July 7, 2009
Natural Starter Bread
[Pain au levain naturel]
If you keep an eye on my Twitter feed or subscribe to the C&Z newsletter, you already know that I've been trying my hand at natural starter bread for the past two months.
A natural starter, also called a sourdough starter, is a culture of wild yeasts and friendly bacteria that the baker keeps alive and thriving by feeding it water and flour on a regular basis. When mixed with a larger quantity of water, flour, and salt, and left to ferment, these microorganisms act as a leavening agent that will make the dough rise to form an extraordinarily flavorful loaf, one with mildly acidic notes, but not as sour as the typical San Francisco sourdough -- unless that's what you're shooting for.
The beauty of such starter breads is that their flavor is complex and unique (because they rely on yeast spores that are naturally present in the air and in grains, no two starters are alike, especially from one region of the world to another), they keep very well ("the [friendly] bacteria somehow delay starch retrogradation and staling, and the acids they produce make the bread resistant to spoilage microbes"*), they are more nutritious than breads leavened with commercial yeast (the long fermentation induced by the starter is said to make the nutrients in whole grain flours considerably easier to absorb, as well as lower the glycemic index of the bread), and they're as close as one can get to the essence of bread: a mixture of flour, water, and salt that does not rely on a store-bought leavener.
I had long been drawn to this bread-baking approach, but had always shied away from it because it seemed work-intensive and forbidding, and I had trouble relating to the people who wrote about it: the discussions were usually so advanced as to be overwhelming for a beginner. And then one day, I stumbled upon Florence's blog by way of Clea's, and I recognized a kindred baker spirit: Florence wrote about the process in clear terms, technical enough that I could grasp the underlying science, but practical enough that I could see it happening in my own kitchen. I was excited, and ready to take on the challenge.
The one thing that's needed before boarding the natural starter bread train is, you've guessed it, a starter. You can build your own from scratch, following a five-day process that is an adventure in and of itself, but is well documented on many sites, such as here, here, or here. The specifics may differ, but the idea is always the same: you need to create a water/flour environment that encourages the yeast spores in the air and in the grain to settle in it and start a colony. The good news is that the summertime (or late spring to early fall) is the best time to start: that's when the air is most teeming with spores, and the higher temperatures foster their development, so starter builders report their best successes then.
The other, easier option is to obtain some from another baker: because the yeast and bacteria multiply constantly in a healthy starter, it's easy and harmless to remove a portion and pass it on to someone else. What's more, the recipient benefits from the complexity of an older starter, which has gathered a more varied assortment of microorganisms over time.
As it happens, I was able to purchase a little pouch of starter from one of the organic baker stands at the greenmarket I go to**, saving time and gaining flavor for a mere 1€. (You may think this baker would be shooting himself in the foot -- or perhaps killing the goose that laid the golden eggs -- by selling his starter so people could bake their own bread, but the truth is I didn't really buy his bread before, and now I buy organic flour weekly from him to bake my bread, so he's really gained a customer instead.)
And so, for the past two months, I've been feeding my starter daily and getting to know it: what it likes, how much it needs, and when it needs it. Because bakers develop a fond to obsessive relationship to their starter, it is traditional to give it a name, and I've decided to name mine Philémon, after one of my favorite bande dessinée characters*** from childhood.
The daily feeding may seem like a big time commitment, but it really takes two minutes. All in all, it is no more work than taking care of a goldfish, except there is no tank to clean (eww!) and my goldfish never rewarded me with the song of freshly baked bread (perhaps I didn't pick the right breed).
I have been baking a weekly loaf of pain au levain with Philémon's help, and the results are both wowing and steadily improving: every time I pull one from the oven, I have to set it down quickly so I can clap my mitted hands and squeal with glee. It is the most gratifying thing I know, to explore an entirely new subject and feel one's skills develop and strengthen with each new attempt.
So far, I have been building on Florence's basic recipe for what she calls (with good reason) the simplest starter bread in the world, and from which the recipe below is adapted. I love it because it relies on an easy 1.2.3 ratio: 1 part starter****, 2 parts water, 3 parts flour (in weight), plus 1.8 to 2% of the flour weight in salt. (Speaking of ratios, you have read Michael Ruhlman's empowering book on the subject, right?)
