What's In The Water?

Water is a key factor in creating and maintaining a healthy starter. It may seem like no big deal but the kind of water you use in feeding your starter and baking your bread can have a great effect on your success. I learned early on that tap water prohibited my yeast from rising but I also discovered that I had little success using my filtered water from the fridge. I began buying bottled water from the store and have been using that ever since. I leave it on my counter because it seems my yeast performs the best when the water is at room temperature.

For Christmas my husband purchased a great book for me, Bread, A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes by Jeffrey Hamelman (you can purchase it here from Amazon). This book has been an excellent resource for me as a novice baker. I was pleasantly surprised to find a lot of information and even recipes using a levain or sourdough starter. I'm still experimenting with some of his methods and techniques and will share what I learn later on but he had an interesting section on water that answered some of the mystery for me about water:

1. It is in the presence of water that gluten forms

2. Water serves as a solvent and dispersing agent (for salt, sugar, and yeast)

3. Water is necessary for yeast fermentation and reproduction (and softer doughs will ferment more quickly than dry doughs).

4. Water is responsible for the consistency of bread dough.

5. The temperature of water can be varied in order to obtain dough at the correct temperature.

The degree of hardness in water is an indication of the amount of calcium and magnesium ions present, expressed in parts per million (ppm). Soft water has less than 50 ppm, while hard water has more than 200 ppm. Generally, water of medium hardness, with about 100 to 150 ppm, is best suited to bread baking.

These minerals provide food for the yeast, and therefore can benefit fermentation. If water is excessively hard, however, there is a tightening effect on the gluten, as well as a decrease in the fermentation rate (the minerals make water absorbtion more difficult for the proteins in the flour). On the other hand, if water is excessively soft, the lack of minerals results in sticky, slack dough. Generally speaking, most water is not extreme in either direction, and if water is potable, it is suitable for bread baking.

In the creation of a sourdough  or levain culture, there is another consideration (for water). If the water is too highly chlorinated, the chlorine can have a negative impact on the culture by inhibiting the metabolism of the developing microorganisms. In this case, simply leave a bucket or jar of water out overnight, uncovered. By the next day, most all the chlorine will have dissipated. Alternatively, filtered water can be used.

The amount of acidity in water, expressed as pH (potential hydrogen), also has an effect on fermentation, Hard water is generally more alkaline than soft water, and can decrease the the activity of yeast. Water that is slightly acid (pH a little below 7) is preferred for bread making.

So it seems that my tap water didn't work because it was too highly chlorinated and my filtered fridge water didn't work because it contained too much soft water. It makes me feel a little like Goldilocks but I'm happy I found a bottled water that seems to fit just right.

One more note:

My sister made a discovery of her own, not in regards to water but in regards to chlorine and harsh cleaning chemicals. Over the past year I have given her several sourdough starts which she had trouble keeping alive. She learned that distilled water didn't work nor did her tap water but even after she bought bottled water she was still having trouble. Then in a moment of inspiration she purchased new jars for her starter and voila, that did the trick. She suspects that the cleaning agent she uses in her dishwasher remained on the inside of her jars even after being rinsed and dried and that it was prohibiting her starter from rising. She now washes her jars by hand. I haven't experienced this problem myself but it was interesting and may be helpful to someone else so I thought I would share.

A Little Support Goes A Long Way

My Dad sent me this cute email yesterday,

Hey Daughter,

Hope you're having a good day.  I had a head cold in January and had been better for about two weeks and now I have it again, only this time it's worse.  Poor me.

Our little librarian, Bre, suggested that my wife might like to read, "Cinnamon and Gunpowder", by Eli Brown.  So, I picked it up at the library and read it myself (she was finishing something else).  The story is:  (read the red line)
A gripping adventure, a seaborne romance, and a twist on the tale of Scheherazade—with the best food ever served aboard a pirate’s ship

The year is 1819, and the renowned chef Owen Wedgwood has been kidnapped by the ruthless pirate Mad Hannah Mabbot. He will be spared, she tells him, as long as he puts exquisite food in front of her every Sunday without fail.

