Hello all
Hello all, I'm Justin. I may or may not look like Elvis.
I've been making breads and pizza doughs for a few years now, usually with solid results but typically not complicated recipes. I've recently attempted to make some sourdough started from scratch, which I'm attempted several times before and never quite got right. But this time around, I think I've managed to do it properly! I'm going to attempt Forkish's overnight blonde recipe with it. My expectations are low but it is a learning experience. As long as it is edible, I'll be happy. I'll focus on improvement on the follow-up attempts.
While doing some research on that recipe, I happened upon these forums a few times, so figured I should create an account and say hello, and also give a shout of thanks to all those who've helped me so far and don't even realize it!
Cheers!
Glad you've finally got a sourdough starter going and will be attempting your first recipe. Forkish recipes can be a hit or miss with some people. Seems to suit very strong flour and cooler temperatures. As with most recipes they're geared for wherever the baker is located and the flours available to them. If your flour is not strong then I do advise to not add all the water at once. Hold a little back which can always be added later if the dough needs it. Watch the ferment! Looking forward to your results.
Thank you for the reply!
The loaf came out ok. It didn't rise as it should have but the taste was there, and the crust was great. I wasn't expecting it to be perfect so I'm counting that as a minor win. I'll probably circle back and try a few simpler recipes that add some commercial yeast along with the starter. But this was good learning experience! I'll definitely give it another go soon.
I halved Forkish's recipe so thinking with less starter (as an absolute measure) perhaps it just needed more time. Dunno.
You say this is your first attempt at sourdough. How do you know your starter is ready? And do you have any photos? Which is worth a thousand words!
I didn’t take photos this time around, unusually for me. But my starter was about 6 days in to the feeding cycle (1:1:1), very active (had easily doubled from previous feeding), smelled nice, lots of small visible bubbles, no mold or weird colors/odors. I halved Forkish’s recipe but otherwise followed it closely. And my house is on the chilly side (usually around 65-70). Though when I was establishing the starter I kept it in my oven with the light on, which hovered around 80F.
Tomorrow I’m going to try a Maltese ftira recipe with that starter. I’ll take photos this time!