Definition of " Sourdough?"

[HankTank]

"Ofcourse " I know what sourdough is.
Is it ?
" The Warm Bakeries " in The Netherlands is an official phrase.
Any real bakery, even in a supermarket, is allowed to carry that slogan.

The bread has to be made on the premises. It was to compete against large industrial bakeries.
Many survived, doing well. But even they use tricks for sourdough-bread.
One overnight- rise with a starter and a bit of yeast, adding powdered starter next day and baking.

The ones that spend 2 or 3 days for a full sourdoughprocess s will make that clear in their information. It will be more expensive, better , but not for a small budget.
Reading British or American recipes, I also read several options.

I started 3 years ago again.
My habits for now:
Poolish with a bit of yeast 18 hrs, adding the rest with yeast next morning followed by a long cold rise ,( app 44 hrs ).
It get's a nice sourdough-taste, the effects for the digestive system are real. But can I call that a sourdough ?

 

[dragnlaw]

I don't see why not. Sourdough is traditionally made from a previous 'bit' of dough and that has developed a distinctive sour taste.

'Regular' breads start fresh with yeast. So even though your original starter may have been 'started' with yeast, by continuously restarting the same dough with your poolish - IMHO it is Sourdough!

 

[HankTank]

I don't see why not. Sourdough is traditionally made from a previous 'bit' of dough and that has developed a distinctive sour taste.

'Regular' breads start fresh with yeast. So even though your original starter may have been 'started' with yeast, by continuously restarting the same dough with your poolish - IMHO it is Sourdough!

Thanks. I thought so too. Sometimes it is confusing. Germany has so many different sourdough-types, depending on areas. The bakery in Dusseldorff where we discovered Vinschgauer has only sourdoughs in all variations. Whatever day or hour you walk last, there is a long line-up outside. But the 10 ladies behind the counter know their job, fast !

But similal breads in other countries have sometimes other descriptions and names, while almost the same . Still learning...

 

[CharlieD]

I've been making sour dough on and off for a while. I am off right now. When I do, do it. I make starter from flour and water. Feeding, discarding every day. Takes good couple of weeks to get starter going for me. I am making rye starter. Then when i bake regularly, I keep starter in the fridge. Take out 3 days before baking, feed. Wait till next day and the I use starter to make the bread. No yeast, except natural yeast in the air.

 

[HeyItsSara]

i've heard that bakery sourdough isn't real sourdough. i also am on and off with sourdough baking but i keep mature starter in the freezer so it really is authetic.

 

[pepperhead212]

You're right - a lot of bread labeled "sourdough" isn't sourdough, and you can identify those on the ingredients list. Good bakeries, that use their own starters, and the fermentation in the sourdough is usually done by various species of Lactobacillus bacteria, and maybe some wild yeast, as well. To start a starter, usually it is started with a small amount of whole rye flour - rye is most likely to be "infested", with some of these bacteria. And if you have some, use some fresh pineapple juice as the liquid at first, to speed up the starter. Check King Arthur Flour's website, for more on this. For the liquid later on, use bottled or filtered water - water with a heavy chlorine or chloramine content could have a bad effect on the starter, even though yeast is resistant to it.