To appease the red-haired captain, Wedgwood gets cracking with the meager supplies on board. His first triumph at sea is actual bread, made from a sourdough starter that he leavens in a tin under his shirt throughout a roaring battle, as men are cutlassed all around him. Soon he’s making tea-smoked eel and brewing pineapple-banana cider.

But Mabbot—who exerts a curious draw on the chef—is under siege. Hunted by a deadly privateer and plagued by a saboteur hidden on her ship, she pushes her crew past exhaustion in her search for the notorious Brass Fox. As Wedgwood begins to sense a method to Mabbot’s madness, he must rely on the bizarre crewmembers he once feared: Mr. Apples, the fearsome giant who loves to knit; Feng and Bai, martial arts masters sworn to defend their captain; and Joshua, the deaf cabin boy who becomes the son Wedgwood never had.

     Cinnamon and Gunpowder is a swashbuckling epicure’s adventure simmered over a surprisingly touching love story—with a dash of the strangest, most delightful cookbook never written. Eli Brown has crafted a uniquely entertaining novel full of adventure: the Scheherazade story turned on its head, at sea, with food.

I thought the story started slow and was a little weird, but finally it took off and I enjoyed it.  But I thought of you as I read the part about cook having to get his own yeast started - just like you did it.

Later,  Dad

Next to my husband, my Dad has been my greatest support as I have learned and experimented with Natural Yeast. He would call and ask how it was coming, if the yeast was rising, how the bread was turning out. He cheers me on when I'm successful and encourages me when I've failed. When I had my first successful loaf of bread last year I called him way past his bed time to tell him how wonderful it was and how delicious it tasted. I heard him groan and made note of his quiet comment that if he didn't live so far away he would have come right over to try some. A few weeks later I FedEx'd a fresh loaf to my Dad. It was so fun to call him and tell him there was a package on his front door.

Every adventurer has to have someone behind them cheering them on. I have family members and dear friends who are encouraging and supportive. Just this morning my sister reminded me that I still have so much to share and encouraged me to keep adding things to this blog. So with some fresh encouragement behind me I will continue to post my adventures and discoveries.

Natural Yeast Sourdough Baguettes

I've been experimenting with different ways to make a super soft baguette that has a crispy crust and big holes inside using natural yeast. I thought the trick was in using instant yeast because it rose quickly but I have since learned that the trick is actually in how you knead the dough. As nice as it is to use a mixer, the trick here is to knead it by hand! Here is a simple recipe and a great tutorial on kneading by Chef Tess.

The Recipe:

6 C unbleached unbromated flour, or artisan flour
1 T salt
1 T sugar, optional (Chef Tess uses the sugar to help the instant yeast. I used it just as an experiment. All I can say is the bread turned out great. But it might be just as good without the sugar.)
2 - 2 1/4 C water

Combine the water and your natural yeast (2-3 C depending on how much is in your jar. I always just use the whole jar, leaving only about 1/4 C to feed and grow). I used a danish dough whisk to mix my ingredients.

Next add the sugar and salt and then 6 Cups sifted flour.

Mix as well as you can with the whisk. Then dump it all onto a lightly floured surface and knead it by hand for just a few minutes, only until the ingredients are well combined. Leave it on the counter to autolyze for 10 min. This is where the video comes in handy. Watch Chef Tess here. You will notice that Chef Tess mixes her ingredients in a different order than I recommend. That is because we are using natural yeast. I appreciate her recipe but I was mostly interested in her demonstration of the autolyze method and how she kneads her dough.

After the dough has sat for 10 minutes knead it by hand for another 8 minutes. Then put it in a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and let it sit for at least 6 hours. The goal is for it to more than double in size.

I apologize but I didn't get a picture of the dough after it had risen because I was in a hurry. I rolled out my dough following Chef Tess's method, dividing it into thirds and forming baguette loaves then placed each loaf on a baguette pan that I purchased here. I covered my dough with lightly greased wax paper and let it sit for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Just before baking score the top of your loaves with a lame. I purchased mine from weekendbakery.com. They also have great tutorials on how to score your bread. (And they sell the extra large plastic bowl that you see pictured above).

