Love Pizza: Part Two - Sourdough Method
FEM Chef

12th November 2013

 

Use this method to make sourdough and add a cup to your pizza dough mix for a unique taste

Flour, water and a large container required

Part 2: Sourdough 

My Nana used this same recipe for all the years I have known her - she used either spelt or just very strong rough white flour. Use bottled water otherwise your sourdough will not be so active. Making sourdough starter or bread is much easier than you may think - this is a basic method and once you get it right you can experiment later by mixing fruit, nuts or other ingredients. But first get the hang of this one! It makes roughly 4-5 portions.  All you need is flour, water and a large container.


DAY 1
1) Pour ½ cup of bottled water and ½ cup of all-purpose flour into a large plastic or glass container and mix until all flour is absorbed - it will look like thick sticky dough.
2) Scrape down the sides of the container and mix well and try not leaving any dry particles around.
3) Cover tight and place it somewhere with stable temperatures, warm but not too warm. Top of your fridge will do.

DAY 2
The starter at this stage will be bubbly here and there. Bubbles explain that the wild yeast from the air and flour itself have started working together.
1) Add ½ cup of all-purpose flour and ½ cup of bottled water to your starter and whisk vigorously to combine it all well and create more oxygen in the mixture.
2) Scrape all the bowl walls and cover for next 24hrs.

DAY 3
By now your starter should have doubled in size and will look like pancake butter. If you taste it (and you should!) your taste buds should recognise sour vinegar flavours. The fermentation is in process and is all bubbly.
1) Again add ½ cup of all-purpose flour and ½ cup of bottled water and cover for next 24 hours.

DAY 4
Taste the mix again!
1) Once again add ½ cup of all-purpose flour and ½ cup of bottled water and cover for next 24 hours.

DAY 5
Your concentrated sour dough will be ready and fermented with a pungent smell when you open the container. It will look very frothy with bubbles now throughout the starter. This starter will keep as long as you want as long as you keep it closed tight. Take a cup a day to add to your pizza dough or any other bread dough and remember to replenish with water and flour the same amount that you took away. Always remember to add what you take.

Look after it - you may be on to something “completely different.” If you forget it and neglect it for couple of days a clear liquid will form on top, stir that in and use the starter (its alcohol from the wild yeast). You will know when you have completely neglected your starter when that same liquid forms a pinkish hue, which indicates the starter is spoiled.


Hope this puts a smile on your face!

 

Click Here to View Part One: Pizza Preparation

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