Comments on: Rats! sour wild bread again! http://etherwork.net/blog/?p=545 blog from our kitchen - an eclectic mix of recipes kitchen-tested and/or created by us - TPH and EJM Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:06:38 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: one of the several sisters http://etherwork.net/blog/?p=545&cpage=1#comment-9074 one of the several sisters Wed, 28 May 2008 19:06:11 +0000 http://etherwork.net/blog/?p=545#comment-9074 Well, our father might say something like ---- "Ahh! Whaddyamean sour!? It tastes great! I like it!" What I like about your method is that when it counts you can actually make edible bread from stuff floating around in the air. Love reading this blog even though I wouldn't dream of baking. Well, our father might say something like —- “Ahh! Whaddyamean sour!? It tastes great! I like it!”

What I like about your method is that when it counts you can actually make edible bread from stuff floating around in the air.

Love reading this blog even though I wouldn’t dream of baking.

]]> By: ejm http://etherwork.net/blog/?p=545&cpage=1#comment-9070 ejm Wed, 28 May 2008 17:09:13 +0000 http://etherwork.net/blog/?p=545#comment-9070 I was just looking on the internet about proofing boxes, Alice, and came across <a href="http://www.sourdoughbreads.com/SourdoughStarterProofingBox.htm" rel="nofollow">sourdoughbreads.com: How To Make A Proofing Box</a>. It is exactly as you've described: to use a cooler. They suggest putting a thermometer and a lightbulb inside, as well as using a folded towel to stop the lid from closing completely. The towel apparently acts as a thermostat. As for mixing dough with warm water, I only have to do that in the winter - to bring the final temperature of the dough up to around 20C. Because I'm using rather cool flour. Our kitchen is around 15C in the winter. Now that the weather has warming up (at least it WAS warming up) we've lowered the thermostat in the house to 10C to stop the furnace from going on needlessly during the day. The day that I made the bread, it was unseasonably cool - but the sun was shining and I was digging in the garden so didn't realize just how cool it still was in the kitchen. In retrospect, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the furnace didn't kick in a couple of times the night before as the built-up starter was bubbling. I'm guessing that THAT is when the sourness really got started. By the way, thank you for the commiseration. -Elizabeth I was just looking on the internet about proofing boxes, Alice, and came across sourdoughbreads.com: How To Make A Proofing Box. It is exactly as you’ve described: to use a cooler. They suggest putting a thermometer and a lightbulb inside, as well as using a folded towel to stop the lid from closing completely. The towel apparently acts as a thermostat.

As for mixing dough with warm water, I only have to do that in the winter – to bring the final temperature of the dough up to around 20C. Because I’m using rather cool flour. Our kitchen is around 15C in the winter.

Now that the weather has warming up (at least it WAS warming up) we’ve lowered the thermostat in the house to 10C to stop the furnace from going on needlessly during the day. The day that I made the bread, it was unseasonably cool – but the sun was shining and I was digging in the garden so didn’t realize just how cool it still was in the kitchen. In retrospect, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the furnace didn’t kick in a couple of times the night before as the built-up starter was bubbling. I’m guessing that THAT is when the sourness really got started.

By the way, thank you for the commiseration.

-Elizabeth

]]> By: Alice http://etherwork.net/blog/?p=545&cpage=1#comment-9069 Alice Wed, 28 May 2008 16:49:51 +0000 http://etherwork.net/blog/?p=545#comment-9069 I'm so sorry to hear that:( I know how frustrated you must be. I hope it is a temperature thing as that is at least controllable to some extent. Are you supposed to mix the dough with warm water? I did see your post on the fresh loaf site (i'm mamasita there) and I saw that you are looking into a proofing box. I have in the past used a cooler and raised or lowered the temp. with a bowl of warm or ice water inside. It keep its pretty steady depending on how exact it needs to be. I’m so sorry to hear that:( I know how frustrated you must be. I hope it is a temperature thing as that is at least controllable to some extent. Are you supposed to mix the dough with warm water? I did see your post on the fresh loaf site (i’m mamasita there) and I saw that you are looking into a proofing box. I have in the past used a cooler and raised or lowered the temp. with a bowl of warm or ice water inside. It keep its pretty steady depending on how exact it needs to be.

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