But there are myriads more recipes, methods, tricks, and techniques I have to experiment with. There is much to learn, but the journey is fascinating, and boy, is there good bread on board. I have to warn you, though: baking with a natural starter is an endless area of study, and once you're hooked, entire afternoons can pass by in a heartbeat, so engrossed you are in the many blogs and forums dedicated to the subject.
So, without further ado, I give you my starter bread routine, outlined below -- this is definitely not the only way to go about it, but it is what has worked for me so far. I have tried to describe it in some detail, but I do hope I'm not making it seem more complicated than it is. If it seems puzzling at first, I encourage you to read a lot from different sources, and you'll soon familiarize yourself with the terms and techniques, until you feel ready to jump in. After baking a few loaves, you'll also develop a sense of what the starter and dough should be like at every step, allowing you to bake by feel, tweak, and experiment; and that's when the fun begins.
~~~
* Page 544 of Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking.
** I am referring to the marché des Batignolles, which is held on Saturday mornings outside the Rome metro station in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. When you exit that metro station and reach the greenmarket, walk up the left alley: the baker is three stalls down on your right-hand side, just after the florist.
*** Philémon is the eponymous hero of a French graphic novel series created and drawn by Fred in the seventies and eighties. It tells the adventures of a teenager who goes back and forth between the world as we know it, and a fantasy world, poetic and surrealist, in which the letters that spell OCEAN ATLANTIQUE on the map are actual islands one can visit. See this site (in French) for a difficult-to-navigate but thorough look at the significance of Fred's masterpiece.
**** This ratio applies to what is called a 100% starter, meaning it is always fed equal amounts (in weight) of flour and water. (The percentage refers to the hydration of the starter, so an 80% starter would be fed 80 grams of water for each 100 grams of flour.) The consistency of a 100% starter is similar to that of a pancake batter -- thicker than a crepe batter, but thinner than most cake batters.
i. About my starter
ii. Refreshing the starter (daily)
iii. Preparing enough starter for a new loaf (baking day - 1)
iv. Baking bread
The chef starter is a portion of the starter that you always keep, and feed regularly so the yeast culture will continue to thrive.
I keep my chef starter on my countertop in a 250-ml (1-cup) Weck jar that would normally be shut with a rubber band and metal clips, but because the starter needs to breathe, I simply place the lid on top without fastening it. The sides of the jar get a bit crusty with flour after a while, so I transfer it to a fresh but identical jar every two weeks or so. (It's important that the jar be super clean and free of any trace of soap.)
Even though I only bake weekly, I've been keeping my starter at room temperature and feeding it daily. Some bakers place it in the fridge from one week to the other, but so far I have avoided that because I've read this halts the lactic fermentation but not the acetic fermentation and produces more sour-tasting loaves, which I don't care for. I have to experiment with that as well.
ii. Feeding the starter (once a day)
Every morning, after breakfast, I feed (or refresh) my chef starter, Philémon.
- the jar of chef starter fed the day before
- 35 ml (3 tablespoons) water (from a water-filtering pitcher, or spring water)
- 35 grams (1 1/4 ounces, about 1/4 cup) all-purpose wheat flour (I use an organic T65 flour)
Using a wooden spoon that you'll preferably reserve for this purpose, stir the chef starter in the jar to smooth it out; its consistency will turn from mousse-like to pancake-batter-like.
Spoon out all but 2 rounded tablespoons (35 grams or 1 1/4 ounces) of the starter. Throw that out or pour it into an airtight container that you'll keep in the fridge (I use a 2-cup tub of yogurt that I've cleaned and saved)*.
Pour the filtered water into the jar of starter and stir it in. Add the flour and stir it in energetically until smooth (this also helps incorporate some air into the starter). Scrape down the sides of the jar with the spoon, put the lid on the jar, and place the jar on the counter.
Rinse the wooden spoon; it's best not to use detergent on it, or some of it might end up in the starter.
If the starter is in good shape, it will bubble up and rise in the jar to double in volume after a few hours (how many hours depends on the vitality of the starter and the temperature), before settling and slowly sitting back down in the jar (see pictures below).
