My first blog! So exciting! I love to bake and there's nothing better than the smell of fresh bread filling up your house on a cold day!! My favourite bread is and always will be the baguette but more of that next week. Before you start baking, you need a few simple things. A clean counter, lots of flour, a scraper of some sort (putty knives work awesome!), a pairing knife and a bowl. The first recipes are sourdough starters. Whats a starter you ask? A beautiful wonderfully sticky yeasty prefermented dough that is key to any great bread. The first recipe takes a week to prepare, the second takes 2 days. You will need a bowl or ice cream bucket is best.
The Long Starter
1 Potato
1 Onion
1lb Bread Flour
1l Water
1 Beer
Prick the potato and onion on all sides. Do not peel the veg. Once pricked, place on the lid of the ice cream bucket and let sit outside for 48 hours to collect wild yeast.
After 48 hours, place the veg in the bucket and add flour water and beer (the cheaper the better!) mix together and let sit in your kitchen for 5 days with the lid not completely shut. Stir everyday to keep consistency!!
The Short starter
1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt
Mix together the three ingredients and let sit at room temperature for 48 hours with lid slightly open
Once the 2 and 5 days have passed (depending on which starter you are using) you are ready to bake! You have now created a living, feeding being which must now be named. Mine is Homer. Your starter must be fed once a week and it will let you know its hungry by the blackish liquid on top. Don't be afraid! Your starter is just hungry! Feed it by adding equal parts water and bread flour. If you ever see a pinkish liquid on top of your starter, it is time to start over.
Storage: You can store your starter in the fridge with weekly feedings or in the freezer for a month or so. If storing in the freezer freeze it in an ice cube tray for easy defrosting and use. Your starter needs will depend on how often you are baking. You can cut down the first recipe in half, or double or triple the second recipe depending on how much you need per recipe
Next week I will unleash the baguette recipe, hope you will tune in!!
Thank you and happy baking!!
