make good bread.  One of the downsides to sourdough (which is also it's greatest strength) is that it is a living organism.  The yeast replicates, feeding on the natural sugars and carbs in the flour.  Their by-product is both carbon dioxide and alcohol, which cause the bread to rise.  Eventually, however, the yeast will consume all available carbs and there will be so much CO2 that the yeast will die.

In your refrigerator, you'll notice that the bread will slowly get poofier for about the first 3 days that it is in the fridge.  Day #3 is really your last *perfect* day to bake.  On day 4 it will stall out, and you may see larger bubbles forming through the walls of your container - those are large pockets of CO2.  Your bread wil still turn out OK, but may not rise as high.  You may smell an off-odor.  Not bad, but a tad alcoholic.  By day 5ish, the entire bulk of dough will begin to flatten, lose elasticity, and will pull apart in a similar fashion to the newly mixed dough.  Except this time - instead of needing to stretch more like freshly mixed dough - the dough will be over stretched, the gluten falls apart and will no longer hold together.  As you smooth your dough, you'll find that it breaks and crumbles apart.  Your loaf will flatten instead of rising, as it sits at room temp, and it will not puff at all in the oven - just bake into a flat, dense brick.

The good news is that all of your yeasts are not dead, but the flour is just not strong enough to hold together - all the carbs have been eaten!!  You can still take your starter piece, mix up a new batch of bulk dough, and make bread the following day.

One way to avoid this problem of over-risen dough, is to simply bake your bread earlier.  This bread keeps very well in the fridge once it has been baked.  I've had a loaf in there for a week and longer with no signs of mold or funny smells.  If day #4 comes along and you don't really *need* another loaf, go ahead and bake it anyway (while making dinner, watching TV, etc) and just stick it in a gallon ziplock in the fridge.  You can either mix up another batch of dough right then (if you have time for the folding) or in the next 3-5 days.  It won't last forever without being fed, however, so don't leave it in there for too long.

Making 2 larger loaves:

Nutritional Info for 1/4 of the medium "double" loaf

Another option is to just divide the dough in half (instead of 4 pieces) and bake 2 larger loaves.  I use a medium-sized stoneware loaf pan that is about 3.5 x 6.5.  It's still half the size of a standard loaf of bread, but because of the tall sides it forces the bread to rise *up* instead of spreading *out* as it bakes.  I absolutely LOVE the cute little slices!!I don't waste a big piece on the end because it was thinner and got too dry and hard in the oven.  Also, I only bake bread half as often!  My kids really like my sourdough and ask for it over store-bought bread.  Since this bread is cheaper to make anyway, not to mention healthier, I can give it to them for lunch and still not be baking every single day, if I use the loaf pan.

Notice the nutritional info to the right.  This is for eating 1/4 of the medium loaf, which would be quite a bit along side other items in a meal.  However, it's hard to estimate 'slices' when everyone has their own favorite thickness.  Use this info as an estimate of fat, carbs & protein, depending on how much less than 1/4 loaf you eat in one meal.

To use the loaf pan, I cut a strip of parchment that is the length of the inside of the loaf pan and set my dough to rise in the center.  When I heat the oven, I place the storeware loaf pan in to get hot.  To bake, I lift the parchment and rock it back and forth a few times to help the loaf to get a bit skinnier, then lower it into the hot pan.  The ends will touch the pan and the long ends of the parchment will hang out really far, but both of those things are ok.  Slash the top as best you can.  After baking I use the parchment to lift the loaf out of the pan and onto the cooling rack - save the parchment strip for next time!  It can be reused until it gets so brown that it starts to crumble, which should be at least 4-6 times.

I have not yet tried baking ALL of the dough in a standard loaf pan.  Probably you'd need to heat to 450 (to get the stone good and hot), then reduce to 350 for baking, and bake for 45 minutes or longer.  Let me know if you try it!

