How to make sourdough bread...

[Breadhead]

My response to your post at #157.2 ...

Fine Swine ... Creating the dough like their's is not that difficult. The dough is fairly low hydration, that gives you a dense mouth feel like their's, compared to most other cinnamon rolls, which are too soft in my opinion.

Once you've figured the dough out... The thing that makes them extraordinary is that to die for icing. They use some very exotic cinnamon and trying to duplicate that icing is not easy.😏

[Huskee]

Speaking of Steve Vojtek ... where ya been buddy? Haven't heard from you in nearly a year.

[Breadhead]

Hmmm... I sent him a person message about a month ago and didn't hear back from him. I hope he is just busy and nothing bad has happened.🤔

[Huskee]

Thanks Breadhead, I hope the same

[Breadhead]

Huskee ... He might have attracted MBMBS after learning to make sourdough bread.🤔

That happened to me, Really.

I was on AR all the time. Then I got MBMBS and spent much, much more time on StellaCulinary.com studying bread science and honing my bread baking skills. Once I tamed that beast I drifted back to BBQ and joined the Pit.

"Must Bake More Bread Syndrome" hit me much harder than MCS did. I still have both but now a days MCS seems to be the dominant syndrome. I vacillate back and forth but fortunately they are complimentary affliction😆 You can do both at the same time I discovered.😎

[Thunder77]

And if you time it correctly, you get to have some awesome bread with your barbecue!

[Breadhead]

That's the plan Stan...👍

[chudzikb]

Bringing this back up as Sir Breadhead requested I put up a pic when I do a loaf on the grill. I use the grill to do bread in the summer, as my house is hot enough without any help from the oven. I use my Genesis Weber with the 3 burners and sear burner to provide a nice hot environment. Heat up the grill with my dutch oven inside, on top of a pizza stone. Experience has taught me that without the pizza stone the bottom of the bread will burn, and that's just no good. 500 degrees for the first 20 min with the lid on the dutch oven. Then about 15 with the lid off dropping to 450 degrees. I use a maverick remote to monitor the temps in the grill. The dial thermometer on the grill is effectively useless, as most of you know already.

[Michael Brinton]

Fantastic thread. I've been listing to chef Jacob's stella bread podcasts. Just mixed up my sour dough starter. Its good to know such great advise is so easily found. I'll post my progress.

[chudzikb]

You will not regret learning how to make this stuff. Any bread fan will become your best friend, quickly!

[Breadhead]

Breadhead's are just like BBQ Pit Masters. We all love to share the craft/art of how to do it. There's nothing more gratifying than watching newbie's pull it off! Nothing.

[RonB]

That's a really nice looking boule chudzikb

[chudzikb]

Thank you sir, owe it all to Sir Breadhead, he would be the master.

[Breadhead]

Wowser chudzikb you've really mastered sourdough bread baking. That's a beautiful loaf of sourdough bread that a Master baker would be very proud of. Your oven spring was fantastic. That tells me your final shaping was masterful. The crumb is very open and airy meaning your timing on your final proofing was well timed. Your scoring opened up nicely.

You absolutely nailed that loaf man. And you did it on a gasser, again I say wow!

[Breadhead]

Fantastic thread. I've been listing to chef Jacob's stella bread podcasts. Just mixed up my sour dough starter. Its good to know such great advise is so easily found. I'll post my progress.

I've been following Chef Jacob at StellaCulinary.com for years. I've frequented many, many bread baking websites over the last 5 years and for a beginner that's trying to learn the craft I can say it is hands down the ABSOLUTE best website to Learn all parts of bread making. You don't just get a recipe with instruction of how to do it. You get the hardcore science of why it works or fails. Chef Jacob Burton is a masterful teacher. His videos are extremely well done and the podcasts you're listening to are extremely informative. I've listened to all of those podcasts many times over in the last few years, just as a refresher course now and then.

I collaborated with Chef Jacob to develop the Brioche hamburger bun for Meathead 's Steakhouse Steakburger. I could not have done that without his help.

The great thing about Stella Culinary is that as extraordinary as his bread section is, bread is only a small fraction of his content. Every single thing you want or need to know about cooking he covers it.

AmazingRibs.com is the Worlds best outdoor cooking website. StellaCulinary.com is the worlds best indoor cooking website. IMHO

I've combined the 2 websites over the last 3 years to up my cooking game both indoors and outdoors. It pays off and your friends and family will appreciate your efforts based on the great food you put on their plates.👍

Please keep us up to date on your bread journey Michael Brinton . Feel free to ask me any questions you might have too.

[chudzikb]

Chef Jacob was my other source of information, he is clearly the man as well.

