I started a batch of sourdough starter about a week ago using the water &
whole wheat flour method described at sourdoughhome.com I used it to make
waffles with after the 3rd day. It looked nice & bubbly, so last night I
decided to make the recipe for SF Sourdough Bread listed also at
sourdoughhome.com
I mixed it up last night and kneaded, Kneaded, and KNEADED to try to get it
to pass the "windowpane test." Finally, after 35 min., I gave up. It
seemed like it might be just a tad too dry. Anyhow, I put it in a large
Tupperware bowl, covered it, and set it out on the counter to rise. 12 hrs.
later, it didn't look like much, if anything, had happened. So, I put the
bowl out in the garage where it's a bit warmer (which is also where I keep
my starter). 14 hrs. into this process, I'm still not seeing any
progression. How much longer should/can I wait before I just scrap it and
start over?
Thanks!

--
"Everything matters...there's no such thing as irrelevancy."

Shelby A. LaMothe wrote:

I started a batch of sourdough starter about a week ago using the water &
whole wheat flour method described at sourdoughhome.com I used it to make
waffles with after the 3rd day. It looked nice & bubbly, so last night I
decided to make the recipe for SF Sourdough Bread listed also at
sourdoughhome.com


When you get a recipe from someone, or someone's web site, you might ask
them for advice before hitting the web. That way, the chance that some
web site will look bad because of an error you might have made will be
reduced.

I mixed it up last night and kneaded, Kneaded, and KNEADED to try to get it
to pass the "windowpane test." Finally, after 35 min., I gave up. It
seemed like it might be just a tad too dry.

Too dry is always a problem. Dough would rather be too wet than too dry.

Anyhow, I put it in a large Tupperware bowl, covered it, and set it out on the counter to rise. 12 hrs. later, it didn't look like much, if anything, had happened. So, I put the
bowl out in the garage where it's a bit warmer (which is also where I keep my starter). 14 hrs. into this process, I'm still not seeing any progression. How much longer should/can I wait before I just scrap it and start over?


Scrap it now. When I make that bread, it usually doubles in a matter of
single-digit hours.

I suspect that you haven't been feeding your starter often enough, and
that your dough was too dry. When your starter is still developing, and
it is at room temperature, you need to feed it at least twice a day,
doubling or tripling its volume with each feeding.

Each feeding should be 1/2 water and 1/2 flour by weight, or 1 part
water to 1 1/2 parts flour by volume.

If you don't feed it that often at room temperature, it will slow down,
fade away, and eventually die.

Also, if you are refrigerating your starter, you need to feed it a time
or two to restore it before using it to make bread.

Mike

Thanks for the help!
As far as the website I listed, I was under the impression this newsgroup is
where I needed to go for help...that this newsgroup was part OF that site.
Sorry!
Shelby

Shelby A. LaMothe wrote:

Thanks for the help!
As far as the website I listed, I was under the impression this newsgroup is
where I needed to go for help...that this newsgroup was part OF that site.
Sorry!

You might want to do a -whois on the site to check out where and who
it's registered to so see why you got such a reaction.

The pertinent information:
Domain name: sourdoughhome.com
Registrant Contact:
GTNC
Mike Avery )

B/

Brian Mailman wrote:

Shelby A. LaMothe wrote:



Thanks for the help!
As far as the website I listed, I was under the impression this newsgroup is
where I needed to go for help...that this newsgroup was part OF that site.
Sorry!



You might want to do a -whois on the site to check out where and who
it's registered to so see why you got such a reaction.

The pertinent information:
Domain name: sourdoughhome.com
Registrant Contact:
GTNC
Mike Avery )


I thought it was a very nice reaction. I didn't call anyone names or
insult their intelligence. And, I gave constructive advice.

Mike

On Mon, 08 Aug 2005 17:43:08 -0700, Brian Mailman wrote:

Shelby A. LaMothe wrote:

Thanks for the help!
As far as the website I listed, I was under the impression this newsgroup is
where I needed to go for help...that this newsgroup was part OF that site.
Sorry!

You might want to do a -whois on the site to check out where and who
it's registered to so see why you got such a reaction.

The pertinent information:
Domain name: sourdoughhome.com
Registrant Contact:
GTNC
Mike Avery )

B/

It's not very nice to post someone else's totally valid email address on
usenet unless you have specific permission. 'Bot's harvest these addresses
on behalf of spammers.

--Mac

I'm confused...the site I mentioned is also the site where I ordered Mike
Avery's book. If I did something wrong, I apologize!
Shelby

"Brian Mailman" wrote in message
You might want to do a -whois on the site to check out where and who
it's registered to so see why you got such a reaction.