Bake the loaves in an oven that has been preheated to 450 degrees. Don't decrease the temperature after putting the loaves in. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into a loaf reads 180 degrees.

The result was a beautiful baguette that was crispy on the outside but divinely soft and light on the inside. I wasn't too thrilled with the baguette pan though because the loaves rose into each other. I think next time I will try a cookie sheet like Chef Tess uses. I will keep experimenting but in the meantime please feel free to share any hints or tips you might have for making a great baguette!

Easy Honey Whole Wheat Bread with Steel Cut Oats

I've been making this recipe for a few months now and really love it so I thought I would share. It's very similar to the Honey Whole Wheat recipe except I've omitted the eggs and added steel cut oats. I've also added a new step, autolysis, which I'll explain in a moment.

Here's the recipe:

3 C water
2 C or all of your natural yeast
2 t salt
2/3 C or less local honey
8 T or less coconut oil
1 C steel cut oats
about 9 C total flour (I use 2 C sifted unbleached unbromated flour and about 7 C freshly ground hard white wheat)

In my bosch I combine the water and yeast. Then I add about 5 C of the flour. I cover and mix it on the second speed setting for just a few min then leave it covered and let it sit for about 30 min. This is the autolyse stage.

Here are a few good explanations I found online for Autolyse.

1. Web Definition: In biology, autolysis, more commonly known as self-digestion, refers to the destruction of a cell through the action of its own enzymes. It may also refer to the digestion of an enzyme by another molecule of the same enzyme.

2. This comment was posted in response to a question about autolysis on seriouseats.com:

"It's more than just gluten development. Flour does not immediately absorb water and the waiting period is necessary to allow for full saturation. It's a lot like pouring milk into a bowl of cereal. At first the outside of the cereal may be wet, but it is still crunchy inside. It takes 15 to 20 minutes for the cereal to become soggy. Now imagine the individual grains of flour as tiny little balls. When you mix them with water they will be coated at first, but it takes time for them to soak through."

3. From a site called abreadaday.com I found another great explanation for the whole process:

"Let me explain what exactly “autolyse” means.  Etymologically speaking, it’s the French word for the biological term “autolysis”, which is from the Greek words meaning “self” and “splitting”.  Huh?  What’s that got to do with bread?

Well, autolysis refers to the destruction of a cell by its own enzymes, or “self-splitting”.  In baking, this means that enzymes in flour (amylase and protease, if you really want to know) begin to break down the starch and protein in the flour.  The starch gets converted to sugar, and the protein gets reformed as gluten.

Why would you want to do this?  When you knead the dough, aren’t you just trying to do the same thing – form gluten?  Well, yes, ultimately; but when you knead dough, you also oxidize it (expose it to oxygen).  Over-oxidized (or, over-kneaded) dough results in color and flavor loss in a finished bread, which means it’s pale and tasteless.  By giving the mixed flour and water time to go through autolysis on their own, you achieve the same result, but without any of the unpleasant effects of oxidation.  Additionally, an autolyse period gives the flour time to soak up all the moisture, resulting in more orderly gluten formation (um, long story short).

What this all means for your bread is that your dough will be easier to handle before it’s baked, and the end product will taste better, have better texture, look better, and have better keeping qualities.  What’s not to love?"

In most explanations for Autolyse the method is to combine the flour and water, let it rest for 20 - 30 min and then add the rest of your ingredients, including instant yeast. For this recipe, though, I added the natural yeast to my water like I always do and then added about 5 Cups of the flour. I mixed it as I mentioned and then let it sit covered in the bosch for 30 min. (I think I will try just mixing the flour and water sometime in the near future and then adding the yeast after autolyse. I'll let you know how that turns out.)

Then I added the rest of the ingredients and mixed it in my bosch for about 8 min. The dough should not be too dry and it's ok if it's a little more on the sticky side. I put it in a large greased bowl, covered it and let it sit for 12 hours.

