I converted my favorite English muffin recipe to SD but was disappointed with the results (recipe below). I thought they tasted no different from the all-instant-yeast version. Can anyone offer some suggestions on how I might change the recipe and/or technique to bring out more sourdough taste?
Recipe details (converted from the volumes stated in the original recipe):
265g ripe starter at 100% hydration using AP flour
330g AP flour, plus a bit later on for proper dough consistency
11g salt
3g IDY
225g whole milk at room temp
28g melted butter
14g sugar
cornmeal for dusting
Mix together flour, salt, and IDY in bowl of KA mixer. In another bowl mix together milk, melted butter, and sugar. Using dough hook at KA speed 1, slowly add liquid mixture and starter to flour. Continue at KA1 until ingredients are incorporated. Then mix at KA2 for about 8 min until the dough becomes smooth and elastic and clears sides of bowl. Stretch and fold. Rest for 30 min and do another stretch and fold. Let dough ferment until doubled (this took 45-50 minutes). Degas, form dough into 12 balls, place balls on cornmeal-dusted baking sheet, cover with greased plastic wrap, and place another baking sheet on top for weight. Rest for 30 min and then refrigerate for 12-24 hrs (mine refrigerated for ~17 hrs). Remove from fridge and rest for an hour. Dust top side with cornmeal and cook on griddle until browned on each side. Then bake in oven at 350°F/177°C for about 10 min or until interior temp reaches about 205°F/96°C.
Try using starter that has peaked, then been refrigerated for a day or two or three until it smells quite acidic (acetic acid), rather than fresh starter (i.e. fed within 8 hours or so of baking).
even though they contain sourdough starter. The fermentation is driven almost entirely by the IDY. There's very little opportunity for the wild yeasts and bacteria to do their thing with those timings and temperatures.
Here's an experiment for your next batch: leave the IDY out entirely. If you want the muffins in the morning, mix the dough in the evening and let it ferment overnight in a cool (say 65-70F) location. By morning, it should be risen and ready for shaping, final fermentation, and cooking. That approach will give you more flavor because the wild yeasts and bacteria will have time to do their thing at a temperature that doesn't shut them down.
Here's a recipe built for sourdough, in case you'd rather not try revamping the one you have now.
Paul
Paul
What is IDY?
Today, I made P Reinhart Basic Soudough Bread recipe. I couldn't taste the sour of the bread.I could smell it. Should I retard the bread overnight in the refrigerator. My starter was feed two day ago. help?
If you happen to see ADY at some point, that means active dry yeast.
The key to sourness is a combination of time, temperature, and (to a lesser degree) flours. Since I'm pressed for time just now, I suggest you type the phrase 'more sour' (without the quotation marks) in the Search box in the upper right corner of the page. You'll get a flood of posts on that topic, since it comes up frequently.
Paul