Sunday, January 6, 2013

The Great Sourdough Disaster of 2013...

So I've been trying to bake breads more often lately (I'm basically a beginner at it and I'm trying to branch out and make it more natural to me).

Late last night I decided to try sourdough, so I made a starter, a basic one that was on numerous websites. Most of the sites said to let it grow in the oven with just the light on for warmth, and since it's crazy cold here (for us, not for Missouri or other such cold places) I figured it'd be a good way to let the yeast rise and grow without killing it off because of cool temperatures.

So I mixed it up about 12:30am and tossed it in the cold oven with just the light on. I got up this morning and went to "feed" it, and it was BAKED! The center of it was liquidy and bubbly, but the edges were baked for an inch or so down!

 
Isn't it nasty looking?

 
I've had sourdough starter before, and this is not it! So I tossed it and I'll try again tonight, I just have to figure out where to store it while it grows. Any ideas?
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2 comments:

  1. Betsy BarnesJanuary 7, 2013 at 12:45 PM

    I know nothing about baking bread, so finding that the next morning would have freaked me out :)

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  2. UnknownJanuary 21, 2013 at 7:39 PM

    Oh do I feel your pain!. I have had several sourdough disasters and haven't bothered with it for a long time now but it really is worth seeing it through. Homemade bread is the best!

    I do remember that yeast doesn't have to be very warm to stay active. Some doughs are left to double in the fridge, just at a much slower pace. My best result was kept on a pantry shelf for months until I dropped it and had a miserable mess!

    Good luck!!
    Elle
    hey_wren@yahoo.com

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