The next morning I divided my dough into 3 32 ounce loaves (it helps to have a food scale to measure the dough in order to get even sized loaves) and put them into greased baking pans. I covered these and let them sit for 1 1/2 hours. In the meantime I preheated the oven to 400 degrees. After putting the loaves into the oven I turned the heat down to 350 degrees and baked them for about 30 min. I do have a convection oven and I always use that setting when baking my bread. I also put a shallow pan of water on the bottom rack in the oven as it's preheating.

The result was a light, airy loaf with incredible flavor and a slightly crunchy crust. It's heavenly.

Naturally Leavened Bread Makes a Difference

I really appreciated this article by Jacques de Langre. In a very scientific way he is explaining some of the things I have already learned about natural yeast. I am copying his article below in case we ever lose the link to the original.

Naturally Leavened Bread Makes a Difference

by Jacques de Langre

From the files of Jacques de Langre, founder of our company, we present a researched lecture regarding the difference between yeasted breads and naturally leavened breads. Although written in the 1980’s, this information is more than ever important for us to consider in our search for good health. Interestingly, more and more bakers across the U.S. are becoming interested in naturally leavened bread.

Natural Leaven or Commercial Baker’s Yeast?

There are two methods for leavening bread and they differ totally in the way they act on the flour, as well as on the taste and nutritional effect of the resulting bread and, in the end, on the health of the consumer. The aim of bread fermentation is to transform the various nutrients freed by the milling of the grain and to modify them for optimum assimilation during digestion.

A Definition of Natural Leaven

Wild yeast, or multi-micro flora are the natural air-borne ferments that are generated or seeded in a dough left exposed to a clean and cool atmosphere under specific conditions of moisture and temperature and the exclusion of larger specimen. Within that fertile medium, lactic bacteria of the various beneficial types are found: B. Pastorianum, B. Delbrucki, B.Ternoas well as saccharomyces such as S.Pastorianus, and S. Cervisiae. This type of microflora consumes little energy and multiplies quite slowly. Its growth duplicates the cycle of human breathing and that of wheat embryo germination. Wild yeast also naturally enriches the bread, due to an additional development of nutrients by the beneficial enzymes and ferments.

Baking by Principle

In baking as in all natural processes, the laws of life must be respected; it is vital for the fermented bread to retain the dynamic character that originally develops within the wheat berry as it evolves toward its germination. Just as the breathing cycle consists of an oxidation, followed by a reduction, the same cycle is reproduced in the five day cycle of the germination of wheat. Natural leavened bread (seeded with wild yeast or natural leaven) also duplicates this cycle: The rising of the dough corresponds to an oxidation (like wheat germ growth), followed by a reduction (during the baking of the loaf) identical to the development of the miniature sprout of wheat. We readily see that of the two methods available for leavening bread, only natural leaven faithfully follows God’s laws of the universe.

Beware of White Sourdough

There is also the question of sifting out the bran: Today, many loaves of sourdough ‘French’ bread are being offered but they are made with white flours that are almost totally demineralized. The pseudo mycelium (vegetative part of the thallus of the fungi, composed of several filaments) cannot feed on such debilitated flours and the bread tastes excessively sour which tells us that, besides lacking the essential nutrients, it is unfavorable to the digestive process.

Another problem sometimes occurs in natural baking: An excess of lactic bacteria may develop and give the bread a definite sourness. Although these bacteria are natural, they have proliferated in excess because the starter or sour dough sponge was not cared for daily. Excess proliferation is a result of a lack of aeration or scrupulous daily feeding (refreshing) or else is due to the storage of the starter in warm areas or areas contaminated with vinegar or other acetic acid products. Since lactic bacteria are anaerobic, they can only develop in the absence of air. When these have exceeded their limit, a “lactic bread” or “acetic bread” is obtained, excessively sour that becomes more sour with aging, with definitely harmful results.