[Breadhead]

Chef Jacob Burton is my bread mentor!!! He's probably forgotten more about bread baking than you and I ever learn.😎

[chudzikb]

And whatever happened to Steve? The original subject of this thread? He seems to have dropped off the face?

[Breadhead]

Yes he has disappeared. I've sent him a few private messages over the last 6 months and have received no replies. I hope he is just to busy opening his restaurant he spoke of in this thread.

[MBMorgan]

Well gents ... I just finished reading this awesome thread from start to finish and found myself leaning in toward the screen for the last few pages. I'm now feeling inspired to join the club but I have a couple of quick questions first:

1. The Dutch Oven - I used to have one but it was lost in an overseas move many years ago. Faced with the purchase of a new one, I wonder if you can recommend a size that's ideal for baking.
2. Altitude - I live at 6300 ft. here in Colorado where water boils at a mere 200F. I've started looking for information regarding the sorts of adjustments that I'm going to have to make. If you have any thoughts or perhaps knowledge of a good source of such info, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks!
Mike

[chudzikb]

The dutch oven, get the biggest one you can afford, I just use the one my wife had already. Whatever the large size might be should be just fine. Altitute, can't help you there, have 0.0 experience with that issue.

[MBMorgan]

Thanks!

[Breadhead]

Welcome to our bread baking club MBMorgan ... I'm pleased you found this thread interesting. I've tried to compile enough valid information to help first time bread makers speed through the normal learning curve. As others have mentioned there is an overwhelming amount of information on the Internet of how to bake sourdough bread and much of it is conflicting. It's very hard for an inexperienced person to decide which method will work best.

To help Steve I put together a process, step by step, that I knew would work based on my own experience having waded through all of the mumbo jumbo for years. Follow the plan I laid out for Steve and I'm sure you will make a very nice loaf of sourdough bread soon.👍

You will need a 7 quart Dutch Oven for this project.

I'm glad you mentioned your high altitude situation... It does affect all of your cooking, not just bread making. Here is everything you need to know about high altitude cooking. Taught by a Master.

https://stellaculinary.com/cooking-videos/food-science-101/fs-006-high-altitude-baking-cooking-science-tips-tricks

[MBMorgan]

Thank you! I need to do a bit of studying and thinking before pulling the trigger (sorry, it's the scientist in me ) ... but pull the trigger I will!

[Breadhead]

MBMorgan ...

You are wise grasshopper to study first.👌 On the high altitude video above, watch the first one and then scroll down that page and watch the other videos too.

While you are creating your sourdough starter, which will take about 2 weeks, study everything in this thread. Before you make your first batch of dough I would watch the video of Chef Jacob making his loaf of bread enough times that the process is embedded in your brain. Pay very close attention to his techniques, how he handles the dough.

In bread baking recipes are a dime a dozen and with sourdough none of them vary very much at all. The only difference between really famous sourdough bread makers and the average bread maker is technique, technique and technique. How and when they touch the dough.

I'm excited to see you start your sourdough bread journey my friend. But... I must warn you before you make your very first loaf you are more than likely to become afflicted with MBMBS. Steve, chudzikb and I all have Must Bake More Bread Syndrome. We all have MCS too.😆

Baking bread will give you a very interesting project to work on during your long low and slow smokers cooks too.👍

[MBMorgan]

Well, Jeff Bezos should send you a thank you card soon. I just made him a little richer by ordering a Lodge 7-qt dutch oven. Now on to the starter ... (I said I'd think about it ... but I didn't say "slowly" ). Thanks again!

Mike

[Breadhead]

LOL... Jeff Bezos is way to busy counting his money than to know ANYTHING about me other than my credit card number.😆 Have fun Mike.👍

[chudzikb]

MbMorgan, Nike has a saying that you need to embrace, JUST DO IT! You will learn more through doing and adapting your technique than through endless study. There will be missteps, but, that is good, you won't do it again. The manipulation of the dough by hand comes with trial and error, you will find your way. Again, JUST DO IT! I was in the same place, studying and watching videos, starter was finally ready, and I just dove in and worked through it. If you develop questions, we will be happy to help.

[MBMorgan]

I figure I've got a couple of weeks to study once the starter is put together in a day or two. The new Dutch oven is on order and should arrive Friday. The DW (the real baker in the family) is excited to jump in and help (aka "take charge" ). Thanks for this and future help.
Mike

[Breadhead]

Mike... It's great that your wife bakes too. She can help take care of your starter when you get to busy. Plus she can help you find friends a family to give your excess bread to. Real Breadhead's can't possibly eat all of the bread they make so you need to find appreciative friends to give it to.