Sourdough Starter and Bread

I'm going to start a sourdough starter & try to use it to bake bread. Here are a couple of starter recipes that I can try, plus a recipe for making bread. Wish me luck.

How To Make Your Own Sourdough Starter

Makes4 cups

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour (or a mix of all-purpose and whole grain flour)
• Water, preferably filtered

Equipment

• 2-quart glass or plastic container (not metal)
• Scale (highly recommended) or measuring cups
• Mixing spoon
• Plastic wrap or clean kitchen towel

Instructions

Instructions (Overview)

1. Making sourdough starter takes about 5 days. Each day you "feed" the starter with equal amounts of fresh flour and water. As the wild yeast grows stronger, the starter will become more frothy and sour-smelling. On average, this process takes about 5 days, but it can take longer depending on the conditions in your kitchen. As long as you see bubbles and signs of yeast activity, continue feeding it regularly. If you see zero signs of bubbles after three days, take a look at the Troubleshooting section below.

Process

1. Day 1: Make the Initial Starter
   4 ounces all-purpose flour (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
   4 ounces water (1/2 cup)
2. Weigh the flour and water, and combine them in a 2-quart glass or plastic container (not metal). Stir vigorously until combined into a smooth batter. It will look like a sticky, thick dough. Scrape down the sides and loosely cover the container with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel secured with a rubber band.
3. Place the container somewhere with a consistent room temperature of 70°F to 75°F (like the top of the refrigerator) and let sit for 24 hours.
4. Day 2: Feed the Starter
   4 ounces all-purpose flour (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
   4 ounces water (1/2 cup)
5. Take a look at the starter. You may see a few small bubbles here and there. This is good! The bubbles mean that wild yeast have started making themselves at home in your starter. They will eat the sugars in the the flour and release carbon dioxide (the bubbles) and alcohol. They will also increase the acidity of the mixture, which helps fend off any bad bacterias. At this point, the starter should smell fresh, mildly sweet, and yeasty.
6. If you don't see any bubbles yet, don't panic — depending on the conditions in your kitchen, the average room temperature, and other factors, your starter might just be slow to get going.
7. Weigh the flour and water for today, and add them to the starter. Stir vigorously until combined into a smooth batter. It will look like a sticky, thick dough. Scrape down the sides and loosely cover the container with the plastic wrap or kitchen towel secured again. Place the container somewhere with a consistent room temperature of 70°F to 75°F (like the top of the refrigerator) and let sit for 24 hours.
8. Day 3: Feed the Starter
   4 ounces all-purpose flour (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
   4 ounces water (1/2 cup)
9. Check your starter. By now, the surface of your starter should look dotted with bubbles and your starter should look visibly larger in volume. If you stir the starter, it will still feel thick and batter-like, but you'll hear bubbles popping. It should also start smelling a little sour and musty. Again, if your starter doesn't look quite like mine in the photo, don't worry. Give it a few more days. My starter happened to be particularly vigorous!
10. Weigh the flour and water for today, and add them to the starter. Stir vigorously until combined into a smooth batter. It will look like a sticky, thick dough. Scrape down the sides and loosely cover the container with the plastic wrap or kitchen towel secured again. Place the container somewhere with a consistent room temperature of 70°F to 75°F (like the top of the refrigerator) and let sit for 24 hours.
11. Day 4: Feed the Starter
    4 ounces all-purpose flour (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
    4 ounces water (1/2 cup)
12. Check your starter. By now, the starter should be looking very bubbly with large and small bubbles, and it will have doubled in volume. If you stir the starter, it will feel looser than yesterday and honeycombed with bubbles. It should also be smelling quite sour and pungent. You can taste a little too! It should taste sour and somewhat vinegary.
13. When I made my starter here, I didn't notice much visual change from Day 3 to Day 4, but could tell things had progress by the looseness of the starter and the sourness of the aroma.
14. Weigh the flour and water for today, and add them to the starter. Stir vigorously until combined into a smooth batter. It will look like a sticky, thick dough. Scrape down the sides and loosely cover the container with the plastic wrap or kitchen towel secured again. Place the container somewhere with a consistent room temperature of 70°F to 75°F (like the top of the refrigerator) and let sit for 24 hours.
15. Day 5: Starter is Ready to Use
    Check your starter. It should have doubled in bulk since yesterday. By now, the starter should also be looking very bubbly — even frothy. If you stir the starter, it will feel looser than yesterday and be completely webbed with bubbles. It should also be smelling quite sour and pungent. You can taste a little too! It should taste even more sour and vinegary.
16. If everything is looking, smelling, and tasting good, you can consider your starter ripe and ready to use! If your starter is lagging behind a bit, continue on with the Day 5 and Beyond instructions.
17. Day 5 and Beyond: Maintaining Your Starter
    4 ounces all-purpose flour (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
    4 ounces water (1/2 cup)
18. Once your starter is ripe (or even if it's not quite ripe yet), you no longer need to bulk it up. To maintain the starter, discard (or use) about half of the starter and then "feed" it with new flour and water: weigh the flour and water, and combine them in the container with the starter. Stir vigorously until combined into a smooth batter.
19. If you're using the starter within the next few days, leave it out on the counter and continue discarding half and "feeding" it daily. If it will be longer before you use your starter, cover it tightly and place it in the fridge. Remember to take it out and feed it at least once a week — I also usually let the starter sit out overnight to give the yeast time to recuperate before putting it back in the fridge.
20. How to Reduce the Amount of Starter
    Maybe you don't need all the starter we've made here on an ongoing basis. That's fine! Discard half the starter as usual, but feed it with half the amount of flour and water. Continue until you have whatever amount of starter works for your baking habits.
21. How to Take a Long Break from Your Starter
    If you're taking a break from baking, but want to keep your starter, you can do two things:
    1) Make a Thick Starter: Feed your starter double the amount of flour to make a thicker dough-like starter. This thicker batter will maintain the yeast better over long periods of inactivity in the fridge.
    2) Dry the Starter: Smear your starter on a Silpat and let it dry. Once completely dry, break it into flakes and store it in an airtight container. Dried sourdough can be stored for months. To re-start it, dissolve 1/4 cup of the flakes in 4 ounces of water, and stir in 4 ounces of flour. Continue feeding the starter until it is active again.
    
