This was the second week I made sourdough. If you want to read about the first week, click on the link. This week’s sourdough turned out much better than last week’s, and I’m attributing that to the fact that both starters were more active this week. If you haven’t read my first post about sourdough, I’m calling the starter I leave out “Counter Mother.” And the started I put in the fridge, “Refrigerator Mother,” so we can all keep them straight! This Saturday, I made bread from my Counter Mother and bagels from the Refrigerator Mother.
I pulled out the Refrigerator Mother on Friday night. I fed it, leaving it out overnight to allow it to become active again. The next morning, it had doubled, which means that it was active enough to be kept in the refrigerator. I added more flour to the bagel dough than what the recipe called for, and when I formed the dough into bagels, it was much easier to handle. The bagels still didn’t hold their shape ultimately, but they weren’t as fluid as the first time I made them. The recipe called for semolina flour, which I didn’t have either of these times, but I finally got some, so next week I’ll add that and see if it helps the bagels at all.
I made bread with the Counter Mother. It was also more active than last week. If you remember, I didn’t have enough starter to make bread last Saturday, so I made rolls instead (bread takes 6-7 cups of starter). I only had 5 cups of starter, after I keep a ½ cup back to keep as my Counter Mother, but I just reduced the rest of the ingredients to make it work. The bread didn’t rise very much, so the starter still isn’t as active as it should be (partly because my house is a little colder than sourdough likes). The loaves turned out small and chewy, so they’ll be toaster loaves!
Overall, this Saturday’s bake day turned out better than last week’s, and as the starters become more active, the breads will also improve. As I get more practice, they should improve, as well! I love making bread because it is so relaxing and a great way to clear my head. Definitely an excellent ending to the week! I hope you have enjoyed learning more about my sourdough journey. To get next week’s sourdough update directly in your inbox, subscribe to The Sojourner’s Journey!
Happy Journeys,
Shayne
