G'day, I have just joined the forum and thought I had better introduce myself. I have only been baking sourdough for a few months so I'm pretty much a novice. Years ago used to bake my own bread and I always wanted to try to make my own sourdough but never managed to get around to it. When bread machines came around I naturally purchased one but they took the fun out of it and I just kind of stopped making any bread at all.
A flyfishing forum of which I am a member had a thread about good food and Danubian (through another name) posted a photo of some sourdough he had made. Various people expressed a desire to give it a go and I was one of them, but I was a bit busy and never got around to actually following it up. My brother however actually contacted Boris and Boris gave Dave (my brother) instructions on how to get a starter going, a recipe, information and tips and freely answered any questions Dave could come up with. My brother then gave me some starter and all the emails he exchanged with Boris...what was I to do but try it out! Since then another flyfisherman has joined our little group so Boris has converted 3 of us to the art.
My first batch was pretty good, if a bit flat and "free form" but I improved with the second and third batches. I did not take a photo of the first two batches only because I did not think of it...I photographed my third batch only because I took it on a fishing trip and someone on the forum asked what it was like, these loaves were made with about 15% rye.
I have Boris to thank for my successes but any failings are mine alone....after all I am the one that mixes the dough and bakes my bread.
I now bake 4 loaves (25% rye) about once a week and give two to a guy I work with. I purchased some bannetons online fairly recently and plastic ones were delivered (I had not discovered this site), my brother has decided to get some cane ones and I'm going to replace my plastic ones with cane. The latest photos I took to ask Boris a couple of questions and are probably about batch 15 or so. I do not know how to place pictures in my posts, but I have put these photos in my gallery, feel free to have a look and offer suggested improvements to a novice rank amateur! I am having trouble with my dough sticking iin the plastic bannetons and I tried to counter it by reducing the hydration in this batch, resulting in smaller holes. To me it still tastes great though!
Cheers,
Pete
A flyfishing forum of which I am a member had a thread about good food and Danubian (through another name) posted a photo of some sourdough he had made. Various people expressed a desire to give it a go and I was one of them, but I was a bit busy and never got around to actually following it up. My brother however actually contacted Boris and Boris gave Dave (my brother) instructions on how to get a starter going, a recipe, information and tips and freely answered any questions Dave could come up with. My brother then gave me some starter and all the emails he exchanged with Boris...what was I to do but try it out! Since then another flyfisherman has joined our little group so Boris has converted 3 of us to the art.
My first batch was pretty good, if a bit flat and "free form" but I improved with the second and third batches. I did not take a photo of the first two batches only because I did not think of it...I photographed my third batch only because I took it on a fishing trip and someone on the forum asked what it was like, these loaves were made with about 15% rye.
I have Boris to thank for my successes but any failings are mine alone....after all I am the one that mixes the dough and bakes my bread.
I now bake 4 loaves (25% rye) about once a week and give two to a guy I work with. I purchased some bannetons online fairly recently and plastic ones were delivered (I had not discovered this site), my brother has decided to get some cane ones and I'm going to replace my plastic ones with cane. The latest photos I took to ask Boris a couple of questions and are probably about batch 15 or so. I do not know how to place pictures in my posts, but I have put these photos in my gallery, feel free to have a look and offer suggested improvements to a novice rank amateur! I am having trouble with my dough sticking iin the plastic bannetons and I tried to counter it by reducing the hydration in this batch, resulting in smaller holes. To me it still tastes great though!
Cheers,
Pete
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Replies
Try some of the other formulas Boris and the rest of the bakers have posted!
As for the baskets, try some rye flour sifted or rice flour mixed with wheat so they won't stick.
Cheers,
Jeremy
I'll give some fine rye flour a go. I will be baking another batch tomorrow night so I'll let you know how it goes.
I have just been using the basic recipe that Boris gave us, only varying the rye content. I'll be fishing on Saturday (the season opened last weekend) but I might bake another batch and try a different recipe on Sunday.
In order to bake mid week (due to work) make the levain in the morning and let it get active during the day then I make the dough, let it rise and form the dough into loaves that night. As soon as that is done I put the bannetons into the fridge. When I get home from work they come out of the fridge for 3 to 4 hours to prove and then they are baked. The bread still turns out OK though.
I'll put a couple of photos of the latest batch in my Gallery (As usual, they are 25% rye).