sourdough bread traditional withouth starter-grateful for any help

[Huschi46]

3 times now I have tried to produce sourdough like in the Pionier days:

I mixed 1/2 cup of "no additive dark rye flour (brand: Rogers) with 1/4 cup of lukewarm water and left it in a bowl for 12-15 hours covered with a plastic that I poked few small holes in.
Same procedure again after that time und again waiting 12-15 hours.
Same procedure again after that time and waiting now 24 hours.

After that time it should be bubbling, but it stubbornly refuses to sour.

I don't have a clue why it is that stubborn.
Did I use the right flour? Can the water be a problem?
Or any other idea?

I am grateful for any idea which could cause the reason why the dough doesn't get sour.

[pilgrim30]

Hello Huschi46!

I would think, not really knowing anything about sour dough bread, that it is covering the bowl with plastic that is causing your failure. The starter is supposed to be able to pick up the yeast that is in the air before it will work. Try covering it with a thin towel; then let me know how it works!! :D

If you know any good bread machine bread recipes, I'd love to have it. And if you have one with sour dough, I would be thankful.

pilgrim30

[pilgrim30]

Hello again!

Have done some research. This link may be help you with your problem

http://www.io.com/~sjohn/sour.htm

[Huschi46]

Thank you very much pilgrim. This is a nice site that will help me further and it doesn't leave me feel so bad.
Btw. I covered the bowl with plastic, but I poked holes in it to let come air inside.
But my just running dough trial is covered with a dish towel.
I am thinking that the chlored water out of the tab can be a reason too why it didn't get sour. I am just trying again with the water out of the tab and I will give it more time to get sour. If this doesn't help I am going to use destilled water und I try to clean everything really well.

In the meantime I have done research too and I found the following sites:
http://www.baking911.com/bread/starters101howto.htm#HOW
http://countrylife.net/pages/recipes.html
May be these sites provide recipes for you too. I don't have any knowledge about bread machines. I only produced sourdough breads and this traditionally, but it is many years ago in Germany. Now I am in Canada and because of this location the thought about the water was in my mind.

Thanks again and I will post whether I was successful or not.

Uschi

[Liketobake]

Wow this is intersting discussion on bread making. I like to bake bread as well. I forsure prefer to use a bread maker when I can. Lately when I make a bread dough it has been the traditional way with no bread maker. It always amazes me how much work ones undertakes when kneading dough. What a workout!

:)

[Huschi46]

I agree, the kneading part is the most straining one -apart from the WAITING part whether the dough will become sour or not :-)- and I always use the electric dough hooks as most as even possible, but there is a lot of handwork left!

[Liketobake]

I am afraid I can't help you with the sour dough question you have. I have never made sour dough before. However I have bought it before sour dough bread, and it is yummy.

:)

[Huschi46]

Here I am to tell you: "I was successful" !!!!! To force the sourdough production I put on top of the flour-water mixture non-sprayed grapes out of the garden as apart from in the flour and in the air on the skin of grapes sit a lot of wild yeast too. Not sure whether this was the true reason that finally the mixture got sour, but I believe it helped.
Now today I baked my second bread with the sourdough and it is not too bad, but it is not fluffy enough inside as I used to have - many years ago. The crust I got nicely crunchy and I am happy with this.
Thanks everyone again that spent their time to help me:-)

[pilgrim30]

Hello Huschi46!

Congratulations! One always likes to hear of success. Try adding powdered gluten (a tablespoon??) to get a little lighter loaf.

[NOCHEF&JUSTLOVESFOOD.YUM]

Try this:

Makes 1 1/2 lb. loaf

1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2/3 cup water
1 to 2 tsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 1/4 cups bread flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 tsp. quick-acting dry yeast

The yogurt and the lemon juice are self startes and then go from there! Good Luck !