# Any bakers on the forum?



## fury165 (Aug 21, 2010)

Happy New Years folks, I wish a great 2016 for you all in and out of the hobby. 

One of the things I have slated this year is to learn to bake bread from scratch. I'm going to try my hand at a sourdough starter and make some sourdough bread. Now I've come across many variations of the starter, but was wondering if we have any bakers on GTAA that could share some tips. I'd also be interested in any go to resources you guys use on the Internet. Post some pics of your mad skillz too 👍🏼


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## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

Our daughter is an excellent baker and specializes in sourdoughs. She has several different types of sourdough starters. I will ask her for her starter recipes and secrets. She was head baker at a Queen St restaurant until she had enough of the owner yelling at everyone.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

If you want the most useful tip I have ever been given, and it was from my mother and I do not jest is.

"Kneed your dough until it feels alive like boobs"

What that basically means is a level of springiness, bounce, strechy and how smooth. 
You can also over kneed your dough. gluten has only so much stretch before it starts to break. when this happens the dough will no longer be smooth and silky, but rough and rises like crap. it also tends to be denser and not fluffy.










I am not really a baker though. I am a cook. Its what I do.


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## Mikeylikes (Nov 22, 2013)

Subscribing and following thread. Love to have a great sour dough recipe.

If anyone can come close to the sour dough bread served at the Keg ... I want it!! My family loves that bread.


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## fury165 (Aug 21, 2010)

Crayon said:


> Our daughter is an excellent baker and specializes in sourdoughs. She has several different types of sourdough starters. I will ask her for her starter recipes and secrets. She was head baker at a Queen St restaurant until she had enough of the owner yelling at everyone.


Ohhh that would be so cool Cheryl. What other things does your daughter bake?


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## fury165 (Aug 21, 2010)

Sunstar said:


> If you want the most useful tip I have ever been given, and it was from my mother and I do not jest is.
> 
> "Kneed your dough until it feels alive like boobs"
> 
> ...


Omg I read this this morning and was laughing my ass off.. My wife won't like this reference method  those buns look fantastic bud, what are they?

Mikey, I know what you mean! And that butter!


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## JohnDipa (Jun 10, 2015)

Good morning,
This post caught my eye because I love to bake and cook and I think I can contribute more so here than making suggestions regarding reefing (newbie). That said, a good online reference is www.thefreshloaf.com (I hope it's ok to post a website). A simple but fantastic bread recipe that is bullet proof and simple is; Jim Lahey's, No Knead Bread recipe, you can even substitute some of the yeast and water in the recipe with your sourdough starter. PM me if you need the bread recipe.
As for a sourdough starter, I have been using a 50/50 starter which I started 5 or 6 years ago. 50% water ad 50% organic flour, mix and let sit on counter covered with slight opening for a few days, re-feed it with another 50/50 combo every few days until it doubles in size.
Sorry for the long post but this is another favorite hobby of mine.
John


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## fury165 (Aug 21, 2010)

JohnDipa said:


> Good morning,
> This post caught my eye because I love to bake and cook and I think I can contribute more so here than making suggestions regarding reefing (newbie). That said, a good online reference is www.thefreshloaf.com (I hope it's ok to post a website). A simple but fantastic bread recipe that is bullet proof and simple is; Jim Lahey's, No Knead Bread recipe, you can even substitute some of the yeast and water in the recipe with your sourdough starter. PM me if you need the bread recipe.
> As for a sourdough starter, I have been using a 50/50 starter which I started 5 or 6 years ago. 50% water ad 50% organic flour, mix and let sit on counter covered with slight opening for a few days, re-feed it with another 50/50 combo every few days until it doubles in size.
> Sorry for the long post but this is another favorite hobby of mine.
> John


Hey John, thanks for the link, I had a quick scan it tp it looks to be a great site. Im glad you responded to the thread, and I hope we get more posts - this is great to find out that we have like minded folks on this board beyond the fish keeping aspect


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

fury165 said:


> Omg I read this this morning and was laughing my ass off.. My wife won't like this reference method  those buns look fantastic bud, what are they?
> 
> Mikey, I know what you mean! And that butter!


tell her it comes from another woman.

Its just an Epi loaf, basically its long like a baguette and its cut then pulled out and over. It is one long loaf still but you can break off individual buns.


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