Spring is in the air...along with a few white snowflakes!  Not out of the ordinary for Cascade, Idaho.  We have been getting a lot of questions about cultures needing washing.  Let me first let you know that you only wash a culture if it smells bad.  And believe me you will know when a culture smells bad.  So below I have included the process for washing cultures.  You would be amazed at how many cultures are saved by doing this.

“Washing” a culture:  During the first step of activation contamination by organisms present in most flour sometimes occurs.  It usually appears in the first 24 hours and produces sufficient bubbles and foam to suggest that the culture is activating.  An unpleasant odor is a good indication of contamination.  It usually occurs when the initial activating temperature is not high enough, causing slow acidification by the lactobacilli.  It can usually be corrected by “washing”, which gives the lactobacilli another opportunity to acidify the culture.  To “wash” a culture, mix it thoroughly and discard all but about 1 cup.  Then fill the jar almost to the top with warm water while stirring vigorously.  Again discard all but about one cup.  Now feed ⅔ cup of flour and enough water to maintain the thick pancake batter consistency.  The first response is usually a marked reduction in activity as contamination is reduced.  Reduce the temperature to about 70^oF and continue feeding as above every 12 to 24 hours at this lower temperature.  When normal fermentation takes over, the layer of foam and bubbles will reach almost to the jar top 2-3 hours after the last feeding.  This may require 3 to 5 days.  The culture is then ready to use or refrigerate.  If the culture does not begin to revive in 2-5 days, the washing process may have to be repeated. 

I really hope this helps all of you that may be in that spot where you don't know where to go.  Don't forget that our website has a ton of information on the entire activation process of your culture.  Hope you enjoy your spring and happy baking!!!!

I want to share one of my favorite recipes out of our Classic Sourdoughs Revised A Home Baker's Handbook.  I have tried this with the Original San Francisco, the Giza and the Yukon and loved it with all three!!!

Herb Bread
This loaf is delightful, with a mixture of thyme, oregano, and basil.  Makes one 1 1/2 Pound (680 G) Loaf

1 Cup (240 ml) Culture from the Culture Proof
1 Tablespoon (15 g) Butter
1 Cup (240 ml) Milk
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Dried Basil
3 1/2 Cups (490 g) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Dough Proof- 
     Pour the culture into a mixing bowl.  Melt the butter and add the milt to warm.  Stir in the salt, sugar, thyme, oregano, and basil and stir.  Add the butter mixture to the culture and mix well.  Add the flour a cup (140 g) at a time until the dough becomes too stiff to mix by hand.  Turn out onto a floured board and knead in the remaining flour until the dough is smooth and satiny.
     Or mix and knead all of the ingredients for a maximum of 25 minutes in a bread machine or other mixer.
     Proof the dough overnight (8 to 12 hours) at room temperature, about 70 degrees F (21 degrees C), in a large bowl covered with plastic wrap (or leave in the machine pan, removed from the machine, securing the plastic wrap with a rubber band).  During this time, the dough should double in size in the covered bowl, or rise to the top of the machine pan.  After the proof, use a spatula to gently ease the dough out onto a floured board.  Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.  If marked flattening occurs during this time, knead in additional flour before shaping.

Loaf Proof-
     After the 30-minute rest, shape the dough.  Flatten it slightly, then lift a portion from the periphery and pull it toward the center.  Continue this around the dough mass to form a rough ball, then pat and pull into the loaf shape you desire.  Place on a baking sheet or in a bread pan and proof for 2 to 4 hours, until it doubles in bulk or rises nearly to the top of the pan.  Proof for the first hour at room temperature and the at 85 to 90 degrees F (29 to 32 degrees C) in a proofing box.

Baking-
     Place the pan with its shaped, proofed loaf in a cool oven, then turn the temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and bake for 70 minutes.  Or transfer the loaf to a preheated baking stone in a 450 degree F (230 degree C) oven and bake for 40 minutes.  When the loaf is baked, remove it from the pan and let cool on a wire rack for at least 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.


