I am no nearer remembering whether it’s the badger of the North, the fox of the midlands or the silver bear – anyone can help me? In any case, the point is that I AM nearer (1 day nearer) to making my GBBO bread – ready for the launch of 2014 GBBO. Bake along! The idea is to be a discerning judge. Not ready to bake along? Come and take a bread course with us and learn to bake bread you will be proud of!
Yesterday I refreshed the 1857 starter. I put 200 g starter into a bowl and added 200 g of white wheat flour and 200 g water. That is a total of 600 g in the bowl. This afternoon it was bubbling.
Refreshed 1857 sourdough starter. Bubbly in the bowl.
Today I made a pre dough to increase acidity and flavour in the final loaf. To do this, I measured 300 g of the bubbling, refreshed starter into a big mixing bowl and added 270 g of whole meal flour and 270 g water.
Whole wheat flour and water added to the refreshed starter to make a pre dough
Then I stirred it together. I covered it and left it on the counter for another 24 hours.
I scraped the left over starter (remember, always make more than you need so you don’t run out) into a clippy plastic pot and popped it back into the fridge for another day.
Always refresh more than you need so you don’t run out! Scrape the excess back into a plastic pot.
Use a pot with clippy sides – either plastic or glass (kilner jar) to make sure the gas can escape as the starter slowly goes to sleep in the fridge.
Stay tuned, tomorrow I add the final ingredients, knead, stretch and fold during the bulk fermentation, then shape it and let it do it’s final rise over night before baking it. YUM. Roll on Wednesday!
