On 5/20/04 8:50 PM, "Fred" > wrote:

> I started my sourdough starter project from scratch about 3 weeks ago. The
> second starter stabilized and was successful (rye flour and water that had
> been boiled and cooled.) It still looks good and smells good after about 6
> feedings with high gluten flour. I baked about 12 loaves of bread flavored
> with some of the starter as I fed and stabilized the culture. It tasted
> faintly sour but wasn't really sourdough because I had leavened them with
> commercial yeast.
>
> Finally yesterday morning I took about a 1/4 cup of my starter, added it to
> 1 1/2 lb. of high gluten flour, about 12 oz. of warm water, 1 oz. of sugar
> and 1/2 oz. of salt. I mixed it until it had the right feel and appearance,
> set it on the counter, covered it with film and let it ferment. By the end
> of the day, it looked like it hadn't fermented at all and had just flattened
> itself out. The dough was a little too hydrated I guess. I went home and
> came back to the store this morning. Surprise - the dough was fully
> fermented and had a strong aroma of sourdough. It was a little too soft to
> make up hearth bread so I made it up into some baguettes and put the
> baguette pan to proof for about an hour. I baked it and, to my surprise, I
> had some delicious and definitely sour baguettes of normal size and texture.
> I fed slices all day long to customers who gave me plenty of thumbs up and
> encouragement. My first bread without a single bit of commercial yeast was
> a reality. Ah, success!
>
> Fred
> The Good Gourmet
> http://www.thegoodgourmet.com
>
>
Fred,

You've crossed the baker's Rubicon. Toil on! (and clear a space on the
counter for the inevitable Flour Mill).

Will



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