Terminology
What does scoring mean?
Creating a weak spot that allows steam to escape during baking.
What is a sourdough starter?
A sourdough starter is a combination of flour and water that has been allowed to ferment and capture wild yeast and bacteria.
How long has sourdough been used in baking?
The first known use of sourdough was in Egypt in 1500 BC.
What is the windowpane test looking for?
If you've built up enough gluten.
Using a small piece of dough, stretch it until it breaks (not enough gluten development) or you can see light through it (enough gluten built).
What measuring and temperature systems do we use in the United States?
Imperial, Fahrenheit scale
What is a Levain?
A mixture of starter, flour, and water allowed to ferment separately from the main starter. It is then used in recipes as a leavening agent.
What do you feed a sourdough starter with?
Flour and water.
Why did sourdough become less commonly used?
Commercial yeast became available in the 19th century as a more convenient and consistent source of yeast.
What do stretch and folds do?
Strengthens and organizes gluten strands.
Why is it common in the food industry to measure using a food scale?
Food scales are more precise and accurate, which leads to more consistent baking and cooking.
What is leavening?
What if you forget to feed your starter?
Feed it!
For a strong starter, regular feedings encourage a healthy population of yeast and bacteria. If you forget for a day or so, it may simply take a bit longer for your starter to be ready to use. It should smell like bread, slightly sweet. If it is sour smelling, it needs food.
If you regularly forget or cannot fit regular feedings into your schedule, starters can be kept in the fridge and fed about once a week.
If your starter is really hungry: after a while of starters not being fed, they will begin to develop a grayish liquid called hooch. This should be poured off prior to feeding.
What is the difference between storebought and homemade sourdough?
Storebought sourdough are often made with vinegar and commercial yeasts to mimic the rise and taste of homemade sourdough.
Why is it important to rest your dough as recipes call for?
Resting doughs allow the gluten strands to relax and minimizes the risk of dough tearing when shaping.
How many grams of all-purpose flour is one cup?
About 140 grams
What does it mean to feed a starter?
To mix existing starter with flour and water. This essentially gives the wild yeast/bacteria "food."
What is the difference between active and discard sourdough?
Active starter is starter that has been recently fed, used in recipes that require a rise.
Discard is inactive starter, typically used in recipes that don't require a rise or is used in combination commercial yeast.
What are the different types of sourdough starters?
Historically, sourdough starters have been stiff, regular, or liquid, which refers to their hydration level.
Stiff starters tend to be the most mild while liquid starters are the most flavorful.
What is the retardation process?
Putting dough in a cold space (like a fridge) to prevent it from overproofing. This slows down the growth of yeast and bacteria.
Why is it important to use butter at the temperature recipes call for?
To achieve the right dough consistency and outcome.
Cold butter: flaky outcome (croissants)
Room temp: soft, pliable doughs (tarts)
What does Autolyze mean?
To combine the water and flour prior to adding any other ingredients.
(This activates enzymes, begins gluten development and strengthens dough. It creates a smoother dough.)
What does a peak starter look like?
A peak starter will have large bubbles, a domed top, it should be elastic and will typically double in size in about 4-6 hours.
Name five flours that can be used in sourdough starters.
All-purpose, rye, wheat, gluten free, einkorn, bread flour, oat, spelt, Khorasan wheat, emmer/farro
What is the difference between proofing and bulk fermenting?
Proofing usually refers to the final rise before baking, but after shaping. It develops the flavor of the item.
Bulk fermentation develops the structure and is when the most carbon dioxide is produced. It creates the structure of the item.
At what temperatures are yeasts active?
Dry yeast: 105-115F
Fresh/live yeast: 95-100F
At 120F yeast starts to die, at 140F yeast are killed off entirely.