Home | About | Contact
800.827.6836 | Norwich, Vermont

shopping cart

All discussions My Discussions
+ Add a Discussion
deslau2 badge: Community Member

NY rye starter sponge

Hi all. I am trying this recipe from Good Cooking for what is purported to be the best NY style rye ever, providing the recipe is followed EXACTLY. It starts with a sponge using potato water and yeast and white rye, which has to set for three days on the counter at room temperature, before using. It is covered with plastic wrap. When made, one HAD to use First Clear andmore of the White Rye flour....try finding that locally! only KAF had it.
Anyway, I wonder how critical this time frame is for this...can it be the fourth day? If something comes up, and it is 5 days before using, is this critical? Should one, could one, refrigerate it and still use it if one returned it to room temperature before continuing the process?
Sour dough starters are refrigerated to keep, but what about this type of sponge starter?
Thanks

Replies to This Discussion

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save" to activate your changes.
BakerIrene
  • Reply by BakerIrene on January 22, 2012 at 2:03 pm
  • badge: Community Member

This sponge needs to sit at room temperature for 3 days when room temp is below 80F. If you plan to refrigerate, do that after 2 days at room temperature. In summertime without A/C, I would mix the sponge in the evening and let it have 36 hours at room temp, MAX. You can then refrigerate for another 2-3 days, and return it to room temp before mixing.

You do NOT need First Clear flour if you can find Vital Wheat Gluten flour locally. Many health food stores carry it. For rye bread, you add 1 tablespoon per 4 ounce/1 cup of unbleached bread flour called for in the recipe. Add it to the sponge first so it has time to hydrate. AND be careful when adding the bread flour at the end, because it's really easy to add too much.

The reason for making a sponge is to give the time needed to fully hydrate the flour. If you don't add too much flour at the end, you accomplish the same goal with some flexibility in the sponge timing.