    
    
    
    
    

    Sourdough Starter Recipe

    This traditional sourdough starter recipe takes a little bit of patience, but yields big results. With consistency, time and intention, you can maintain your starter indefinitely.
    Prep Time6 d
    Total Time5 d 5 mins
    Course: bread
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: fermentation, flour
    Author: Jenny

    Equipment

22. Flip-Top Jar
23. Digital Kitchen Scale

Ingredients

• 450 grams bread flour
• 450 grams warm water
• established sourdough starter (optional, see notes)

Instructions

Day 1

• Measure 100 grams flour and 100 grams water into a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and then whisk them together using a fork. If using an established sourdough starter, whisk it into the flour and water now. Set the jar on the countertop away from direct light and heat.

Day 2

• Set a bowl on your kitchen scale, and then tare the scale. Measure 100 grams sourdough starter into the bowl, and then discard it.
• Set the jar containing your starter onto the scale, tare it again, and then measure in 50 grams water. Whisk the water into the starter in your jar, and then whisk in 50 grams flour. Clamp the jar tightly, and then set it on your countertop away from direct light and heat.

Day 3

• You should begin seeing bubbles appear on the surface of your starter, or the surface may appear slightly foamy. These are signs of microbial activity.
• Measure 100 grams sourdough starter into the bowl, and then discard it.
• After discarding the starter, whisk in 50 grams warm water and 50 grams flour. Seal the jar and store it away from direct light and heat.