[Alternatively, if you prefer not to look after it daily, you can place the starter in the fridge an hour or two after feeding it, and keep it in there for up to a week. Let it come back to room temperature (let it sit for about 2 hours on the counter) before feeding it again, or before using some to prepare enough starter for a new loaf (see below).]
* The reason why so much of the starter must be removed is that the starter needs to be fed its own weight in flour and its own weight in water daily. If you keep all of the "old" starter every day, it will triple every day and build up to an exponentially large quantity: you will gradually need more and more flour to keep it happy, and this will be much more costly in the end. Some people just throw out that extra starter, but I prefer to keep it in the fridge and work it into my crêpe, cake, or clafoutis batters, in pizza doughs, etc. -- I will soon post a few ideas to use it up. This extra starter could also be given away to another baker.
iii. Preparing enough starter for a new loaf (Baking Day - 1)
In late evening on the eve of the day I want to bake bread, I prepare the sponge, i.e. a larger quantity of the starter culture that will be used as a leavener in a new loaf.
- 70 grams (2 1/2 ounces) of starter taken from the chef starter that was fed in the morning (stir starter well before scooping some out)
- 70 ml (6 tablespoons) water (from a water-filtering pitcher, or spring water)
- 70 grams (2 1/2 ounces, about 1/2 cup) all-purpose flour (I use an organic T65 flour)
Using a wooden spoon, scoop the 70 grams of starter from the jar into a clean bowl, about 500 ml or 2 cups in capacity. (This should leave you with about 2 tablespoons chef starter in the jar.) Pour the water into the bowl and stir it in. Add in the flour and stir it in energetically until smooth (this also helps incorporate some air into the starter). Scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spoon, cover the bowl with a small plate or lid, and place the bowl next to the chef starter so they can tell knock-knock jokes to one another all night.
Rinse the wooden spoon (again, no detergent) and go to bed.
In the morning, you'll feed the chef starter as usual, but you won't need to remove any because the extra starter has just been used.
iv. Baking bread
I start the new loaf in the morning, and bake it sometime in the afternoon. It then has enough time to cool before dinner.
- 200 grams (7 ounces) of the starter (sponge) you've left to ferment in the bowl overnight
- 400 grams (14 ounces) water (again, from a water-filtering pitcher, or spring water)
- 600 grams (21 ounces) various flours (I generally use a mix of spelt flour, whole wheat flour and light whole wheat flour, with an occasional bit of rye, all of them organic), plus more for shaping and handling
- 10 grams (2 teaspoons) sea salt (I use an unrefined "grey" sea salt such as this one, only it's about eight times cheaper to buy it here)
Makes one 1-kilo (2.2-pound) loaf.
Combine the starter, water, and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on lowest speed for a few seconds, just until combined, and let rest for 30 minutes (this step, called autolysis or autolyse, allows the flour to absorb more water and the gluten strands to shorten, making the dough easier to handle later).
Add in the salt, and knead at moderate speed for 7 minutes (I use speed 3 of 10 on my KitchenAid), until the dough is smooth and shiny and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It will still be tacky, because this is a dough with a rather high hydration. Note that different flours have different absorbencies, so you may have to play with the quantities of flour and water from one loaf to another until you determine how wet you want the dough to be.
[You can also knead the dough by hand, but it will take longer and you may want to use a little less water -- say, 360 ml or 1 1/2 cups -- so the dough is less tacky.]
Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and place it in a temperate, draft-free spot.
Two hours later, when the dough has started to rise a little, use a flexible scraper to "fold" it over itself in the bowl, as demonstrated in this video (the dough will be less shaggy that this, but the gesture is the same). This folding step helps give structure to the dough and develops the flavor of the bread. Cover the bowl with the towel again.
Two hours later, if you can and if you don't forget, fold the dough again.
Six to ten hours after the kneading -- the exact time will depend on the temperature, the vigor of your starter, and the mix of flours you've used --, when the dough has about doubled in volume, it is ready for baking. Another way of knowing is to poke it gently with your finger: if the indentation springs back, the dough needs more time; if it stays hollow, it's ready.
[Alternatively, you can prepare the sponge in the morning and put together the dough in the evening. After the first folding, cover and let it ferment in the fridge it all night. In the morning, let it come back to room temperature for about 2 hours, then continue as written below. This will produce a more sour-tasting loaf.]
