Seeking more "sour" in sourdough
I've just finished making the extra-tangy sourdough bread recipe that came with the starter. I've had the starter two weeks and followed the instructions to the letter. The first batch was a disappointment. The second time, the loaves were nice and crispy and held an excellent texture. The only thing missing was the sour/tang. The starter has a nice sour smell and lots of bubbles.
All suggestions on making really sour sourdough bread would be really appreciated.
Christa
- Login to post comments
Replies to This Discussion
- Reply by GinaG on January 15, 2012 at 6:19 pm
-
Hello, Christa! Good to see you again:
Your starter is still pretty new, being a two-week-old...Am I right? Do I remember you saying in another thread you got your KAF starter a couple of weeks ago?
In time, your starter will become more assertive, but I'm a San Franciscan and IMO, even after two years my KAF starter just wasn't as assertive as my San Francisco starter.
That being said, how to get more assertive "sour" in your sourdough:
Retard your loaves in the fridge. Slowing down the fermenting process also does more than improve flavor. It does beautiful things to your crust; adding more blistering and color to your finished loaves. A pre-ferment/sponge also adds improved flavor.
The world of sourdough is a slow-pokey one: You really can't rush the process, but believe me and teems of others, it is a process most rewarding and well worth the effort.
GinaG.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by stephsugar on January 18, 2012 at 11:56 pm
-
Ginas moment about slow proofing was a good one. Also, try to be fairly consistent with your feeding schedule, and when you start your loaves. For example, if you always feed at 4pm, then make your sourdough preferment the following day, after it has matured. Also, and I haven't tried it, but think about possibly two feelings, which I've heard can make your culture more active.
Also, hydration will affect how sour it is...but I can't remember the specifics. Lastly, sourdough does seem more sour the day aftere it's baked as well.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by placebo on January 19, 2012 at 3:50 pm
-
Try a different recipe. I've never found that recipe to result in an assertive sourness.
Retarding can increase sourness, but you have to keep in mind that the temperature at which you retard is important. Don't be surprised if simply throwing the dough into the fridge overnight doesn't result in the sourness you want. It's a bit more complicated than that. With typical refrigerator temperatures, it's too cold to allow the bacteria to work effectively at producing acid.
One trick you can use is to reduce the amount of starter. This will increase the fermentation time giving the bacteria more time to produce the acid which results in sourness.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by stevenc12 on January 20, 2012 at 6:12 pm
-
If all else fails that has been mentioned so far, then add some citric acid to the dough. At KAF, it's at:
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/sour-salt-citric-acid
- Login to post comments
- Reply by Harrison Brook on January 21, 2012 at 7:36 pm
-
I am finally making some sourdough from the starter I left idle for three months and revived. I am using the KAF extra tangy recipe. Previously people have remarked how mine had a pronounced sour flavor...much more than store bought sourdough. I started midday today with half the flour. Let it sit about 6 hours...nice rise and bubbles! It's into the fridge overnight. Will mix in the rest of the flour tomorrow and let it sit a few more hours. I was thinking about buying a pH tester and testing my cultures. There's going to be acetic (vinegar) and lactic acid in there and the pH may indicate how much acidity and possibly provide an indication of tartness. My cultures are about 2 years old.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by BakerIrene on February 17, 2012 at 10:57 pm
-
I made a starter using the Lalvain dry culture sold by KAF. The quart jar sat in the fridge and got fed once a month. It became quite sour with time, but still baked good bread.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by bestfriendroo on April 05, 2012 at 10:38 am
-
I gave some starter to my neighbor who wanted a full sour flavor. She added lemon juice to her dough and it was wonderful. Full of flavor!
- Login to post comments
- Reply by BakerIrene on April 05, 2012 at 12:13 pm
-
Hello Christa, let your starter age in the fridge for a month without feeding it. THEN start feeding once a week the day before you want to bake bread.
FYI REALLY sour starter will require the highest gluten content in flour that you can find. Use unbleached "bread" flour or add 5% of the flour's weight in Vital Wheat Gluten (aka "gluten flour" in bulk foods, nutrition label should say over 80% protein). Otherwise the high acid will "relax" your dough into something that bakes out flat.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by droopus on May 19, 2012 at 10:02 pm
-
May I make a suggestion? I've found I can precisely control the sourness in any culture I use by varying culture proof temperatures. When I decide to bake (about four times a week) I pull a culture jar from the fridge, divide it in half, feed both, then return one jar to the fridge aftwer an hour proof.
For a very sour loaf, I proof my working jar for 3 hours at 70 - 75 degrees, then four hours at 85 - 90 degrees. By the end of the second proofing period, the starter is very foamy and bubbly. The longer I proof at the higher temp, the more sour the loaf.
Of course it has to be a really sour culture to start: SF, Bahraini or my local capture are my sourest cultures. With the ability to control the sourness by temp, I never add anything to the starter, nor have the need to do so. Try it!
- Login to post comments
- Reply by GinaG on May 20, 2012 at 5:41 am
-
Droopus,
Great suggestions. I also agree with you on the kind of starter he has. That would be great if he can get the results he wants with a from-scratch starter--I have!
Gee, this will sound ridiculous, but I have to share: I wish i could get my starter to peak at 7 hours like yours AND most normal people. Mine peaks at 3 to 4 hours. I can get it closer to 4 hours in a slightly cooler area, but like you, I keep my starter in a warm cozy place. Warmer if i'm converting some of it into a Herman.
The starters I've made were/are definitely more assertive than KAF--I'm not bashing! I need to say again that many people are thrilled with it. I like something different is all.
Did you get your Bahrain culture from Sourdough International?
Gina
- Login to post comments
- Login to post comments
