The BitchBuzz team is spread all around the world, and we've quickly learned that not everything we love - such as Macaroni & Cheese - is readily available on opposite sides of the pond. Let's face it, actually making proper Mac & Cheese is not nearly as fun as just boiling noodles and tossing in some powdered cheese product.
One of the biggest things that our London based team is missing is traditional, San Francisco style sourdough bread. There are few things as glorious as a hot sourdough loaf shaped as baby turtle, or a grilled cheese sandwich made on sliced sourdough from the Boudin Bakery.
While Sainsburys and various other establishments sell "sourdough" bread in the UK - trust us, it's not the real thing. Therefore, we've decided to try and recreate proper San Francisco style sourdough in the BitchBuzz HQ kitchen.
One would think this is a rather easy process, but it's fairly complicated.
What You'll Need
- Goldrush Sourdough Starter Kit
- Plastic container (With lid or Cling Film)
- Wholewheat flour
- Mineral Water
- Thermometer
- Wooden Spoon
- Small Mixing Bowl
For Your Information
The first challenge with making sourdough bread is the yeast. Sourdough bread gets it's distinct taste from the yeast, and the yeast needs to be cultured. (It has to read books, go to the theatre, etc.) To recreate the authentic taste, you'll need to grab a Goldrush Sourdough Starter Kit, or something similar, as the Starter Kit contains the dried yeast and instructions on how to make a yeast starter, which is commonly (and freakishly) referred to as a "pet".
Choosing the right container (or pet house) is important, too, as it needs to be large enough to accommodate the yeast when it expands, but small enough to fit in the fridge when you go on holiday or spend the night over at a gentleman's house.
The container can NOT be metal, nor can any of the utensils used as yeast produces acid that may react to the metal, and cause your sourdough bread to taste like a penny.
The second challenge is to find a warm spot to keep your yeast culture in (around 80-90°f), and considering it's spring in the UK, this isn't an easy task. At BB HQ we settled on a warm cupboard next to our water heater and have used a thermometer to monitor the temperature.
(See, we told you this was pretty complicated.)
What To Do
1. Stir water, flour and yeast culture in a large plastic bowl
2. Mix with spatula or wooden spoon until smooth.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or lid) and place in a warm, draft free area. (So, not in front of an open window.)
4. The starter should be slightly bubbly and give off a sour, yeasty aroma. It should have the same consistency as a light pancake batter.
Stay tuned to BitchBuzz Home as our next installment of The BitchBuzz Sourdough Project is to actually try and bake some sourdough bread. We'll let you know how it works out!
If you would like to be a part of The BitchBuzz Sourdough Project, as we're sure you would, be sure to check out our daily Flickr photos from our Yeast Webcam.