Sourdough

I spent 12 hours at work today, so writing about math is not really at the top of my agenda tonight. However, I promised my friend Bill that I'd give him instructions for the sourdough starter I shared with him last weekend so, why not, I'll post it here.

This starter was created in 1874 by Mrs. Sheldon Goodwin of El Dorado, Arkansas. It was then shared with Gladys Edwards who subsequently shared it with Nathaniel Pyron. Nathaniel shared it with me in 2016. The original recipe creates a fairly sweet version of sourdough. I’ve modified it to bring it more in line with a traditional sourdough, though the yeast does not produce the really heavy San Francisco sour. I always use weight when working with flour since volume can change significantly due to settling. However, 5oz – 1 cup is a reasonable approximation if you prefer to measure by volume.

As with all yeast, rising times are very dependent on temperature. At 70F, expect the rising process to take 36 hours. It can be accelerated by warming the dough, but the longer rise time will yield a more robust flavor. My personal preference is to go the other way and let the yeast rise in the refrigerator, at least most of the way, to bring out the most flavor.

Preparing the starter

The starter is 1 pound, divided 50-50 between water and flour. Give the starter at least two days in the refrigerator after the last division. The starter will keep indefinitely at refrigerator temperatures provided it is fed a tablespoon of sugar every couple weeks.

Put the starter in a medium mixing bowl (opinions vary on whether to include any surface water; I always include it to keep the ratio right). Add 8 ounces water, 8 ounces bread flour, and 1 ounce sugar and stir until combined. Cover the bowl and return to the refrigerator for 24 hours. The starter should double in size during this period.

Divide the yeast, placing one pound back in the refrigerator for future generations (of dough, not people). The other pound is ready to be used.

Preparing the dough

You are looking for a 5:3 ratio of flour to liquid. However, keep in mind that all liquids are not created equal. I like using buttermilk, which has a large quantity of fat. Therefore, I have to increase the amount to get the ratio right. The following table should help:

flour	salt	oil	water*	buttermilk*	makes
7oz	.3oz	1.5oz	1oz	1.5oz	small loaf or 14" pizza
12oz	.4oz	2oz	4oz	5oz	small loaf and some rolls
17oz	.5oz	2.5oz	7oz	8.5oz	small loaf and 14" pizza
22oz	.6oz	3oz	10oz	11oz	two loaves

*In case it's not obvious, these are extreme points; only add one or the other. For liquids in between (milk, broth, beer, etc.), start with the water ratio and add as needed while kneading. The amount of oil depends on what I'm making. For pizza crust, I add slightly more. For bread, a bit less and, if I'm using something like beef broth as the liquid, I'll leave it out altogether.

Mix with wet hand or spoon until the dough comes together. Let rest for a few minutes. Knead with mixer or by hand until dough is not sticky (using a Kitchenaid with a dough hook, I find that 1 minute on low, 2 on medium, and 3 on high works well). Remove dough from bowl and fold several times on floured countertop. Cover dough with plastic wrap and return to refrigerator for 12-24 hours.

Baking

Dough should have roughly doubled in size. Fold dough a few more times to further develop the gluten and release most of the gas. Where you go from here depends on what you are making.

For bread, form into final shape and place in pan. Allow to rise (doubling in size again). This may take a while if you were doing the first rise in the refrigerator and the dough is still cold. I'll often do the forming right before bed and bake first thing in the morning. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes then reduce to 350 for another 30-35 minutes until internal temperature is at least 180F.

For pizza dough, form into dough ball and let rest for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours if it's coming out of the fridge) Flatten with palm of hand. Let rest for another 30 minutes. Roll or throw dough to desired thickness. Top and bake. For thin crust, 500-550F for 6-7 minutes. Thicker crust and heavy toppings require more time at lower temp.

For rolls, divide into 2-3oz rolls and roll into balls using palms of hands. Place either in muffin tins or together in a pan. Allow to rise at room temperature for another 2-3 hours. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

Epilogue

You'll be hard pressed to find a baker who hasn't killed their yeast at some point. The defense against this is to share it with your friends so you can get it back. If you want some, let me know. I'll happily split a batch for you.