How Baker’s Yeast Works

Commercial yeast is an isolate “mushroom-type” microorganism whose cells are high in moisture and consist of vacuolated protoplasm. Their reproduction cycle is extremely rapid and thus one gram of compressed yeast contains several trillions of yeast cells. In a dough seeded with 1% of commercial yeast, the number of these cells can double in 6 hours at 80 degree Fahrenheit. If the fermentation is allowed to continue, the proliferation will reach a concentration of 150,000,000 cells per cubic centimeter regardless of how little seeding was done at the start.

With commercial yeast, rising of the dough is lightning fast, coupled with a reduction (baker’s yeast is a strong reducer), followed by a strong oxidation during the baking and often accompanied by an alkalinization. This is increased even more when a portion or all of the bran is removed. We witness here a phenomenon totally opposed to the normal laws of life. The end result of this biological decay (staling of bread), is a deficient oxidative energy that changes into a glycolysed energy, as evidenced by monster, or anarchistic, cells that are an exact duplicate of human cancer cells, according to the research of Dr. Warbourg, M.D.

Candida and Anemia are Related to the Consumption of Yeasted Bread

Rickets and anemia can be caused by the consumption of yeasted whole wheat bread. These chronic calcium deficiencies are corrected and even totally eliminated when the whole wheat bread is naturally leavened. In the natural leavening process, the phytic acid and the phytates are hydrolysed by the phytases of the bran in an acid environment and transformed into phytin and soluble phosphatic acids of magnesium, calcium and iron which are totally assimilable and beneficial.

In the case of yeasted bread, with a pH varying from 5.9 to 6.5, the reduction by hydrolysis of the toxic phytic compounds is insufficient, no better than 50%, a level that causes yeasted bread to be detrimental, especially for anemic people.

A full hydrolysis is possible only when the pH remains between 4 and 5.6 maximum, which is the case for natural leaven bread. At the median pH of 4.8 in a dough kept at a temperature of 64 degrees Fahrenheit; there remain only 0.78% (less than 1%) of the phytic acid compounds, which is a totally safe amount.

Sweet Tasting Bread Made with Sourdough Starter

It is quite easy to obtain a sweet tasting bread with a natural leaven fermentation for a base. The slower proofing of the dough at temperatures between 62 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit, made from a leaven always stored at low temperatures of 47 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit and regularly refreshed, will totally prevent the characteristic sour dough taste often associated with natural leavened bread.

Two Extra Benefits from the Natural Leaven Process

The limited growth of friendly lactic bacteria and the presence of other micro-organisms will add little to the acidity, yet will create a good swelling of the gluten as evidenced by small but regular air cells in the crumb. As it ages, natural leavened bread will retain its moisture and keep well without refrigeration, quite opposed from the yeasted bread that stales and dries out within hours after its baking. With natural leaven, no dried out bread need ever to be thrown out.

Bran Value

The high mineral and enzymatic value of bran is widely known and needs little elaboration. It is necessary however, to discuss the little known phytic acid and its detrimental effects on the body metabolism. Phytic acid is inherently present in whole rice and whole wheat and it can cause allergies and other severe illnesses. This toxic substance can only be neutralized and eliminated by the skillful fermentation of those cereal grains through highly principled baking. Thus, the natural baking method that drastically reduces phytic acid must be adopted universally if one is to obtain the most beneficial bread.

Digestibility

Bread and grain-based diets, especially at the beginning, give the illusion that they do not readily digest. Natural leaven bread, because of its inherent beneficial ferments, slowly recreates the population of friendly lactobacillus digestive bacteria in the absorption tract. The end result is a recovery of digestion and proper elimination by the effective action of friendly bacteria. Natural leaven bread provides more stable nutrition than that obtained mechanically by non-fermented (and thus non- pre-digested) bran and other raw or cooked roughage diets, since these only succeed in physically abrading and irritating the colon.

Feeding Your Natural Yeast

In a previous post I showed how to make yeast from raisin water. Raisin water yeast has a nice flavor and makes delicious bread but I've noticed that it only seems to last for two batches of bread and then it dies. However the sourdough starter has been very hardy and almost impossible to kill. For those of you, (like me) who might feel like you struggle to keep even the strongest house plant alive this might be a better option to use to make bread. I've met people who have sourdough starter that their pioneer ancestors brought across the plains. It's easy to feed and easy to keep and particularly patient if ever neglected (we all need a vacation now and then).