Reducing the amount of dough:

If your house has only 1-2 people eating the bread, or not eating it every day, the original amount of dough might just make too much for you.  Below are the amounts to use to make smaller batches of dough.  Always check your dough consistancy and add a tad more water or flour if needed:

4 small loaves + starter piece (original recipe)

3 small loaves + starter piece (uses same amout of oil & salt)

• starter from previous batch
• 1T oil
• 1T salt
• 2C hot water
• 4C white whole wheat
• Cut into 4ths, save 1 for starter and bake 3

2 small loaves + starter piece

• starter from previous batch
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1.5 C hot water
• 3C white whole wheat
• Cut into thirds, save 1 piece, bake 2

Storing Your Starter For A While:

Eventually, everyone needs a vacation.  You might need to just not bake bread for a season, but don't really want to go to the trouble of creating a wild yeast starter again later.  You might really go on vacation and leave your house for several weeks!  As a living organism, the starter can't be completely ignored, but it can be neglected quite seriously for a while.

To put your starter in indefinite standby, you'll want to take around 1/2 C of your bread dough and put it back into the quart jar.  There's no need to feed a huge tub of dough all the time.  Whisk in about 1/4 C of hot water, then use your wooden spoon to add 1/4C whole wheat flour and put it back in the fridge, covered loosely (use the jar lid but leave the band very loose).  You can leave it that way for up to 2 weeks, then add another 1/4 C each of water and flour.   If the jar gets to around half full, throw away all but about 1/2C the next time you feed it.  Repeat forever!  Your yeasts will constantly have new food introduced, but without being allowed to warm up they will stay dormant and won't consume it very fast.  It would be good to bring it out and let it warm up after a month or 6 weeks and let the yeasts really grow and get strong for a while before returning to your 2 week rotation.

If you have to go longer than 2ish weeks you probably can, but it will take longer to bring your starter back to life.  In any case, when you're ready to bake again you'll need to treat your old, tired starter like a wild yeast starter for a while before using it to bake.  Leave it on the counter at all times, feeding it daily.  Leave it near fresh air and it will even attract new yeasts!  Since you already have (hopefully still living) yeasts, it should not take more than a few days to revive the starter and have it bubbly and sour again.

Yeast Bread that ANYONE can make

So you're a single guy... or a super busy mom with toddlers and infants... or a 2 income family who really struggles to get healthy food on the table before you cave and bring home a pizza after work.  Most of these types of people think that bread is waaaaay out of their league.  Takes too long, too messy, too finicky.  NO MORE!

This recipe is straight from one of my favorite food bloggers - Heidi Swanson over at 101cookbooks.com.  Se makes incredible stuff, and this recipe is no exception.  This is a batter-type yeast bread.  That means is a "real" bread (not baking soda like biscuits) but there is no kneading. Also, most of the ingredients are pretty "normal".  Buy some yeast and flour, and the rest of the ingredients you probably already have. It takes about 10 minutes to prep, 30 min to rise, 40 min to bake.  Hot and fresh bread on your table in less than 1.5 hours, and you didn't have to learn anything new, or mess up the kitchen!  Most of the time is waiting (to rise, to bake...) so you can finish prepping dinner, clean the kitchen, and have good homemade food for your family.  Ready?  Here is Heidi's recipe, copied straight from her site.  There is a link over there to subscribe to all her wonderful goodness!

Easy Little Bread Recipe

1 1/4 cups / 300 ml warm water (105-115F)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
1 tablespoon runny honey
1 cup / 4.5 oz / 125 g unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup / 5 oz / 140 g whole wheat flour
1 cup / 3.5 oz / 100 g rolled oats (not instant oats)
1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted, for brushing

 Below are the amounts for a 1.5x batch - perfect for my Pampered Chef stoneware loaf pan!

•  1 7/8C hot tap water
• 3 teaspoons yeast
• 1.5 T honey
• 1.5C white flour
• 1.5C wheat flour
• 1.5C rolled oats
• 2.75 teaspoons salt
• EVOO spray for pan (works great!)

In a medium bowl, sprinkle the yeast onto the warm water and stir until the yeast dissolves. Stir in the honey and set aside for a few minutes, until the yeast blooms and swells a bit - 5 - 10 minutes.
In the meantime, mix the flours, oats, and salt in a large bowl. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir very well.