Day 4

• The surface of your starter should appear slightly bubbly, and you may see evidence that your starter is beginning to expand in the jar. You should start feeding your starter twice a day today.
• In the morning, measure 100 grams sourdough starter and discard it.
• After discarding the starter, whisk in 50 grams water and 50 grams flour. Seal the jar and store it away from direct light and heat.
• In the evening about 12 hours after your first feeding, discard 100 grams starter, and then whisk in 50 grams water and 50 grams flour. Seal the jar tightly, and store it away from light and heat.

Day 5

• The surface of your starter should be very bubbly, and it may expel gas when you open the jar. You should also see evidence that your starter is expanding in its jar.
• In the morning, measure 100 grams sourdough starter and discard it. Whisk in 50 grams water and 50 grams flour, and store the jar away from direct light and heat.
• In the evening about 12 hours after your first feeding, feed the starter again by discarding 100 grams starter and replacing it with 50 grams water and 50 grams flour.

Day 6

• Your starter should be bubbly, and it should smell of yeast and bread with faint sour notes. It should also double within 12 hours of each feeding.
• Discard 100 grams of starter, and then whisk in 50 grams water and 50 grams flour.
• If you're planning to bake with the starter today, wait until it doubles in volume and then follow your recipe's instructions. If you're planning to bake with the starter later, transfer it to the fridge.

Weekly Maintenance

• To maintain the starter, remove it from the fridge at least once per week. Discard 100 grams starter, and then whisk in 50 grams water and 50 grams flour. Let it rise at room temperature up to 12 hours if you're planning to bake that day. If you're planning to bake later, transfer it to the fridge.

Proofing the Starter on Baking Day

• Remove the starter from the fridge approximately 8 to 12 hours before you plan to begin your recipe.
• Feed the starter by discarding 100 grams spent starter, and replacing it by whisking 50 grams flour and 50 grams into the jar. Seal the jar, and let it sit on the countertop until it doubles in volume.
• Remove the amount of starter that your recipe calls for, and then replace it with equal amounts of flour and water. Transfer the jar of starter to the fridge.

Easy Sourdough Bread

• Prep Time: 15 minutes

• Cook Time: 45 minutes

• Total Time: 6 hours

• Yield: 1 large loaf

Ingredients

• 3 cups bread flour or a mix of bread and whole wheat flours
• 1 1/4 cup filtered water
• 1 cup active hydrated starter
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Let rest for 15 minutes.
2. Either knead 5 minutes with the dough hook of a stand mixer, or turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes by hand, adding more flour as necessary. I find it works better when I knead by hand.
3. Shape the dough into a ball and put into an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and let rise for 3 hours. During the first rise, stretch the dough, tuck it back under, and return to bowl every hour.
4. After the last “stretch and tuck” return dough to bowl for the final rise. Let dough rise 2 hours, covered.
5. Preheat oven to 475°F. Preheat a pizza stone or an enameled dutch oven while oven is preheating.
6. Once oven is preheated, carefully oil stoneware. (If using a pizza stone, line it with parchment.) Gently remove dough from the bowl and shape into a ball. Place on the hot stoneware and cut 3 deep slits into the dough.
7. Bake for 30-45 minutes. Remove from oven place bread on a cooling rack to cool for 30 minutes (this is still part of the cooking process) before cutting. 
   
   
   I will try to keep posting on the progress of this baking adventure. 

Perry Mason: Official Teaser | HBO

Could be interesting

April snowstorm

3:28 PM CDT Wednesday 01 April 2020
Snowfall warning in effect for:

• Mun. of Emerson-Franklin incl. Roseau River
• R.M. of De Salaberry incl. St-Pierre-Jolys and St. Malo
• R.M. of Hanover incl. Steinbach Niverville and Grunthal
• R.M. of La Broquerie incl. Marchand
• R.M. of Ritchot incl. St. Adolphe and Ste. Agathe
• R.M. of Ste. Anne incl. Richer
• R.M. of Stuartburn incl. Zhoda Vita and Sundown
• R.M. of Tache incl. Lorette Ste-Geneviève and Landmark

Snowfall with total amounts of 10 to 15 cm is expected.