The pertinent information:
Domain name: sourdoughhome.com
Registrant Contact:
GTNC
Mike Avery )

B/

Shelby A. LaMothe wrote:

I'm confused...the site I mentioned is also the site where I ordered Mike
Avery's book. If I did something wrong, I apologize!
Shelby



You didn't do anything wrong. In any sense. Brian was, more than
anything, poking fun at me for my reply to you.

Mike

Mac wrote:

On Mon, 08 Aug 2005 17:43:08 -0700, Brian Mailman wrote:



Shelby A. LaMothe wrote:



Thanks for the help!
As far as the website I listed, I was under the impression this newsgroup is
where I needed to go for help...that this newsgroup was part OF that site.
Sorry!


You might want to do a -whois on the site to check out where and who
it's registered to so see why you got such a reaction.

The pertinent information:
Domain name: sourdoughhome.com
Registrant Contact:
GTNC
Mike Avery )

B/



It's not very nice to post someone else's totally valid email address on
usenet unless you have specific permission. 'Bot's harvest these addresses
on behalf of spammers.



Given that I put it on every note sent to this newsgroup, I don't think
its a real infraction. My spam filters work pretty well.

Mike

Getting back to the topic, I've made half a dozen batches of bread over the
last couple months, and I've never gotten it to rise to the point where
there are big holes in the bread. One batch was so moist it started
drooping over the edges of the baking pans. Other batches have been dry.
They usually proof for many hours, and I've been feeding the starter/sponge
heavily for a day or two after taking it out of the fridge, where it only
stays for maybe three or four days before being used again, although it is
at 50F/10C. The loaves are a total of at least 4 cups flour per loaf in 9"
pans.

One possibility is if you put in too much starter. Then it might rise
faster initially, but there might not be as much food left, so it might
peter out sooner. I've been using about 25% sponge, maybe just a little
bit more. Otherwise, what could it be? Maybe some strains just don't
produce as much CO2? I'm in the midwest, where it's in the 90s these days,
so maybe those lazy summer strains are winning out right now.

I only used 1/4 c. starter in mine. But, I think Mike is right...I needed
to feed the starter more often (I was only doing it once a day), and my
bread dough was too dry. I, too, am in the Midwest! (IL)
So, I try again tomorrow

"Another Dan" wrote in message
...
One possibility is if you put in too much starter. Then it might rise
faster initially, but there might not be as much food left, so it might
peter out sooner.

Something that I have noticed is that sourdough, unlike conventional
yeasted dough, will never pass the "windowpane" test. In my experience,
sourdough does best if you just combine the ingredients then let the
glutin develop by itself as it ferments.

Something that I have noticed is that sourdough, unlike conventional
yeasted dough, will never pass the "windowpane" test.

It depens maybe..... as the french levain raiaed dough when mixed
mechanically( by a machine )can attain that degree( window pane test).
easily.
But unfortunately the bread taste a bit bland than when compared to the
dough that is just partly mixed( not more than three quarters
cdeveloped). where the bread flavor is more prominent.
In addition the fully mixed sourdough( in my observation )tends to
stale faster than the undermixed one. Quite peculiar if compared to
bakers yeast raised dough.
Roy

Mike Avery wrote:

Shelby A. LaMothe wrote:

I'm confused...the site I mentioned is also the site where I ordered Mike
Avery's book. If I did something wrong, I apologize!

You didn't do anything wrong. In any sense. Brian was, more than
anything, poking fun at me for my reply to you.

Yar, just a bit . I didn't think she was slandering your site; I do
recommend it often, actually.

B/

On Mon, 08 Aug 2005 22:42:09 -0600, Mike Avery wrote:

Mac wrote:

On Mon, 08 Aug 2005 17:43:08 -0700, Brian Mailman wrote:



Shelby A. LaMothe wrote:



Thanks for the help!
As far as the website I listed, I was under the impression this newsgroup is
where I needed to go for help...that this newsgroup was part OF that site.
Sorry!


You might want to do a -whois on the site to check out where and who
it's registered to so see why you got such a reaction.

The pertinent information:
Domain name: sourdoughhome.com
Registrant Contact:
GTNC
Mike Avery )

B/



It's not very nice to post someone else's totally valid email address on
usenet unless you have specific permission. 'Bot's harvest these addresses
on behalf of spammers.



Given that I put it on every note sent to this newsgroup, I don't think
its a real infraction. [...]

Mike

Good point. I should have noticed or checked before I spouted off.

;-)

--Mac