I hope that you like this recipe as much as I do.  Would love to hear your stories, favorite recipes, and or pictures of you baking with sourdough!   Have a great weekend!!!
    

I think that the thing with Sourdough is that so many people have so many misconceptions about it.  It was a little scary for me to commit to wanting to do sourdough.  I thought what about the proofing, what about feeding it all the time, what if I mess up the culture, I was full of what ifs.  I have a feeling that if I am feeling this way so are others.  Well, I have great news for all of you!  It isn't hard, it isn't scary and it isn't babysitting a culture for the rest of your life.  The proofing box is very simple to make.  We have a blog about it, there are detailed instructions on our website and in a flier that we send with the culture.  If it does scary you too much....solution...there are proofing boxes for sale on the Internet.  Problem solved.  Feeding it...another, oh my gosh, I will never be able to leave the house to go on vacation moments.  Great news!  Did you know that you can put your cultures in the fridge and leave them for months?  You can!  Just every four months get them out, feed them so that they reactivate and you can store them again if you aren't going to use them for awhile again.  What a great tidbit of information that most people don't know!  As for messing up these cultures, let me just tell you that it is pretty hard to do.  The cultures seem to be extremely forgiving!!!  And if they do get contaminated...you wash them and they should be just fine.  If I can get a sourdough starter started and usable, anyone can.  Let me know your concerns or questions with the starters and we will see if we can get them cleared up for you.  Happy baking!!!!

The sun is shining but it is too cold to go outside and work.  What a perfect day to be baking!!!  Sourdough International, Inc. has been very busy lately.  We have had a filming crew here, in the Idaho Statesman and now an article just came out about our book in the Idaho Magazine!  What a month!  So exciting that people are getting interested in what we are doing.  Not only that they are getting a chance to eat sourdough bread at its finest with no commercial yeast!  Hard to top that!  Our book has so many great recipes.  And don't forget we offer 17 different cultures from all over the world.  Join us in making some wonderful sourdough bread.  Visit our web site at www.sourdo.com.  Have a great weekend!

Here is a teaser for the TV show Taste This TV which was taped at Sourdough Internationals.  We can't wait to see the whole show!!!!  We will keep you updated with times and dates of the shows that Sourdough International will be showing.  More behind the scenes pictures and stories to come.

Happy Thursday!!!  We have bluebird skies here today and spring is right around the corner!  Exciting news for all of us here at Sourdough International...we are taping 3 episodes of Taste This TV this weekend right here at our facilities.  We are going to be taking tons and tons of pictures.  Can't wait to post them here for all of you to see!  Hopefully we will get tidbits of the show to share with you also.  When we know when it airs we will be sure to let you know.  So my exciting adventures and misfortunes of baking are on hold for a couple of weeks while we keep you updated on the happenings around our shop.  Until next week...happy cooking!!!!

This week I have been trying to "pick" Ed's brain and see what else I can learn from him about sourdough cultures.  I wanted to know the difference between our cultures and the sourdough breads that use commercial yeast.  One of the biggest things is being able to control the taste of the sourdough.  With our cultures when you proof them you can control how sour they get.  With commercial yeast there is no way to control the sourness of your bread.  The temperature and time are what makes our cultures develop more or less sourness.  Also, what Ed tells me is that the "crumb" of the breads made with our cultures is also different than commercial yeast made bread.  These two things alone make our bread cultures the Gold Standard of Bread.  Not only that but I am learning that proofing, feeding a culture and enjoying the smell of fresh baked bread is also a huge benefit!  I love the smell of sourdough bread coming out of the oven.  Also....we have 17 different kinds of culture.  17 different tasting cultures.  That alone amazes me.  So far I have been able to start three;  the Original San Francisco, the Giza, and the Yukon.  Each one is different.  The Original San Francisco is the easiest and most user friendly.  The Giza and Yukon I started at the same time and was amazed at the differences.  The Giza took off and grew like mad.  The Yukon took a little longer and had a different taste.  I can't wait to try the rest.  Share with me what your favorite sourdough flavor is.  Can't wait to hear from you!