Just took my starter flakes out of the freezer and am waking them up right
now. They have been in the deep freeze for a while so I won't plan on doing
anything with them other than refreshing them for a week or two, to try to
get them balanced out. I know this is not the best way of keeping a starter
going for sure, but I wanted to see how well it could work as I maybe make
sourdough bread once or twice during the warmer months and I tend to forget
my active starter until it turns into an evil looking blob from hell. The
last time I took them from the fridge I made bread from them as soon as the
starter looked active enough. The bread seemed to come out well, though it
had been awhile since I had tasted sourdough bread to be honest. What I did
notice was that the bread seemed to get stale at a rate much closer to that
of commercially yeasted loaves, a very bad sign.

Do you think sourdough good guys are just on the endangered species list in
my "flakes" right now? I figure even if they are, if I keep it going now
that it is reconstituted it I should eventually be inoculated with something
from my kitchen, having been baking sourdough on and off for a few years
now, with four or five different strains of sourdough, and a grape vine
growing outside my window (I don't know if that really helps, but I do like
the grapes anyway). But I am curious about what actually is happening, can
the lactobacilli in sourdough completely die off in this way?

Russ Hutch
(when posting a reply in thread fashion, I would appreciate it if you please
add to the top)!

On Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:35:19 -0500, "hutchndi" >
wrote:
>What I did
>notice was that the bread seemed to get stale at a rate much closer to that
>of commercially yeasted loaves, a very bad sign.
Or a sign you put the bread in the fridge.
>
>Do you think sourdough good guys are just on the endangered species list in
>my "flakes" right now?
I've revived frozen flakes before. Half flour, half water, a
few flakes, keep around 30 Celsius and if it bubbles within a couple
of days you are in business. Any longer and you probably have a brand
new sourdough.
[]'s
PS ... couldn't figure out your request for posting, so just
used the polite Usenet way. Usenet isn't really dead, but some of the
regulars are (almost).

Yes, I know I am "in business" as the mix I put together from my flakes is
already showing signs of bubbles. So the culture is going to be able to make
bread again, though it may not be able to make anything much better than
bread from commercial yeast at the moment, or perhaps ever again with any
help from the progeny of the original lactobacilli, which is what I was
trying to find out. You missed the point of what I was trying to say, as
those bubbles this early on are probably just from yeasts, even if there are
still lactobacilli good guys still present in the flakes.

I used to be a regular for awhile, I am hopefully no where near dead yet,
and I like my replies at the top....though it looks like that isn't gonna
happen

"Shadow" <Sh@dow> wrote in message
...
> I've revived frozen flakes before. Half flour, half water, a
> few flakes, keep around 30 Celsius and if it bubbles within a couple
> of days you are in business. Any longer and you probably have a brand
> new sourdough.
> []'s
> PS ... couldn't figure out your request for posting, so just
> used the polite Usenet way. Usenet isn't really dead, but some of the
> regulars are (almost).

On Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:22:56 -0500, "hutchndi" >
wrote:

>
>Yes, I know I am "in business" as the mix I put together from my flakes is
>already showing signs of bubbles. So the culture is going to be able to make
>bread again, though it may not be able to make anything much better than
>bread from commercial yeast at the moment, or perhaps ever again with any
>help from the progeny of the original lactobacilli, which is what I was
>trying to find out. You missed the point of what I was trying to say, as
>those bubbles this early on are probably just from yeasts, even if there are
>still lactobacilli good guys still present in the flakes.
The yeast in sourdough has nothing to do with the yeast in
ordinary bread, it exists symbiotically with the lactobacillus, ie,
cannot live well without it. So your lactobacilli certainly survived,
or your flakes would be dead.
It's pretty easy to test
Two jars, one flour and water, the other flour, water and
flakes. After a couple of days, compare the two. If the second one
"wins", your lactobacilli survived. Otherwise you just produced a new
culture.
>
>I used to be a regular for awhile, I am hopefully no where near dead yet,
>and I like my replies at the top....though it looks like that isn't gonna
>happen
No, it's rude to top post.

>
>"Shadow" <Sh@dow> wrote in message
.. .
>> I've revived frozen flakes before. Half flour, half water, a
>> few flakes, keep around 30 Celsius and if it bubbles within a couple
>> of days you are in business. Any longer and you probably have a brand
>> new sourdough.
>> []'s
>> PS ... couldn't figure out your request for posting, so just
>> used the polite Usenet way. Usenet isn't really dead, but some of the
>> regulars are (almost).

So RFS is now populated with politically correct, non-cantankerous, dot your
i's and cross your t's - rule following, aristocratic gentle folk? Where is
the fun in that? Maybe I should try harder not to go against the grain, and
more with the flow.

Is there a rec.food.fliechmans_yeast?

"Shadow" <Sh@dow> wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:22:56 -0500, "hutchndi" >
> wrote:
> No, it's rude to top post.
>

hutchndi wrote:
> So RFS is now populated with politically correct, non-cantankerous, dot
> your i's and cross your t's - rule following, aristocratic gentle folk?