Pull out an ovenproof cast-iron pot with a lid (make sure the handle of the lid can take a high temperature without melting) such as this one, or an ovenproof glass casserole such as this one; ideally, the vessel should be about 3 liters (3 quarts) in capacity (and not too much more, or the loaf will spread and won't rise as much). Pour a drop of neutral-flavored oil into the pot, add a good pinch of flour, mix with the tips of your fingers and rub this mixture along the bottom and sides of the pot. This will prevent the loaf from sticking to the pot. Set aside.
Pour the dough out into a big blop on a generously floured surface (I use a generously floured silicone baking mat). It will be a rather shaggy dough. With well floured hands, lift one edge of the dough and fold it over toward the center. Repeat with the opposite side, so you'll be folding the dough in three like a business letter. Give the dough a quarter of a turn and fold it in three again. Handle the dough with determined gestures, but be gentle: you don't want it to deflate it too much and the surface shouldn't tear. The folding should have given it enough structure that you can pick it up; repeat the folding if that's not the case.
Lift the dough delicately with both hands, and flip it upside down as you lower it into the prepared pot; the seam should face down. Using a very sharp thin knife or a razor blade with a handle (such as this incisette), score the top of the bread to form a cross, or the shape of your choice. (See this helpful bread-scoring tutorial for tips.)
Place the lid on the pot and the pot in the cold (not preheated) oven. Switch the oven on with a temperature setting of 240°C (460°F) and leave the bread in for 1 hour (starting from the moment you insert the pot; my oven takes 15 minutes to reach 240°C), until well risen and golden brown.
Remove the pot from the oven, transfer the loaf onto a rack, and check that it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom (obviously, the bread will be piping hot, so be careful). If it doesn't, return it to bake a little longer. If it does, let cool completely before slicing (I insist: if you slice it prematurely, the crumb will be gummy). The loaf will keep for about a week if well wrapped, or you can freeze half and take it out later in the week.
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Comments (44)
Permalink | Posted by clotilde in Bread & Brioche - Recipe Inside! - [favorites]
my favorite type of bread!!!
Posted by Chris on July 7, 2009 1:34 PMLooks like a lovely loaf. I've experimenting with a rye sour lately. When I found I could get local rye flour at the farmer's market, I just had to.
There are excellent instructions on obtaining and maintaining natural leavens in Daniel Wing and Allan Scott's book The Bread Builders. One thing they stress is that the leaven should ferment for a few hours between being refreshed and refrigerated. They suggest 3 hours of fermentation (for a starter that matures in 12-14 hours) if you're baking once per week but that's only a rule of thumb.
There's loads of other good information on natural leaven baking in there, too, even if you don't intend to build a wood-fired bread oven in your backyard.
Posted by Austin on July 7, 2009 1:59 PMExcellent post, Clotilde.
Posted by Flo Makanai on July 7, 2009 2:01 PM(and boy, am I proud I helped you to take the plunge into that fantastic world of homemade natural starter baking!)
PS : if you ever encounter a fish that sings that beautiful "just baked bread song", please tell me, I'll want one :b
What a lovely looking loaf! I am thinking about having a go with a gluten free version, have you any thoughts or tips?
Posted by kate the bake on July 7, 2009 4:20 PMRegards,
Kate
I tried to make starter once before and didn't have any success. I plan to try again this summer when I am on vacation. This looks so amazing and is a good inspiration!
Posted by Katerina on July 7, 2009 4:23 PMVery cool.
I tried using a starter but it didn't quite turn out right. I will have to give it another shot.
Posted by Sara on July 7, 2009 4:31 PMAustin - Thanks for the link and the tip about letting the starter ferment a little before refrigerating it; I've edited the post to reflect that.
Flo - Lovely to have you here! :)
Kate - The process described here relies on wheat and gluten, so I don't think it can be made gluten-free without considerable changes. I can, however, point you to Sharon Kane's blog, The Art of Gluten-Free Sourdough Baking. She seems to have developed a recipe for making gluten-free starter bread.
Katerina and Sara - I hope you have better success this time. Good luck!