Brush a 8-cup loaf pan generously with some of the melted butter (I used my pampered chef pan, and it had room to spare - a metal grocery store pan should be fine). Turn the dough into the tin, cover with a clean, slightly damp cloth, and set in a warm place for 30 minutes, to rise. (the back of the stove while it heats...)
Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C, with a rack in the middle. When ready, bake the bread for 35-40 minutes, until golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan. I finish things up by leaving the bread under the broiler for just a heartbeat - to give the top a bit deeper color. Remove from oven, and turn the bread out of the pan quickly. Let it cool on a rack so it doesn't steam in the pan. Serve warm, slathered with butter.
Makes 1 loaf.

Whole Wheat Muffin Base

Hi All!  This is an adaptation from my Betty Crocker Blueberry Muffin recipe.  I have altered it to use less oil, and less sugar, and to use all WW flour.  Also, a few ideas for stir-ins.

These muffins are roughly 160 cals each, including streusel.

Whole Wheat Muffin Base

Streusel Topping (optional)
1/4C white flour (WW is too grainy here)
1/4C packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold butter

Stir dry ingredients together in a small bowl.  Cut in (or rub with fingers) until butter is incorporated.


Muffin Base
3/4C milk
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons applesauce (any type)
1 egg
2C whole wheat flour (white whole wheat is nice, try King Aurthur)
1/4C sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1C fruit (see note below)

1. Heat oven to 400.  Grease or line 12 muffin cups.  Whisk together milk, oil, applesauce and egg in a large bowl.
2. Stir in dry ingredients until just moistened.  Stir in fruit
3. For a standard muffin tin, place 1/4C batter in each cell (fill about 2/3 full).  Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon streusel on each (if using).
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown, and a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool 5 minutes, then remove to cooling rack.

Fruit Options
Blueberry Muffins
1C fresh, canned (drained) or frozen (keep frozen) blueberries 
Apple Cinnamon Muffins
1C chopped fresh apple, add 1 teaspoon cinnamon with dry ingredients
Banana Muffins
Use only 1/3C milk, and add 1C ripe mashed banana with milk.  Use brown sugar instead of regular.
Cranberry Orange Muffins
Replace 1/4C of the milk with orange juice, add zest of one orange with wet ingredients.  Use 1C whole or chopped cranberries.

Cranberry-Orange

Authentic Indian Naan

This Naan bread is as close as I've seen to restaurant quality. It's certainly a far cry better then the pre-packaged stuff you buy at the store (if you can even find it!) I adapted this recipe from one of Emeril's over at Food Network, changing the method of preparation. I tried it in the oven (his method), and that's where it failed - the skillet version makes a soft, light bread - perfect for eating with curry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Authentic Indian Naan Bread

2 t. yeast
1 t. sugar
1 C. warm water, 120 degrees
2 C. flour, more for kneading
1 t. salt
1 stick (1/2 C) butter + olive oil

1. Mix yeast and sugar into water, and rest for about 5 min or until foamy.
2. Meanwhile, clarify butter. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Allow to boil briefly, then remove from heat. After butter has cooled slightly, the foam will be solid enough to remove with a spoon. Butter should be clear, not cloudy. Measure again, and add olive oil to get 1/2 C.
3. Stir flour and salt together in a medium bowl. Make a well in the middle and add yeast mixture and butter. Mix together with one hand - it will be soupy. Add enough flour to make a very soft dough, then knead for 3 min. It can be a little sticky. Place in a bowl greased with oil or butter and rise until doubled in a warm place, about 45 min.
4. Gently deflate dough and turn out onto lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll dough into thin rounds, about 6-8" each.
5. Heat a large, heavy (cast iron preferably) skillet over med-high heat. Add a TINY amount of butter - we're talking almost none. You should have to scrape the bottom of the skillet with a spatula to spread it around. The butter will be dark and smoking by now. Place the rolled out dough onto the butter, flip after 30 seconds. Flatten the bubbles with your spatula to help the other side brown evenly.
6. Serve with any indian dish, roll around sandwich meats and cheese, stuff with taco mix or hummus!