Refreshing the Starter
I've developed a process for refreshing the starter that provides a nicely active culture with zero waste. Start with 2 oz. of old starter from the fridge. Add 2 oz. of water and 2 oz. of white bread flour. Mix it vigorously and put it in a warm (70+ degrees F.) place for 8-10 hours. It should double in size and look bubbly.
Prepare the Sponge
All my recipes use the same sponge. Take 4 oz. of newly refreshed starter. Add 4 oz. of water and 4 oz. of white bread flour. Mix it vigorously. It starts off looking like this.
Place it in a warm spot for 8-10 hours. It should double in size and look bubbly, like this.
Rye Bread Recipe
Add the ingredients to the bread pan in the order shown in the recipe. It's not that critical, but the liquids and spoonfuls go on the bottom. The rye flour goes on top of those. The white flour goes on top of the rye, and the sponge goes on top of the white.
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Rye Bread by weight
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Water
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3 oz.
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Milk
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3 oz.
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Salt
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1 tsp
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Caraway seeds
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1 Tbl
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Oil
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2 Tbl
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Vital gluten
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2 tsp
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Rye flour
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9 oz.
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White bread flour
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6.5 oz.
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Sponge
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Set the bread machine for the whole wheat cycle and press start.
The top can look a little ragged. I call this the Pompadour hair style. I thought I had that fixed, once. Maybe not.
Whole Wheat Recipe
As with the rye recipe, add the liquids and spoonfuls on the bottom followed by the whole wheat flour, then the white flour, then the sponge.
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Whole Wheat by weight
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Water
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3 oz.
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Milk
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3 oz.
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Salt
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1 tsp
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Oil
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2 Tbl
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Whole wheat flour
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10.5 oz.
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White bread flour
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5 oz.
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Sponge
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Set the bread machine for the whole wheat cycle and press start.
I don't have a recent picture of a completed whole wheat loaf. It sometimes sports the Pompadour hair style. These loaves tend to rise rather high, yielding a tall loaf of bread. I might try swapping some of the white flour for whole wheat in the future.