Posted by clotilde on July 7, 2009 5:13 PMMy mother has a sourdough start she's kept alive since December 1971 which at that time was already 86 years old. She recently concocted a recipe for herbed sourdough loaf that is cooked in a dutch oven--FANTASTIC! She has each step documented with pictures and instructions. I'll see if she can send along so you can try it out.
Posted by Tara on July 7, 2009 7:02 PMAh, sourdough, a most worthy bug to be bitten by! May I urge you to buy also Dan Lepard's lovely, lovely book, The Handmade Loaf. Beautifully written, beautifully photographed. Forums and more at www.danlepard.com
Posted by Pauline on July 7, 2009 8:40 PMI have also been contemplating trying again with a natural starter. The 'trouble' is that we're going to Paris for two weeks (no real trouble, actually).
Clotilde, do you take Philémon on vacation with you?
I can probably find a solution to this in your links, but I rather like the idea of carrying the starter around with us in a dog crate, or advertising for a "starter sitter" at home.
Posted by Charlotte on July 7, 2009 9:14 PMCongratulations!
Posted by Chaosqueen on July 7, 2009 9:21 PMI love to bake with my natural starter. Mine is about eight years old.
I posted a photo about my natural starter bread today on my blog, too :) I use 100% rye flour - typical to Estonia - and am very proud of the results as well.
Posted by Pille @ Nami-Nami on July 7, 2009 9:39 PMThank you for your timely and detailed post, Clotilde!
Hi Clotilde-
It is encouraging to read about someone who is in the same stage of sourdough baking as I am. I just started with it a few months ago. It isn't as time consuming as most people make it out to be. I think the thing is that there is just so much to be learned in regards to it. It is a life-long learning process in my opinion. Sourdough has become a real hobby for me and I love the time I have been able to spend on it and how it gives me something to practice, study, and subsequently get actual results out of. This makes it so very rewarding!
I look forward to more sourdough baking posts from you and happy baking!
Posted by Callie on July 7, 2009 10:19 PMCongratulations! I was looking forward to hearing more about your bread baking. Inspired by a workshop with Sandor Ellix Katz on making fermented foods (see his excellent book Wild Fermentation), I tried my hand at homemade sourdough last summer. I just mixed an equal amount of flour and water, stirred, fed it, and was elated when it started to bubble. No starter necessary! The outcome was a delicious addition to a dinner party I hosted. Since I live alone and am more of a cooked grains than bread person, I didn't keep up the starter, but maybe I will try again since I have guests coming in a little over a week...Looking forward to hearing more about your adventures with bread!
Posted by Maureen on July 8, 2009 7:04 AMFunny you should write about sourdough! I've been on a sourdough mission these last few weeks with some starter a friend gave me. It's very satisfying to have freshly baked bread that you made.
I refer to the starter as my pet, Sirius. :)
Posted by milli on July 8, 2009 3:22 PMHow wonderful! I really appreciate all the rich detail in your post on how to craft the starter.
My personal goal is to get a good injera starter going. If I could make my own injera I'd eat it at every meal!
Posted by Lisa on July 8, 2009 6:04 PMWhat a beautiful loaf of bread! Pain au levain is perhaps my favorite of all French breads. I am inspired to begin my very own starter. I can only hope that the bread I get from it will be half as lovely as yours--but even if it's not, I can't wait to eat some with cheese.
Posted by Anne on July 8, 2009 6:52 PMI have a potato bread started recipe that I first got back in High school. The starter is fed with potato buds, sugar, and water...so delicious! It's the only bread starter I've ever tried but now I'll have to try yours too.
Posted by Marian on July 8, 2009 9:21 PMAll - Thanks for your comments, and for sharing your own experience and recommendations!
Charlotte - I don't think I would travel with my starter. So far I've only left it for an extended weekend, and have just kept it in the fridge. If you feed it more generously than you normally do, you can keep it in there for a few weeks. It may take a few feedings to get it going again when you get back, but otherwise it should be okay. Or indeed, you could hire a starter-sitter. :)
Posted by clotilde on July 8, 2009 10:48 PMHi Clotilde
Posted by crystal on July 9, 2009 9:17 AMLove your site. We travelled with our starter for 3 months while travelling through Canada, including 3 weeks in a canoe! We used to "burp" it every day - open the lid and out the air as the lid would be bulging.
deliciiiiiiiiiiiiiiious.i wish my mother could do same for me ^^
Posted by dofus kamas on July 9, 2009 12:29 PMLooks fabulous! Once the weather is a bit cooler I am on board for breakmaking once again...
