Although I've been making bread for the past 35-40 years, yesterday I
made my first ever loaf of 100% sourdough bread. Meaning that I used
only the sourdough starter to proof the dough. I have tried making my
own starter and have purchased any number of dry starters, but have
never have been able to get a really active starter. The starter I
used*, **Carl Griffith's 1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough Starter, is free
for the asking at this website: *
* http://carlsfriends.net/ *
As a beginner, I have a few questions for you sourdough experts.
First, I waited until the dough had doubled before baking it, but
after baking and slicing, it appears that I could have waited even
longer. Does sourdough normally rise more than 2X? I poked the dough
and it appeared ready to bake, but the baked loaf was very dense on
the bottom, which I think was an indication that it could have used
more time. Any thoughts?
Does anyone know what internal temperature a sourdough loaf should
reach? My loaves both registered 190-195F but turned out to be a bit
too moist, i.e. they could have used more oven time.
I was very pleased with the bread regardless, although it wasn't very
"sour". Am I correct in thinking that the starter will become more
sour over time, and that my not-very-sour loaf was due to a newborn starter?
Many thanks to all on this site. I've learned a lot over the years
and hope to learn a lot more in years to come, with your help.
Jeff