jdbower Posted November 18, 2009 Report Posted November 18, 2009 I know I've been away for a while, but hopefully I'll be able to weasel my way back. It's nice to see the forums still humming away! I've got a new job (with a new commute into Cambridge - working from home is much better for hanging out on the forums!). I've also been expanding my cooking habits a bit more (details and pics to follow). Cast iron skillets are fantastic multi-purpose things that work just as well in the oven as on the stove. I've also got a more reasonably sized carbon steel wok for inside use, but it does need a stove upgrade to be really effective. A stainless stockpot since soup is good in the cold weather and a huge pressure cooker to can the garden harvest. And I've hooked my Stoker up to a proofing box where I'm currently activating an Austrian sourdough culture that loves rye flour. Hopefully I'll get the chance to share some pics with you guys soon. This weekend it's back to cooking with fire when I make two small pork loins for pulling, a cheesecake, and then gearing up for some bread and other goodies to bring with me for T-day at my brother-in-law's.
Sanny Posted November 18, 2009 Report Posted November 18, 2009 How many sourdoughs do you have up and running? And where/how do you store them? My refrigerator is full up with just one crock of 'dough.
jdbower Posted November 18, 2009 Author Report Posted November 18, 2009 I've got one Italian left and I'll have two Austrian by the week's end. I keep them in 1 quart mason jars with the lid on upside down and lightly tightened. I'm a tad concerned about cross-contamination in the fridge, but that's half the fun I suppose.
Duk Posted November 18, 2009 Report Posted November 18, 2009 So do you just use a portion of your starter and feed it as you go ? If so, it should last pratically forever, correct? I've done some reading on the subject but really never tried keeping the starter going by using a portion and feeding it
jdbower Posted November 18, 2009 Author Report Posted November 18, 2009 So do you just use a portion of your starter and feed it as you go ? If so' date=' it should last pratically forever, correct[/quote'] Exactly. I've got about 1.5c of starter and use a recipe that calls for 1/2 cup. After I take what I need I add a scant 1/2c of flour back in and enough water to maintain the consistency. Leave it out for a few hours before putting it back in the fridge to let the wee beasties be fruitful and multiply and you're back where you started. Want to share with a friend? Just put half in another jar and feed them both (you'll probably want to leave it out a little longer since you're taking out a larger percentage).
Conodo12 Posted November 19, 2009 Report Posted November 19, 2009 Heh heh, Jeff might have uncovered a bigger secret than he knows! I watched a show on the Food Network some years back where the owner of Cafe Du Monde (French Quarter in New Orleans) showed in exact detail how he made Beignets. Check out their site here: http://www.cafedumonde.com/ When the host asked, "Don't you worry about giving away your secrets to the best Beignets in town?" the owner quickly said, "No." He explained that no one can duplicate his flavor because his sour dough recipe calls on sour dough from his shop which dates back to the late 1800's. So, effectively, he is saying that he uses a sourdough recipe that calls on sourdough from his shop which has been making Beignets for almost 150 years. He joked that the Beignet the host was eating might be from sourdough born from sourdough from the day his shop opened! LOL Get a little of that sourdough from Cafe Du Monde Jeff and you might be making his Beignets one day soon for your family!!
Firemonkey Posted November 19, 2009 Report Posted November 19, 2009 Every time I start making sourdough, I end up forgetting about it in the back of the fridge, where it sits and swills until I finally throw it away. Usually under the urging of my wife. I need to hire a babysitter to tend my starter when I am out of town!
Amphoran Posted November 19, 2009 Report Posted November 19, 2009 I also store my cultures in quart mason jars, but I use the one piece polypropylene lids. Here's a link to several different brands of them from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?ur ... jar%20lids These are dishwasher friendly, and can be screwed down reasonably tight and still vent, and they won't rust! Cheers, Mike
Sanny Posted November 20, 2009 Report Posted November 20, 2009 I have room for just the one in my frigerator. I did have it in a glass jar, but decided to treat myself to the King Arthur Flour sourdough crock. Easy to clean, straight up and down, so easier to get the starter out, and to stir in the flour/water. You don't need to feed it weekly. I find that I can skip a week or two without much problem. Just the day or two before I want to start a recipe, I take my cup of starter out, feed the crock and the cup. The crock goes right back into the frigerator, and the cup gets happy on the counter overnight. It makes yummy cinnamon buns.