Posted by Courtney's Concoctions on July 9, 2009 3:37 PMWorth checking out a linen lined proving basket - an interesting alternative to the others?
Here's an example.
(hope that works)
I just killed my starter by not feeding enough - in the fridge for 4 weeks - so watch out for that! New starter on the go in the "airing cupboard" (where hot water tank sits)...
Thanks for details - will keep trying - my bread tastes good (usually) but is normally far too flat!
Posted by Salilah on July 9, 2009 10:07 PMS
You're right that there is so much information on the web about starters and because of this one may get lost in tooooo much info. and not try it!!! that said --- If one is planning on being away from your beloved starter for the weekend or longer or perhaps you only bake once a week and you are looking for a long-term storage of your starter solution, may I suggest freezing your starter in aliquots prior to your departure/baking cycle. This way you may come home to the prospect of picking up where you left off with your bread making.
Posted by glenn on July 9, 2009 11:15 PMThis is great. Thanks so much for the in-depth instructions. I have been wanting to try to do this and now I am so happy to know how successful it was for you!
Posted by Morta Di Fame on July 10, 2009 12:05 AMHello.. pleaseee give me one to try. I am sure they taste incredibly great...
Posted by jonathan on July 10, 2009 9:56 AMThat Gluten-free Sourdough blog is CRAZY! I didn't know such a thing could even be done. I'm definitely passing it along to a few of my gluten intolerant friends. Thanks.
Posted by Austin on July 10, 2009 11:04 PMI highly recommend you check out Dan Lepard's book A Handmade Loaf. It really does make for some low stress wonderful bread making with natural starters. The man is a genius as far as I'm concerned!
Posted by Laura on July 13, 2009 7:01 PMNow I am wondering whether I have occasional trouble with my starter because she's been pissed to be left nameless. Will name her immediately, attach a clever label, and try a new recipe forthwith.
Posted by Christine on July 13, 2009 7:18 PMi would love to try this. i tend to buy mostly starter breads now, but never have attempted to make my own. i am nervous, but i know it is time to take the plunge into the vast universe that is homegrown starter culture. you are giving me courage.
Posted by gretchen on July 13, 2009 9:03 PMwe usually keep some starter in the fridge... My brother in law is the bread baker in our house. After a few too lemony breads :) with the recipes from the bread machine... I suggested taking a ball from these doughs and letting it sit... Then letting it grow... Since then when we make bread, we take a handful and put it in the fridge...
Posted by g on July 14, 2009 10:31 PMNow I am visiting family in Turkey... and we buy unbaked bread dough from the bakery almost every week to make pizza, desserts etc. Like you mentioned we go to them everyday to buy baked bread, unbaked bread and other things because they are also sharing their dough with us... This is a great post that talks about basics of baking...
Hello Clotilde,
Just wanted to thank you for recommending my Art of Gluten Free Sourdough Baking to one of your followers. And you're right, there are some big differences between gluten free sourdough and regular sourdough. It took me a year to figure them out.
Your blog is beautifully written and I especially like the detailed yet simple way you have of describing the starter process. Thanks again,
Posted by sharon kane on July 19, 2009 2:08 PMsharon a. kane
What a beautiful loaf and a wonderfully detailed account of your process!
Posted by Susan/Wild Yeast on July 24, 2009 3:06 PMI used to work at a Sydney (Aus) bakery who's Sour Dough starter was 150 years old! I have never tasted an equal to their bread and (almost) wish I'd been dishonest enough to steal just a tiny bit. I'll just have to live a lot longer to compete.
My husband keeps saying "We should have a starter . . . " and I agree . . . You have offically inspired me to get 'starter-ed'.
Posted by Amy Boyd on July 25, 2009 12:12 PMGreat tutorial and great idea! We whipped up a starter easily, despite the air conditioning and relative dryness of the weather for the last month or two. His name is Rupert and he is delicious. SO glad we decided to try this.
