Greetings from SFO!
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@RealPlayer said in Greetings from SFO!:
Why is SF sourdough so prized? Is it the starter? After all, good sourdough is not hard to find elsewhere.
Wondering the same thing. For store-bought, Panera isn't bad. And we used to buy the Aldi version, which was OK but not special.
Now we're partial to wtg's world famous sourdough.
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Most commercial sourdoughs use added yeast as well as whatever yeast is in the starter. They do this because it save time and money but the result isn’t the same. Any sourdough bread with yeast listed with the package ingredients is going to be smoother, less chewy, and less sweet than SF style. The Aldi bread is like that - kind of a not all that sour/chewy version of plain white bread. It’s fine but it’s not worth traveling much farther than Aldi to get it.
Chain groceries in my area don’t sell sourdough at all. The TJ used to - and it was good - but they don’t sell it any more. Local tastes run to other breads, apparently.
Thanks for the tip to try Whole Foods. I never think to shop there.
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Piqué — this sounds similar to those ancient monastic brewers in Belgium. The yeasts lived in those caves for centuries and the beer can’t really be replicated elsewhere. Although there are similar beers in that style that are very good.
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WTG and Jodi - how do you make your sourdough? Do you use more than 4 ingredients?
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Mine has five: Starter, water (I use water from our tap), salt, bread flour, and olive oil.
I keep my starter in the refrigerator because it doesn't require as much attention. I don't bake more than a couple of times a week, so if I left it on the counter and fed it every day I would end up tossing a lot of starter.
I've been using the same basic recipe for the last three or four years. It had the olive oil in it and we liked the results, so that's what I've gone with. I use a scale for the ingredients, so the bread should, in theory, come out pretty much the same each time. I find, however, that it varies depending on how long it's been since I last fed it. I usually feed it every 2-3 weeks. I have two jars of it and I alternate feeding them so I always have some nicely active starter available. We like the loaves that are made with starter that's at about the one week mark.
I've always meant to try it without the oil. I'm making a loaf today and will leave out the oil and report back.
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I’m looking forward to hearing the result. My guess is that the oil emulsifies things a bit so the holes in the middle aren’t quite so large - better for sandwiches.
Mik, I checked the ingredients in the Whole Foods loaf. Looks like a winner!
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Looks great!
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Found an interesting sourdough blog. Has info about making your sourdough more sour.
To make your sourdough bread more sour:
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Feed your starter whole grains, like rye or buckwheat flour; they make the bacteria happy!
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Keep your sourdough starter thinner by feeding it less often. The waste that the bacteria make (like the whey in yogurt) is called hooch, and it will make your bread more sour tasting. Stir it in instead of pouring it off, and use the starter after it has fallen instead of at its peak in rise.
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Choose whole-grain sourdough recipes; they’ll taste more sour than all-white flour recipes.
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Let your sourdough bread dough rest longer. The longer it rests, the more sour it gets.
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Younger starters tend to be milder; your starter will get more sour as it develops and ages.
https://www.blessthismessplease.com/easy-sourdough-bread-recipe/
Next time it needs to be fed, I'm going to feed rye flour to one of my batches of starter and see what happens!
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I love the idea of planning your travels based on trying one particular food! It’s such a great way to see different parts of a city! I try to take a food tour in cities I visit because they often take you to smaller places on side streets that you wouldn’t see otherwise! But this is such a fun self guided option!
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Crab and corn bisque in a sourdough bread bowl. Really good and looks simple to make!
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Perfect!
I’ve learned to ask for a “vermouth rinse” instead of “very dry”. Ups the success rate to about 98%.
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We took a Waymo back to the hotel. Wild!
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@Steve-Miller said in Greetings from SFO!:
I’m looking forward to hearing the result. My guess is that the oil emulsifies things a bit so the holes in the middle aren’t quite so large - better for sandwiches.
One thing that may make a difference, too, is that I don't preheat the clay baker I use; most recipes specify a preheated cast iron or clay baker. One blog I read suggested just putting the loaf into a cold baker and then sticking it into the preheated oven. I sort of like that because I'm not trying to put the loaf into a super hot baker. Of course that means the bread doesn't get that jolt of initial heat and I'm guessing maybe doesn't get that extra rise.
So I left out the oil and adjusted the water a tiny bit. Otherwise I did everything else per my usual routine, including baking temp and time.
A few more holes than usual, but not as open as the pic you posted. The loaf did brown more, and the crust is even crispier than usual. Made a great roast beef sandwich today for lunch. I had cut off a test slice earlier in the morning and I noticed that the cut end seemed like it dried out more than it typically does. I'm thinking it may not keep as well without the oil. Will keep you posted!
Where's @jodi? We need her to weigh in....
