Doing it Naturally

DOING IT NATURALLY

I’m not much of a baker of sweets. I’m imprecise—a fatal flaw—and the results rarely meet my standards. (That’s why ice cream is my go-to dessert from April to October.) But bread? That’s another story. I love working with bread dough, and learning what qualities yield what results. I’ve learned to leave my pizza dough slightly wetter than seems right, especially when I’ve used some whole wheat flour, because so much moisture is absorbed during the first rise. I’m running the motor of my Kitchen Aid into an early grave with all the kneading I do. 

My favorite bit of yeasty education has been in the field of natural starters. I call starter bread “the working girl’s bread.” Whip up the dough after dinner, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let it rise ever so slowly in the refrigerator until the next evening. The longer, slower fermentation makes for a more balanced dough and a better flavor. And the hands-on time with a natural starter is minimal.

But what is a starter? Think of it as pre-Fleischmann's, pre-convenience sludge of yeast. Foods left to their own devices are continually fermenting in different ways. The sugar in grapes, nurtured in tanks and casks, makes wine. Dry active yeast reacts with natural sugars to speed up fermentation, making bubbles, which make your bread rise. (For a more scientific explanation, please Google.) A starter is a kind of pet that lives in your fridge, needing only the most infrequent feedings and care. Mine came from my mother-in-law and has since traveled to friends in California, D.C., New Jersey, and locally here in Philadelphia. Just add equal parts flour and water to feed it, let it sit out overnight, and it multiplies. A good starter smells a little like beer. (You can make all kinds of starters, from grapes, milk, flours, and other fruits.) I use mine in tandem with flour, water, salt, and sugar and a bit of alchemy to make basic sandwich breads, baguettes, and even rich chocolate breads. 

 John's Sourdough

When I was first beginning to experiment with starter, I started small. This is a great resource for an everyday loaf. (The picture, above, shows that recipe.)  When you feel a bit more confident, try naturally yeasted baguettes by adding a little steam to your common little oven. Clotilde Dusoulier of Chocolate & Zucchini does an excellent job of demystifying the baguette.

As you continue to bake, you’ll notice that your results are far more consistent when you go by weight, rather than volume. Flours are ground, processed, and packed differently according to brand, and the only way to guarantee the right proportions is to cook by weight. While it might seem fussy at first, it’s actually far more convenient to dump ingredients into the bowl set on a scale, without dirtying a single measuring cup.

I hope your interest is piqued: the season for bread is now! Springtime temperatures are ideal for natural yeasts. Comment on our Facebook page to share your results!
-Kristen