Friday, May 11, 2001


today's the day to continue with the starter from the pain de campagne rustique. it's only 10 minutes work!

depending on how long you've let the starter work and the temperature of your kitchen, the original "step one" starter could now have a hard, dried-out crust. this has to be removed before you continue. also, give the starter a good sniff. since we used rye in the starter, which naturally ferments well and gives good flavor to the bread later on, it will have a somewhat more intense smell than a starter based on whole wheat alone. make sure you're happy with what you've got before you continue.

you need at least 1 tablespoon of tangy-smelling, active starter to proceed. of course with the amount of flour that we started with, even if you have to trim off a great deal of hard crust, you should have more than that. if you think the starter is active, but has too strong or sour a smell, throw half of it away -- this will reduce the amount of acid already in the starter while preserving enough yeasties to get you to the next stage.

remember, all you need now is a tablespoon or two of living starter. if, however, the starter really stinks repulsively, you may want to start all over again. or you can forge onward in the hope that the yeasties will outgrow the beasties in this second step. here are the ingredients for step two:

5 oz (by weight) flour
5 oz (by weight) less-than-lukewarm non-chlorinated water

place your trimmed, "step one" starter in a large clean bowl, and stir in the all the water. thoroughly dissolve the step one starter in the water, stirring as gently as possible. some people use 90 degree water; others use 65 to 70 degree water. i usually use the cooler water, personally. stir in the 5 oz. flour. this can be whole wheat flour, unbleached white all-purpose flour, or a mixture of the two.

again, cover this dough with plastic wrap and return it to its rising place. let it develop for 24 hours. if however the weather is warm, do check it at 4, 8, and 10 or 12 hours! if you find it growing absolutely out of control, try mixing in 1 teaspoon salt, which will slow down the yeast action considerably. just remember to subtract that salt from the amount you add to the final dough.

tomorrow we'll continue with the bread, and then chat more about where in new york and brooklyn you can find truly fresh coffee. i do hope to introduce you soon to burdick's charming handmade artisan chocolates in the shape of tiny cute mice and baby bunnies, perfumed with fennel, lavendar, lemon verbena, and other old-fashioned flavors. . . we enjoy them here thanks to john at two for the pot.

tomorrow will also feature a pilgrimage to eli zabar's vinegar factory in search of lovely fresh-roasted coffee suitable for iced. . .unless the bread takes an unexpected turn!

posted by fortune | 11:16 AM | top | link to this | email this: | | | 0 comments