The Ironic Chef
New member
First the starter
Day 1
1 cup of Unbleached flour, 1 cup of spring water and a pinch of yeast.
Mix the above to form a thick paste in a non metallic contain like a half gallon sized plastic bowl. Cover with a tea cloth and set in a cool dark place for 24 hours.
Day 2
You will notice that the mixture has become bubbly and loosened up. There is a slight smell of yeast. Feed the mixture with another cup of unbleached flour and enough water to again make a thick paste. Return it to sit covered for another 24 hours.
Day 3
Repeat what you did on day 2. You will smell a stronger yeast aroma and the starter is becoming more active.
Day 4
Stir the mixture very well and and return it to sit.
Day 5
Repeat step for day 4. The fermentation by now has produced a pleasant pungent smell and is very active.
Day 6
It's time to make a sponge. Remove 1/2 cup of the starter to your mixing bowl for making your bread in. Add 1/2 cup of unbleached flour and 1/2 cup of spring water to the starter. You can now store your starter in the fridge. When you want to use it again just remove it from the fridge several hours before you are ready to start a sponge to wake it up. If you do not use the starter once a week be sure to discard 1 cup of the starter and feed it by adding 1 cup of unbleached flour and 1 cup of spring water. If you don't have time to feed your starter or have to take a vacation just pop it into the freezer. It will last up to 3 months there.
I make the sponge the night before I want to bake my bread. To make the sponge I use a half cup of the starter. I mix it really well with a half cup of unbleached flour and 1/2 cup of water more or less to make a pancake batter like consistency. I let this mixture set over night to ferment. The next morning while waiting for the coffee to brew I add one a cup of spring water and unbleached flour to the sponge and mix it really well. I let the mix set for another 3 or 4 hours. The sponge ferments and gets very active. It more than doubles in volume.
To make my dough I just add 2 more cups of flour to the sponge along with a tablespoon of salt. I mix it with the Kitchen Ade mixer until it forms a nice ball adding more flour a few tablespoons at a time if needed. I like to get my hands into the dough and usually work it for at least 10 minutes to build up the gluten. I then put about a teaspoon of olive oil into my rising bowl, non metallic place the dough into the bowl turning it to coat with the oil and then let the dough rise for about 2 hours.
After the dough has risen I then gently deflate it. I don't want to knead all of the air out of it. I flatten it into an oval shape about a half inch or so thick gently on a lightly floured surface and then let it rest for a few minutes. I then roll the dough tightly into a loaf shape sealing the seam. I place the loaf onto my peal that has a light dusting of cornmeal on it seam side down with a light brushing of olive oil on it and allow it to rise for 2 more hours covered with a piece of plastic wrap. During the last hour of rising I preheat my oven with the stone in it to 450 degrees. The stone and rack I bake the bread on is in the center level of the oven.
After the loaf has risen I score the surface about 1/2" deep, slide the loaf onto the stone in the oven. I like to mist the oven with a spray bottle filled with water every minute or so the first 5 minutes of baking to help the rising along. When misting the oven one has to be careful not to spray the light inside it.
The bread bakes for about 25 to 30 minutes to get a nice golden brown crust.
It's a hard thing to do but when I remove the bread from the oven I let it sit for about 10 minutes before I cut into it. It's amazing to hear the bread sitting there like a bowl of Rice Crispies snap, crackling and popping. Cut a nice thick slice of this bread and slather on the butter. The texture of this bread and the crust is amazing.
I have been using the same starter now for 8 years and I swear, it only gets better. Enjoy.
Day 1
1 cup of Unbleached flour, 1 cup of spring water and a pinch of yeast.
Mix the above to form a thick paste in a non metallic contain like a half gallon sized plastic bowl. Cover with a tea cloth and set in a cool dark place for 24 hours.
Day 2
You will notice that the mixture has become bubbly and loosened up. There is a slight smell of yeast. Feed the mixture with another cup of unbleached flour and enough water to again make a thick paste. Return it to sit covered for another 24 hours.
Day 3
Repeat what you did on day 2. You will smell a stronger yeast aroma and the starter is becoming more active.
Day 4
Stir the mixture very well and and return it to sit.
Day 5
Repeat step for day 4. The fermentation by now has produced a pleasant pungent smell and is very active.
Day 6
It's time to make a sponge. Remove 1/2 cup of the starter to your mixing bowl for making your bread in. Add 1/2 cup of unbleached flour and 1/2 cup of spring water to the starter. You can now store your starter in the fridge. When you want to use it again just remove it from the fridge several hours before you are ready to start a sponge to wake it up. If you do not use the starter once a week be sure to discard 1 cup of the starter and feed it by adding 1 cup of unbleached flour and 1 cup of spring water. If you don't have time to feed your starter or have to take a vacation just pop it into the freezer. It will last up to 3 months there.
I make the sponge the night before I want to bake my bread. To make the sponge I use a half cup of the starter. I mix it really well with a half cup of unbleached flour and 1/2 cup of water more or less to make a pancake batter like consistency. I let this mixture set over night to ferment. The next morning while waiting for the coffee to brew I add one a cup of spring water and unbleached flour to the sponge and mix it really well. I let the mix set for another 3 or 4 hours. The sponge ferments and gets very active. It more than doubles in volume.
To make my dough I just add 2 more cups of flour to the sponge along with a tablespoon of salt. I mix it with the Kitchen Ade mixer until it forms a nice ball adding more flour a few tablespoons at a time if needed. I like to get my hands into the dough and usually work it for at least 10 minutes to build up the gluten. I then put about a teaspoon of olive oil into my rising bowl, non metallic place the dough into the bowl turning it to coat with the oil and then let the dough rise for about 2 hours.
After the dough has risen I then gently deflate it. I don't want to knead all of the air out of it. I flatten it into an oval shape about a half inch or so thick gently on a lightly floured surface and then let it rest for a few minutes. I then roll the dough tightly into a loaf shape sealing the seam. I place the loaf onto my peal that has a light dusting of cornmeal on it seam side down with a light brushing of olive oil on it and allow it to rise for 2 more hours covered with a piece of plastic wrap. During the last hour of rising I preheat my oven with the stone in it to 450 degrees. The stone and rack I bake the bread on is in the center level of the oven.
After the loaf has risen I score the surface about 1/2" deep, slide the loaf onto the stone in the oven. I like to mist the oven with a spray bottle filled with water every minute or so the first 5 minutes of baking to help the rising along. When misting the oven one has to be careful not to spray the light inside it.
The bread bakes for about 25 to 30 minutes to get a nice golden brown crust.
It's a hard thing to do but when I remove the bread from the oven I let it sit for about 10 minutes before I cut into it. It's amazing to hear the bread sitting there like a bowl of Rice Crispies snap, crackling and popping. Cut a nice thick slice of this bread and slather on the butter. The texture of this bread and the crust is amazing.
I have been using the same starter now for 8 years and I swear, it only gets better. Enjoy.
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