This post is a step by step for taking care of your sourdough yeast. I keep two kinds of natural yeast in my fridge. The first is a little more sour and I feed it unbleached unbromated white flour. The second is sweeter (less counter time) and I feed it freshly ground whole wheat flour. I feed both of them with the same system but have pictures of both below so you can see the difference between the two.

Here is my white flour starter—fresh out of the fridge. After the last feeding it was double in size but having been in the fridge for a few days it shrunk back down almost to where it was right after I fed it. This is normal and just a sign that you need to feed your yeast. But it can stay at this state for up to a week without being fed. If you notice liquid at the top or the starter has turned a dark color at the top, just scrape it off and throw it away. The liquid is alcohol, a byproduct of yeast. I haven't figured out what the dark stuff is but the starter underneath is perfectly safe to use.

This is my whole wheat starter out of the fridge.

A peek inside the white flour starter before I fed it.

Since the starter measured 1/2 cup I added 1/2 cup water. I always use bottled water from the store. I have tried using water from the tap but it totally killed my yeast and I have tried using filtered water from the fridge and again, no bubbles. Having no bubbles is the only time you can be sure your yeast is dead. Although, even then it can often be revived with a little patience and tlc. Back to the water dilemma, it seems water that has been softened through a water softener system is not good for the yeast and the same goes for distilled water. I just purchase a gallon of water for $1 at the local grocery store.

I have found it important to stir the water in thoroughly.

Next I added 1/2 Cup unbleached unbromated flour. It is helpful to feed your yeast with the type of flour you plan on using in your bread dough. I keep this white flour starter for making boules and pizza dough.

I stir in the white flour until I have a somewhat thick oatmeal like consistency. This often requires me to add a little bit more flour to get it right. It should be wet and sticky but not runny. It takes practice but you don't want it too wet or too dry. Think lumpy oatmeal.

I set the lid back on my jar lightly so it can still get air then leave it on the counter. I also mark the jar with a rubberband to show where the dough is at after I feed it.

Next I fed my whole wheat starter with freshly ground white winter wheat. I added 1/2 cup water and a little bit more than 1/2 cup flour. Note: I occasionally feed this starter with freshly ground rye flour. It seems to perk it up. I have yet to experiment with other flours but will let you know when I do.

 Here is the white flour starter after about 5-6 hours. It will double faster in the summer and slower in the winter depending on the temperature and humidity in your home. This is the optimal time to use your starter to make dough. If you won't be using it right away then put it in the fridge. If you are waiting several days before using it you will need to throw away about half of it and feed it several hours before you plan on making your dough.

Here is the whole wheat starter after several hours.

I decided to use the whole wheat starter to make dough so I didn't refrigerate it. Since I didn't get to it right away it began to shrink. As long as it doesn't shrink too much you can still use it to make bread dough.

I use almost everything in the jar to make my dough. I dump it into my bosch but don't scrape the sides. As I make the dough I let what's left in the jar settle toward the bottom. It measures about 1/4 cup.

So I added 1/4 cup water, stirred well, then added 1/4 cup or so flour.

I marked it, covered it with a lid and then left it on the counter to double. Then I put it back in the fridge.

Natural Yeast Sourdough Loaves

I've been experimenting with different recipes and forms for my dough lately. Here are two boules I made with a lame (bread scoring tool) that I ordered from weekendbakery.com. which happens to be located in the Netherlands. I ended up ordering some very large plastic bowls from them too because I needed larger bowls for my dough to rise in and couldn't find any on amazon or any other place here in the states. Anyway, check out their website. They have great tips and recipes.

I also made these boules with a sourdough starter that I left out on my counter a little extra long and mixed with white flour instead of whole wheat. These loaves have 4 cups white flour and 2 cups whole wheat, 2 1/2 cups water, some salt and a little coconut oil, along with the sourdough starter of course. It's a fast and simple recipe but they were light and fluffy and definitely sour. They were a big hit.