I had asked you to wish Mildred and me luck as we ventured into the world of sourdough.
Mildred, as you already know, is the name I gave my sourdough starter. I read everything I could about how to create a new starter.
There are various schools of thought on the process. Some say you must use a food scale to precisely measure the flour and water needed for the daily feedings that help the starter develop. Others believe this is unnecessary, opting instead to use equal parts flour and water measured with spoons or cups.
Sourdough starter named Mildred. (Laverne Stewart/The Courier)
Before every feeding, an equal amount of starter must be removed. This is called discard. I hate wasting ingredients, so I didn’t want to throw it away. Luckily, I found plenty of recipes that put discard to good use. Within that first week, I had made pizza dough, blueberry muffins, and applesauce bread.
After a couple of days, I decided to freeze the baked goods to prevent the temptation of overeating and excessive calorie consumption.
While the discard didn’t go to waste, Mildred wasn’t doubling in size. I am typically a “measure with your heart” kind of cook, but I quickly learned that when it comes to sourdough, precision is paramount. After a week of feeding Mildred using measuring cups, she remained lethargic and didn’t appear to be growing.
My sister came to stay while I was away for a few days. She agreed to ensure Mildred received her twice-daily feedings — this time using a food scale to weigh the flour and water. Mildred loved it! She transformed into the bubbly, yeasty starter of my dreams.
She was slow to bloom, but when she was ready, she didn’t disappoint. I added a cup of her to a sourdough sandwich bread recipe I found online. After 12 hours, the dough tripled in volume. I punched it down to deflate it, then shaped it into two rectangular loaves and placed them in loaf pans. Another four hour second rise was required before the pans went into a 375°F oven for 45 minutes. When baked, I brushed the tops with butter and covered them with a clean tea towel to cool—an important step to ensure a soft loaf.
The first loaf disappeared quickly. It made the most incredible toast, even more delicious when topped with butter. My husband isn’t an adventurous eater and eyed the bread with suspicion, teasingly calling it “sour old bread.” He took a tentative bite and then declared it delicious. The next day, he helped himself to more, making toast again.
Many people bake sourdough in Dutch ovens, which creates a crispy outer crust with a soft, chewy center. That’s the method I’ll use for our next batch of bread.
Until then, Mildred is now living in the refrigerator, having a well-earned rest until she’s called back into service. When the time comes, she’ll warm up, get fed, and hang out until she’s active and ready to create more sourdough delicacies. I’ve been eyeing sourdough cinnamon roll recipes—that’s next on the list for Mildred and me.
Creating and maintaining a sourdough starter is a labor of love, but the time and effort are well worth it. There’s nothing better than homemade baked goods, and sourdough takes it to a whole other level.
