Sourdough bread, I know its been done before, but I need your tips please!

[LGoodLife]

I have had a go before but it was too sour, so I am trying again now, but how do I get that special taste? Do I just have to be lucky to get the right wild yeasts?

what do you mean too sour? what flour are you using in the starter and in the dough? i keep a white flour starter in the fridge and use it 2-3 times a week.

My recipe said wholemeal for the first couple of refreshers then strong white, and then just water.

you have to give it flour as well as water or it'll go off.

i make (sorry it is imperial) 9oz water, 12oz refreshed starter, 4.5oz white flour, 10oz wholemeal.

mix roughly, leave for 20 mins then add honey and salt. knead (i use mixer with bread hook) then leave for an hour. fold it. wait 20 mins. fold again then shape and put into a cloth with lots of flour. leave to rise for 3-5 hours depending on weather.

put on baking sheet, slash it and cook high as oven will go for 15 mins, gas 6 for 35.

Honey? Does it need this? Is it for flavour or the yeast?
And why the cloth? Do you cook it on the cloth? Will it not cook in a tin? I sound pig-ignorant!

honey is for flavour, also makes it nice and crispy when toasting. i believe it also helps the bread to keep longer, as does the salt so don't leave them out.

i flour the cloth and put it in a colander, so there is air circulating and the bread is kept in a nice round shape. put it in upside down then turn it out on to the baking sheet.

you can put it in a tin but i don't, we are doing rustic boule here. you can make two little ones if you like.

the wetter the dough the softer the bread but not too sticky or you will get into trouble.

Being thick here...you put the dough to rise in the colander or to cook in it?

yes to rise. lots of flour on the cloth or it sticks and wrap the dough loosely, sit the lot in a colander. it is my version of a linen lined basket, they are dreadfully expensive.

this is what you hope to come out with boule mine are not so tidy.

Bread is in oven, has risen like a hot air ballon but wierdest shape!!! Boule looks great, but not achievable without lots of practice. Dough stuck to cloth after rising.

Whats the linen lined basket? I can weave baskets - do you have a photo?

banneton / brotform

how did bread taste? mine doesn't rise so much in cold weather, yours sounds great.

I have aga so kitchen always warm. Bread all gone - tasted lovely even though leftover starter smells vile. What do I do with it now?
Thnks for basket link - they're all cane - I can only do willow. Never mind, will stick to colander and cloth as advised.

feed starter a little bit, then into fridge. is much easier than trying to keep it going at room temp.

Am feeding starter each day, cup of flour and some water each time, (still smells but in a good way).
Why put in fridge? Won't that stop it fermenting?
I want to have another go so I need lots of starter, don't I?

yes it will stop it fermenting but keeps it dormant.

you just get it out 9 or so hours before you want to use it and feed it with however much flour and water you need to get it up to size (allowing a bit spare).

i keep about a mugful going all the time in fridge. you can freeze a bit too but i haven't tried that.

Made the sourdough cinnamon buns off your freshloaf website. Gorgeous!
My starter seems to be very active, doubling quite quickly - probably due to warm room. Is that a problem?

no it sounds great. buns sound delicious too.

mine is probably a bit too dormant, i refresh it in the morning for breadmaking in evening but then there isn't enough rising time....

it is all lots easier with a lively starter or in warmer weather, my house is rather cold which doesn't help.

Sorry for kidnap: where to you ladies get your starter from? Or can you "make" one?

I would love to make proper sourdough bread, the ready-made breadmixture from Lidl is OK, but v clearly not the real thing..

I'm new to this lark, but this bread-makers site has lots of advice.
Basically a starter was wholemeal flour and water and the the wild yeast comes from nowhere and colonised the mix over a few days. Follow a step-by-step plan.

Hi, L, thanks for that. I just looked at "The Fresh Loaf", looks like a great site, I give it a go during the week. Cheers!