Remember how intimated I was to bake bread, craft homemade pie crust, and create fresh pasta for so many years? And, remember how much I’ve grown and now all three glutenous delights are my favorite things to make?
Well, I have one more confession. Sourdough scares me to death!
Even now, after tackling the starter for the first time, I’m still a little apprehensive. After all, I was benevolently gifted an ancient sourdough starter that has been around for close to 110 years – that’s a lot of responsibility! I need to care for this baby – it’s overwhelming and it takes a lot of work!
But, I’m pleased as punch (or sourdough) for now.
Thank you, Tommy, for the gift of this magical starter.
This recipe has been in his family for a century, as has THIS starter!
Just my luck, just my heart, just my life to be able to play with this gem in the kitchen.
Loaves of Ancient Sourdough and a few Cinnamon Rolls filled my oven today.
Ancient Sourdough
The night before (about 9:00pm), empty all the starter into a large glass or crock bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups warm water and 2 cups unsifted flour. Mix well until smooth. Let stand overnight on the counter with a cloth cover. Put lid back on the starter jar. DO NOT WASH. Next morning, put 1 cup of starter back in the jar. Pour 1/2 cup sugar 1 Tbs. sugar over it. Recap the jar and store in refrigerator. With the remaining starter in the bowl, you will make the bread. To this starter, add:
1/4 cup oil
2 Tbs. sugar 1 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cup warm water
2 1/4 tsp. dry yeast (in the water)
5 1/2-6 cups flour (add 2 cups at a time)
Mix in the order given. Add 2 cups of flour at a time until you get to the last 1 1/2 cups, and keep adding the flour and kneading until the dough can be handled and not stick to the hands. Pour a little oil into the same bowl and let rise until double, about noon. Pour dough out on bread board and cut into three equal pieces. (This is if you are using standard sized loaf pans). Then knead each piece and squeeze out air, and put into greased loaf pans. Cover with cloth and let rise until double. (This will be about 4 or 5pm).
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake 25 minutes, or until slightly brown. Never bake bread longer than this, as it will dry the bread out. Turn the bread out of the pans, turn right side up, and butter each top. Put into plastic bags if freezing and put in the freezer while still warm.
CARE OF STARTER
You can use your starter forever if you use it. This one has been going for 75 years (+45). If you didn’t care to make break once a week, at least work your starter by doing the night before thing, and the next morning fix your starter and throw away the rest or give it away. You do not have to use the yeast in the bread. It will make the bread lighter, and some like it best with our the yeast. If for some reason you don’t use your starter for several weeks it will smell sour (but it isn’t spoiled). Merely do the night before thing for about three nights in a row and it finally sweetens up. Don’t use and electric mixer.
