Dick Adams wrote:
>
>>Incidentally, the one thing I don't like about this bread is that it's never
>>very sour. Now I'm trying to get it sour. I'm letting a sponge sour past the
>>frothy stage, and I think I'll have to add commercial yeast to get it to rise.
>
>
> What you are telling us is extremely depressing!
>
> Or perhaps you are embarking upon a heuristic exercise?
>
> You might try Googling "souring the sponge".

First, I am a newbie baker. My post is parroting back what I've learned, in hopes
to get corrected. There are so many recipes that I really want to focus on
understanding the fundamentals, so I can go my own way.... not in copying someone
else's bread and failing to understand the wheres and whys and what-ifs.

That being said, yes, it is depressing that I haven't gotten very sour bread yet.

Today I baked a loaf (white french) whose sponge was as large as possible (it
contained all the water of the final loaf, and most of the flour, at 100%
hydration), and I let the sponge sit at about 75F until the yeast activity had
slowed down and it smelled sour (about 1 day). Then I added the rest of the
flour (and salt), kneaded, let it double (6 hours?), and baked it. My fears were
unfounded ... no commercial yeast was needed... in fact, it might have trebled
had I let it (it was still rising at a pretty steady clip).

Thing is, it tastes like Colombo sourdough, more like soft white french bread
with a light hint of sour taste, not like those tangy San Francisco bread bowls
that I eat clam chowder out of. So... I guess I have to let the sponge go for
a week next time (I like to overshoot ASAP, and then zero in on center).... or
else I need to find a new starter.

-Mike