Are you calling ME non-cantankerous? Where do you get off with that?


Charles

On Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:58:54 -0500, "hutchndi" >
wrote:

>So RFS is now populated with politically correct, non-cantankerous, dot your
>i's and cross your t's - rule following, aristocratic gentle folk?
I'm not gentle.And not a regular, unless watching the group
for 7 years counts as being a regular.
If you want someone nice and gentle message Dick Adams. The
sweetest soul in Usenet.
>Where is
>the fun in that? Maybe I should try harder not to go against the grain, and
>more with the flow.
>
>Is there a rec.food.fliechmans_yeast?
Yeah
http://www.breadworld.com/

and it's Fleischmann's

Ooops Sorry, could 't resist.

Try

rec.food.baking

for conventional yeast. Plenty of nice pizza recipes there.
I love pizza, just ate a sourdough
mozzarella/tomato/peppered-sausage one.

[]'s

Nice to know your still around Charles...


"chefcdp" > wrote in message
m...
> hutchndi wrote:
>> So RFS is now populated with politically correct, non-cantankerous, dot
>> your i's and cross your t's - rule following, aristocratic gentle folk?
>
>
> Are you calling ME non-cantankerous? Where do you get off with that?
>
>
> Charles

hutchndi wrote:
> Nice to know your still around Charles...
>

Also glad to hear that you are "up and taking nourishment" as they
sometimes say in Minnesota Speak.

I just baked some sourdough focaccia with Bleu Cheese and pear topping.
I stole that topping idea from you. One of the neighbors calls me a
genius for thinking up that combination.

I will thank you here, but you are likely to remain unattributed in the
neighborhood.

Regards,

Charles

"chefcdp" > wrote in message
m...

> I just baked some sourdough focaccia with Bleu Cheese and pear topping. I
> stole that topping idea from you. One of the neighbors calls me a genius
> for thinking up that combination.

At first I thought you must be joking, I am not a big fan of either blue
cheese or pears. Then I dimly remembered baking something with blue cheese
and something else odd on it, maybe it was pears.
I thing the blue cheese focacia came from some recipe that included walnuts,
but for the life of me I can't think of why I might have used pears, if
indeed I did. Hmmm.

Russ Hutch

Although,
googling blue cheese and pear does bring up some recipes for pizza and
focacia...

"hutchndi" > wrote in message
...
>
> "chefcdp" > wrote in message
> m...
>
>> I just baked some sourdough focaccia with Bleu Cheese and pear topping. I
>> stole that topping idea from you. One of the neighbors calls me a genius
>> for thinking up that combination.
>
> At first I thought you must be joking, I am not a big fan of either blue
> cheese or pears. Then I dimly remembered baking something with blue cheese
> and something else odd on it, maybe it was pears.
> I thing the blue cheese focacia came from some recipe that included
> walnuts, but for the life of me I can't think of why I might have used
> pears, if indeed I did. Hmmm.
>
> Russ Hutch

"hutchndi" > wrote in message
...
>
> "chefcdp" > wrote in message
> m...
>
>> I just baked some sourdough focaccia with Bleu Cheese and pear topping. I
>> stole that topping idea from you. One of the neighbors calls me a genius
>> for thinking up that combination.
>
> At first I thought you must be joking, I am not a big fan of either blue
> cheese or pears. Then I dimly remembered baking something with blue cheese
> and something else odd on it, maybe it was pears.
> I thing the blue cheese focacia came from some recipe that included
> walnuts, but for the life of me I can't think of why I might have used
> pears, if indeed I did. Hmmm.
>
> Russ Hutch
Try this:
Hot pears with Rocquefort and walnuts

From "Matching food and wine" by Michel Roux Jr.

The recipe calls for 2 pears but they must be giant as I found that the mix
was sufficient for 4.

4 ripe pears

120g Rocquefort, crumbled

60g walnuts, chopped

1 Tbsp crème fraîche

1 Tbsp port

1 spring onion, chopped

S&P (not necessary, IMO)


Cut the pears in half lengthwise and remove the core and stringy bits. Use
a melon baller to scoop out the flesh, leaving a couple of millimetres or so
to form 8 boats.

Mix the pear pieces with the walnuts and cheese, fold in the crème, port and
onion. Fill the boats and bake at 180C for 15 minutes. Brown under hot
grill for 2-3 minutes.

I found that they browned nicely in my convection oven.

I also think that it would work with Stilton.

I cooked them just before the meal so that by the time they were served for
"afters", they were warm rather than hot and I think that that is
preferable.

He suggests it works as a starter or sweet, admittedly a savoury/sweet. I
think that leaving out the onion might be better as a sweet.

For wine, he suggests a sweet wine such as Bonnezeaux, sweet, Oloroso sherry
or Tawny Port.

I served it with a Sauternes which also worked.

Graham