Mike Romain wrote:
Dick Adams wrote:

"Mike Romain" wrote in message
ng.com...


... I make 'sticky buns' with sourdough starter and the flavor
is there for sure.

Aye, and sure it is -- the flavor of butter, cinnamon, nuts, apple,
raisins, brown sugar and some honey.


So what do 'you' call bread that is made with sourdough starter instead
of commercial yeast?

I call it "bread" or even "sourdough bread."

Many people seem to have this mindset that sourdough bread must have
only water, flour, salt and a riser in it. As if it were a mathematical
proof and those ingredients were necessary and sufficient. Adding
anything else, as with a mathematical proof, reduces elegance. Or as in
an engineering project where anything that is not necessary should be
eschewed as if an element is not contributing to the project, it is
detracting from the project.

Horse hockey! It's not a mathematical proof, it's not an engineering
project, it's a loaf of bread! Its purpose is to be eaten and enjoyed.
If that means adding fruit, nuts, olives, sugar, oil, butter or what
not, that's fine. It's also fine if the people who scream that bread
should be only the sacred four ingredients don't enjoy the bread.
Paraphrase to them what Dr. Frankenfurter told Janet in "The Rocky
Horror Picture Show," "I didn't make it for you!"

Before the mid to late 1800's, when reliable commercial baking yeast was
introduced, virtually all breads that were made were made with sourdough.

We have had extensive discussions around here revolving around the idea
that sourdough bread need not taste sour. The taste of sourdough, even
a plain and simple sourdough, varies depending on the flour used, the
culture used, how long the dough was allowed to rise and at what
temperature, the skill of the baker, and, of course, the bread faeries.
Just because we call it sourdough doesn't mean it's sour.

When you make a cinnamon raisin bread with sourdough instead of with
yeast, the bread WILL taste different. It will have a greater depth of
flavor, more complexity, more flavor notes. Further, the acidity of the
sourdough, even if it is lactic acid with a mild flavor profile, will
act as a natural preservative allowing the bread to be stored longer
before staling or molding occurs. Moreover, the activity of the
sourdough starter will make a number of micro-nutrients in the bread
more biologically available. In all, there is a net benefit to using
sourdough to make bread. Even if the bread doesn't get in your face
screaming "SOURDOUGH!" at you.

Some people around here really need to get off line and see about
acquiring lives.

Mike
--
Mike Avery mavery at mail dot otherwhen dot com
part time baker ICQ 16241692
networking guru AIM, yahoo and skype mavery81230
wordsmith

Once seen on road signs all over the United States:
Are you
An even-tempered guy?
Mad all
The time?
Better try
Burma-Shave