another cooking fail

[canadageorges]

Sourdough, made with the most vague instructions EVER, did not go well.  I may try it again with different flour (since I now have sourdough starter in the fridge), or I may just look for a new starting point.  I'm really digging Bittman's cookbook, but this is the only recipe I've tried out of it so far, and it does not inspire me with confidence

Comments

[gryphonwing]

*cheer*

Much better idea, I think. If you feed your starter a few hours in advance (so that it's nice and bubbly - yours might be faster or slower than mine) it *is* a sponge.

I don't really use recipes, when I bake my sourdough - I just mix in whatever I'm mixing until it's the right consistency, rest, knead, let rise, shape, let rise again, bake. Rising times are really, really variable with true sourdough.

That's probably just about as vague as the recipe that didn't help you, though. :)

I'm going to make a sourdough-with-a-bit-of-rye baguette later, because I picked up a banneton at a thrift store that I'm excited to try. So that'll be an experiment. I'm pretty sure I'll get something yummy, at least. :)

[canadageorges]

I almost forgot to ask: what's a banneton?

More on sourdough

[gryphonwing]

Isn't Bittman one of the no-knead fake-sourdough people? So it's not really a sourdough starter, it's a commercial yeast culture, and you get sour bread by using on a little bit of yeast and letting it rise a long time?

Re: More on sourdough

[canadageorges]

Seriously, what does he have against kneading, anyway? It's the best part of baking. Yeah, I'll try his starter at least once more, but I think after the move, I'll have to make a proper one if this hasn't developed some flavor.