A slow moving cold front tracking across southern Manitoba will spread snow across south central and eastern Manitoba Thursday into Friday. Precipitation will begin as rain this evening but gradually change over to snow across the Red River valley and Interlake tonight and eastern Manitoba on Thursday. At this time the heaviest snowfall amounts are expected east of Winnipeg where totals of 10 to 25 cm are possible. Over the western portions of the Red River Valley and Interlake, including the City of Winnipeg, lesser amounts are expected with totals in the 5 to 15 cm range.
Rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult over some locations. If visibility is reduced while driving, slow down, watch for tail lights ahead and be prepared to stop. Take frequent breaks and avoid strain when clearing snow.

Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to MBstorm@canada.ca or tweet reports using #MBStorm.

Possible storm next week

Possible system coming in next week

1.While there remains considerable uncertainty regarding the storm next week, of the many weather scenarios possible, the following three are worth noting:

a.*Most Likely Scenario:* Rain switching to snow Wednesday for southern MB, Slight threat of freezing rain over southern Manitoba late Tuesday into Wednesday. Accumulating snow over northern Manitoba Tuesday, *up to 30 cm*. Snow Wednesday into Thursday for western Manitoba (5-15 cm). Strong winds from the south beginning Wednesday, gusts up to 60 km/h over much of Manitoba.

b.*Most Impactful Scenario:* Ice accretion on below freezing surfaces due to steady freezing rain late Tuesday into Wednesday. Up to 40 cm of snow over central portions of the province (Including Norway house), rain switching to snow across southern Manitoba. strong winds from the northwest up to 70 km/h on Wednesday across much of Manitoba.

c.*Least Impactful Scenario:* The most impactful weather occurs in Saskatchewan, or south of the border. Rain or flurries for western portions of the province with low accumulations. Winds remain below 50 km/h.

2.Potential impacts:

a.Difficult winter travel conditions, especially over northern and central portions of the province due to reduced visibility in heavy falling and blowing snow.

   2. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways, and parking lots may
      become difficult to navigate due to rain or drizzle switching to
      snow
   3. Surfaces at temperatures below zero may develop a slight ice
      accretion due to slight threat of freezing rain

3. *An update will be sent Monday, March 30 with the latest available
  information. This update could be an email or WebEx meeting
  invitation, depending on how impactful the weather forecast is at
  that time. *

Book Review of There Was a Silence by T.E. Mark

This book is a collection of four short type stories. They are written to read like movie scripts, instead of a basic story format. I’m not fond of this, but it’s not going to affect my review and rating.

Story 1: The 3^rd Degree of Consciousness

This story was a bit confusing at times. It was fast paced. Characters were well constructed, as well as the world building. The ending was a bit of a surprise. It was an enjoyable story.

Story 2: There Was a Silence

I found this story to be a bit slow moving. It was good, just slow. It picked up about 2/3’s of the way completed. That’s when everything started to make sense. It was good.

Story 3: Plain and Simple

This story was totally different than the others. Not science fiction, but more of a paranormal story. The characters were likeable, some not. Good world building. The story itself wasn’t overly fast paced, but it had a good pace. It was different, but good.

Story 4: Borders

I think I enjoyed this one the most. It had likeable characters and great world building. The pace of the story was fast. The ending was perfect. It came full circle.

All in all, these were good stories. I’m still not a fan of this format, but it’s always good to read something different than one’s usual.

The Night Before Christmas

 The Night Before Christmas

It's time for the yearly post of The Night Before Christmas

Twas the Night before Christmas Poem
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.
His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

And now, something a bit naughty

THE WITCHER | FINAL TRAILER | NETFLIX

Read the books too.