As a note to anyone having trouble with the oil/flour not being quite enough to be able to pry the bread whole out of your dutch oven, here's an old pizza-making trick. Instead of flour, add about a teaspoon of cornmeal to the oil in the bottom. No oily, floury film on the crust of your beautiful bread, and no sticking! Works great for us.
Posted by Chennpug on July 30, 2009 7:02 PMI've been baking bread with natural starter yeast for a long time. I don't bother to try to keep the yeast for years - it's easy enough to 'catch' some yeast from the air any day.
Posted by kathyw on August 5, 2009 3:33 AMRecently, I made a few loaves when I was inspired by reading Patricia Wells' 'Food Lovers' Guide to Paris' (an oldie but a goodie) in which she includes a recipe from Poilane's Bakery... Pain Poilane au Levain Naturel.
It was enough to make me jump up and get started baking again. Now, reading Chocolate & Zucchini has me taking my starter out of the fridge and getting ready to start making loaves again.
Thanks!
Dear Clotilde,
Posted by Elisa on August 10, 2009 9:30 AMI discovered your website about three years ago when I was in boarding school in scotland. The food there was terrible, fattening (think deepfried, 6 days a week) and generally lacking nutrition. One day I realized that if I would keep eating that much fat I would likely be very unhappy with my appearance in the future.
As my cooking skills where somewhat limited I started of with spaghetti with pre made tomato sauce...but at some point i got a bit borre with only pasta so i started searching the internet for recipes that were easy enough for me to try, this is how i found your website, which ever since has been a great source of inspiration for me and taught me not to be afraid of cooking.
Being a german living in England, I often miss bread that has a real crust aswell as the flavour that only a real sourdough can provide. Last week I managed to cultivate my own sourdough and bake a bread with it and even though it was my first try at bread baking ever it tourned out absolutly amazing.
Thank you so much for this website, it really is a great inspiration, aswell as your two books!
Just want to say thanks... I've been baking bread for about 6 months and experimenting with my own starter etc.
Pulled a loaf of this pain au levain out of the oven last night and it is hands down the best loaf I've baked!
I used a mix of unbleached white, wholemeal spelt and rye flour - it's bloody delicious.
Posted by Hannah on August 12, 2009 3:01 AMI made this loaf last week, and I was so delighted with the recipe that I wrote about it on my blog, which you can see here.
I was worried that by keeping the lid on the pot the bread wouldn't brown properly, but it did so beautifully. Thank you for such a fantastic recipe.
Posted by Anne on August 12, 2009 5:17 PMI've been baking natural starter breads for over 40 years. First, not all these starters are sourdough. Only those containing species of Lactobacillus or other anaerobic fermenting micro organisms are really sourdough (they produce acids as they ferment due to the low levels of oxygen they consume). I have a few starters that are not sourdough. Each starter produces its own unique flavors. None of my starters are fed daily. Many times they have to sulk in the refrigerator unfed for 4-5 weeks while I am traveling. They always are active when I return and feed them.
Posted by Lon on August 13, 2009 4:24 AMThank you for this brilliant post. I'm now feeding my starter daily and producing gorgeous, crusty sourdough bread that doesn't have an overpowering sour taste. Brava, brava!
Posted by Robyn Sinclair on August 15, 2009 6:48 PMClothilde, I want to thank you for your excellent post which has given us the motivation and knowledge to get going with our natural starter again. We went on a breakmaking day about six weeks ago and came home with a little bag of "Clive's Mother", his 14-yr old starter. In spite of much effort, we have yet to produce a loaf that we want to eat. It's been flat, chewy and less than tasty. We went on holiday and gave up - but fortunately, Clive advised us to put half of his mother into the freezer "in case of emergency" and thanks to you, we've resuscitated her over a couple of days and the best loaf ever has just come out of the oven!
We are thrilled!
Thank you for the including every small detail which, though fairly offputting at first, helps to ensure that every base is covered. Splendid advice all round.
Posted by Gill on August 31, 2009 8:08 PMRobyn and Gill - So pleased this post was helpful/inspiring to you!
Posted by clotilde on September 18, 2009 1:05 PMI love your Philemon's name! My starter is Alice (after the 70's song).
I've done one actual loaf dough with mine, otherwise Alice becomes English muffins every week. Nummo.
Posted by Katie on October 29, 2009 5:10 PM