Opinions on the "South African Sourdough Culture"
 

I currently use "Carl's Sourdough Culture" and would like to try a
new/different culture. Since nearly all my baking is with whole wheat
I am considering Sourdoughs International "South African Sourdough
Culture". I have tried twice to develop my own but both times Carl's
seemed better. From my own experience, Carl's works well on white but
is not robust enough in flavor for whole wheat.

Anybody have experience with the South Arican Sourdough Culture?

Opinions on the "South African Sourdough Culture"
 

wrote:
> I currently use "Carl's Sourdough Culture" and would like to try a
> new/different culture. Since nearly all my baking is with whole wheat
> I am considering Sourdoughs International "South African Sourdough
> Culture". I have tried twice to develop my own but both times Carl's
> seemed better. From my own experience, Carl's works well on white but
> is not robust enough in flavor for whole wheat.
>
> Anybody have experience with the South Arican Sourdough Culture?

Well I haven't used it in ages because it is as sour as a lime. But if
that's what you want great. I've made a couple from different grains. I
like my spelt starter a lot for whole wheat it has just the right
balance for me.

TG

Opinions on the "South African Sourdough Culture"
 

Will that is good to know. I have the South African which I have yet
to activate. I appreciate my not very sour starters in time but right
now I am trying for the sour flavor I remember from my youth in the SF
Bay Area.

I have SDI's SF, and my own rye starter. I also have the 2 Naples,
Italy SDI starter.

I am beginning to wonder if the type of starter really makes the
difference or if there is still some technique which is alluding me.

Opinions on the "South African Sourdough Culture"
 

Trix wrote:

> I am beginning to wonder if the type of starter really makes the
> difference or if there is still some technique which is alluding me.

I suspect it is both. I've made a number of starters over the years.
Rye and wheat starters are different, red wheat and white wheat
starters, as a subset, are different. Roy Bassin, posted an interesting
link to a PDF last year about the DNA typing of microbes found in
various grain supplies in the Mediterranean. Each supply basin has it's
own variants.

After you have a culture started as in: the muck is bubbling away and
raising dough, I think maintenance takes over. You have a microbe farm
and you are the farmer. What you do determines whether you have pigs or
geese. So to speak.

Will

Opinions on the "South African Sourdough Culture"
 

Storing and maintenance is still a bit puzzling. I am trying to go from
using Ed Woods liquid starter to making a denser, less hydrated starter
in small quantities.

I used about a short quarter cup of my new rye starter yesterday. Do I
dare try of the jelly bean or other such tiny amount? It will be good
to get away from the quart jar(2) crowding my refrigerator and having
room for several starters in smaller containers. I dried some of my
new rye for storage.

I used some white wheat last week. This week my source was out of it so
I got the hard red ww berries and some rye.

I baked 2 loaves last night...I was pressed for time (I had to get to a
class) when I set them to rise and neglected to make the slits...I
tried just before baking and deflated the dough significantly.

I put on round in the fridge last night and just took it out of the
oven this afternoon. It did fine. The bread from last night had a nice
mild sour flavor...more noticeable when taking a bite without the
crust. It will be interesting to find out if this one is more or less
sour or the same after rising from this morning until 1:30 before
baking, but coming out of the refrigerator. I used a cold oven to bake
them all. Loosely followed Dick Adams Billowy directions. I am
waiting until thoroughly cool to taste.

Opinions on the "South African Sourdough Culture"
 

"Trix" > wrote in message oups.com...

> [ ... ]

> It will be interesting to find out if this one is more or less
> sour or the same after rising from this morning until 1:30 before
> baking, but coming out of the refrigerator. I used a cold oven to bake
> them all. Loosely followed Dick Adams Billowy directions. I am
> waiting until thoroughly cool to taste.

If you are following my instructions, you should not be trying to follow
everyone else's instructions at the same time. I do not instruct to
put any stage of the bread in the fridge, except the culture for
long storage. I can't imagine why anyone wants to taste thoroughly
cooled bread if there is a better choice.

If you happen to be following everyone's instructions, and you happen
to get a good result, you will have no idea just what you did right.
For a bad result, you will not know who to blame.

--
Dicky

Opinions on the "South African Sourdough Culture"
 

I had to go to a class at 5:15 last night, so after dividing the dough
in thirds...(I would have followed your instuctions but had already
messed the water measurement up; I wasn't sure I had it right) I set
two in the oven to rise while I went out I planned to bake them upon my
return. My (adult) son's dog got into some chocolate just as I was
doing this, so I had to deal with her and decided to just try wrapping
one third and putting it in the fridge and bake it today. As it
happens, I neglected to slit the ones in the oven and attempted before
turning on the oven....mistake...they started to deflate. So, billowy
they were not.

The one finished this afternoon came out fine. I haven't yet cut into
it. I didn't put it in the refrigerator! I am letting it cool at room
temperature. Someone said the other day that the flavor develops after
is cools and one shouldn't cut into it warm...even though it is very
tempting and that has usually been my tendency. I am just curious if
there will be a difference in the two bakings of the same dough. Kind
of an experiment.

I am still working on reducing my starter. I am encouraged that my new
rye starter worked. Want to see the loaf before I cut it?

Opinions on the "South African Sourdough Culture"
 

This afternoon I also cut the temp from 425 to 400. I am using a
convection electric wall oven and my loaves, last night, got a bit
darker than I wanted...the bottom was almost burnt.