On Wed, 9 Nov 2011 02:44:59 -0800 (PST), Robert Zaleski
> wrote:

>Hey Guys
>
>I've been using the ratio below to make my bread. I also have been feeding just 24 hours, actually it's something my wife has taken over, I just tweak what we do lately.
>
>1/8 c starter
>4c Water
>2c Water
>18 Hour rise time
>Cooked in hot Dutch oven
>
>She does another soft bread, cooked open on a cookie sheet, with baker's yest, and we're trying to start doing it with sourdough. Ideally we're hoping to be able to start it in the morning and let it rise, but we really just want it to be light and fluffy. The Dutch oven bread is chewy and hearty, but the kids and I love it better than this one.
>
>We tried one loaf on the pan, and it was OK. I was thinking about it this morning, and started wondering if we should go from 24 hour feeds to 12 hour feedings.
>
>So here's my poll question
>
>1) How often do you feed when it's not in the fridge?
I take it out the night before, throw away the hooch, add a
couple of tablespoons of flour and enough water to make a sticky mess.
Next morning it should have risen up the container (I use glass)
>2) For your basic pure flour loaf, how much water and flour?
For my dough, I use aprox 1/3 in volume of water/starter for
the amount of dough I want. ie, for 900 grams of dough, I would pour
out my starter (keeping a bit for the fridge, and add enough water to
make it 300 ml, then add salt/sugar and then flour until it becomes
dough. Amount of flour varies, some "suck up" more water. Note that
900 grams of dough will not yield 900 grams of bread, it loses weight
in the baking process
>3) How long do you let it rise, please mention kneading and
Anything up to 12 hours, press it with your finger, if it
jumps back it's not ready yet.
>4) Do you monitor temp, if so how and where do you heat it?
I live in Brazil. Room temperature ATM around 33 c. Not a
problem for the bread. Just for humans.
[]'s
>
>Happy Baking.