A Biga & A Sourdough Starter - Baking & Pastry Week 21

A Sour Story

This week I'm wrapping up my exploration of bigas and moving on to sourdoughs. I'm going to make a couple of different types of sours, starting with one that is light colored and mild flavored like one made from bread flour.  The second will be stronger in flavor more like a rye flour. The final sour will be a whole grain style made with a stronger alternative flour, i..e. buckwheat, amaranth, teff, etc.

This first sour is mild and slightly colored and flavored with corn flour or an extra fine ground corn meal. It will take five days before your sour is ready to be made into a loaf of bread. When you measure out your flours to begin the starter, go ahead and measure out the rest of the flours for each feeding. Then your feeding process will be quick and easy.

If you are having trouble getting your culture started, you can add a grape, apple slice, onion or potato pieces. You can even use the water from boiling potatoes for your water in the recipe. I like using a mixture of flours in my sourdough starters, as I think you get a more vibrant culture. 

Once your sourdough culture has been established, you will need to feed it again once the dough has risen and then recedes from it's previous feeding.

Enjoy!

Sourdough Starter Recipe

Day 1 & 2

60 ml water (80 degrees F/27 degrees C)
10 g brown rice flour (0.9 g)
13 g sweet rice flour (0.78 g)
10 g corn flour (not corn starch) (0.81 g)
13 g almond meal (2.6 g)
10 g white bean flour (2.15 g)
2 ml agave syrup

Mix the ingredients together and then cover.  Allow to sit for 24 hours at 75 degrees F/24 degrees C. On Day 2, check to see if the water and flours have separated. If they have stir them together, cover and allow the sour to sit another 24 hours.

Day 3
Note: The image above is of this starter at Day 3.

60 ml water (80 degrees F/27 degrees C)
56 g sour (from Day 1 & 2)
10 g brown rice flour (0.9 g)

13 g sweet rice flour (0.78 g)
10 g corn flour (not corn starch) (0.81 g)
13 g almond meal (2.6 g)
10 g white bean flour (2.15 g)
2 ml agave syrup

Take 56 g of the sour from Day 1 & 2, discard any excess sour. Add the water and the flours for the first feeding combining thoroughly. Cover and rest for 24 hours at 75 degrees F/24 degrees C.

Day 4

60 ml water (80 degrees F/27 degrees C)
113 g sour (Days 1 - 3)
10 g brown rice flour (0.9 g)

13 g sweet rice flour (0.78 g)
10 g corn flour (not corn starch) (0.81 g)
13 g almond meal (2.6 g)
10 g white bean flour (2.15 g)
2 ml agave syrup

Take 113 g of the sour from Day 3, discard any excess sour. Add the water and the flours for the second feeding combining thoroughly. Cover and rest for 24 hours at 75 degrees F/24 degrees C.

Day 5

120 ml water (60 degrees F/16 degrees C)
56 g sour (from Day 4)
35 g brown rice flour (3.15 g)
35 g sweet rice flour (2.1 g)
30 g corn flour (2.43 g)
40 g almond meal (8 g)
30 g white bean flour (6.45 g)
2 ml agave syrup

Take 56 g of the sour from Day 4, discard any excess sour. Add the water and the flours for the first feeding combining thoroughly. Cover and rest for 4 hours at 75 degrees F/24 degrees C, before using this sour to make a loaf of bread.



What Am I Baking?

Focaccia made with a biga (egg free & dairy free)

Brown Rice & Corn Sourdough (egg free & dairy free)


Shopping List

Brown Rice Flour (Fine or Superfine Grind)

Sweet Rice Flour (also called glutinous rice flour)

Arrowroot Starch

Corn Flour

Almond Meal

High Protein Flours, such as: Soybean, White Bean, Black Bean

Whole Grain Flour, such as: Buckwheat, Millet, Sorghum, Quinoa, Teff
Instant Dry Yeast
Binding Agents, such as: Xanthan or Guar Gum, Chia Seed Meal, Agar Agar Powder
Olive Oil


Resources

Flours & Binding Agents: Authentic Foods, Barry Farm, Bob's Red Mill
Instant Dry Yeast: Barry Farm
Agave Syrup: Wild Organics, Native Seeds


Equipment

Cookie Sheet
Parchment Paper
Baking Stone


What's Going On?

I was a very lucky woman and received a copy of the Culinary Institute of America's Baking & Pastry book along with their culinary dvd's from my family for my birthday and our anniversary. After watching all the DVDs, I decided to work my way through the CIA's Baking and Pastry book - of course making it gluten free. There were so many skills that I wanted to develop and work on. I hope you will be interested in sharing my journey with me.


Want more?

You can follow me on Twitter and on Flickr.


Other Baking & Pastry Project Posts

Index of the Baking & Pastry Project
Baking & Pastry Project #41 - Ciabatta (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project #40 - Rosemary Bread (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project Week 20 - More Bigas
Baking & Pastry Project #39 - Cracked Rice & Potato Bread (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project #38 - Almond & White Bean Batard (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project Week 19 - Bigas