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Sister Theresa
9 Posts
Sister Theresa
Bellingham
WA
USA
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 Posted - Sep 13 2020 : 5:14:32 PM
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I have been cultivating my sourdough mother for about one month. Today is the 4th time I have tried to make the breads. I have not progressed beyond the second recipe (two loaves of bread in the loaf pans) partially because I am vegan and gluten free and have many more restrictions to what I eat and partially because I do not feel comfortable yet that I am where I should be in this process. So I have a couple of questions to ask:
1. My quinoa sourdough mother is very very sour. It is inedible every time I make it because it is so sour. Is this normal?
2. Will my bread taste less (hopefully a lot less) sour once she becomes a refrigerator mother because there won't be so much starter in the bread?
3. Also, I have been unable to cook my bread on the lowest shelf in the oven because it burns it. Is this normal too? I moved it to the middle and it does okay there.
Thanks so much for the help! |
Lots of Love,
Sister Theresa |
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Ashley
656 Posts
Ashley
MOSCOW
Idaho
USA
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Posted - Sep 14 2020 : 06:57:58 AM
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Hi Sister Theresa,
Thank you for stopping by! I'll do my best to answer your questions in order. 
1. Your mother could be extra sour if the wild yeast and lacto-bacteria are out of balance. When you start a mother, the first thing to really start to bloom is the lacto-bacteria (responsible for the sour flavor), as your mother develops, it pulls in wild yeasts from the air and starts to balance out with the lacto-bacteria. Once your mother is developed, you have the wild yeast to give breads loft, and the lacto-bacteria to create the sour flavor. The lacto-bacteria can be a little stubborn about sharing the food supply with wild yeast, which will give breads an overly sour flavor. Things to encourage the wild yeasts to multiply are keeping your mother in a warm place and aerating it (which is done by stirring). Depending on individual palates, it could be that these two things are in harmony, but the sour flavor in the beginning stage is not your preference. How are your breads rising? Lastly, quinoa makes a wonderful mother, but the flour is prone to rancidity, and this can impart a bitter flavor. Are you using store-bought quinoa flour, or milling your own?
2. Your breads will taste less sour once you switch over to a refrigerator mother. In some of the recipes, the sour flavor is barely detectable.
3. If your breads are coming out best on the middle rack, I'd stick with that. Does the baking time stated in the book align with the time it's taking your breads to bake? |
Ashley Ogle |
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Sister Theresa
9 Posts
Sister Theresa
Bellingham
WA
USA
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Posted - Sep 20 2020 : 11:57:03 AM
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Thanks Ashley.
I have been using organic quinoa flour I purchased online in small 2 pound bags. It smells fresh and doesn’t taste bitter or anything. I also have a Berkey water filtration system that I use, so water is good.
I am willing to bet that maybe my counter mother is just too sour for my taste right now. I am looking forward to advanced bread making.
After the first week when my bread didn’t rise very much, it has always risen the right amount.
Thanks again! |
Lots of Love,
Sister Theresa |
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Ashley
656 Posts
Ashley
MOSCOW
Idaho
USA
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Posted - Sep 21 2020 : 10:52:21 AM
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| It's good that your bread is rising well! Do you feel that your mother is developed enough to move on to the Advanced Breads Section? |
Ashley Ogle |
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Sister Theresa
9 Posts
Sister Theresa
Bellingham
WA
USA
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Posted - Sep 21 2020 : 9:46:56 PM
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| It was doing well and then the temperature dropped before I realized it was too cold to leave my counter mother out and I didn’t test it soon enough for the fridge and she didn’t make it. I was really disappointed after spending a month or more with her. But I am going to start over and try again. Thanks for your help! |
Lots of Love,
Sister Theresa |
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Ashley
656 Posts
Ashley
MOSCOW
Idaho
USA
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Posted - Sep 22 2020 : 09:30:56 AM
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| Oh no, that is disappointing! Did your mother turn acidic or start growing mold? If not, there is a chance it would bounce back if the issue was just temperature dip. |
Ashley Ogle |
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Sister Theresa
9 Posts
Sister Theresa
Bellingham
WA
USA
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Posted - Sep 29 2020 : 3:14:34 PM
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| Unfortunately, it’s too late to try and save her. I let her go when it didn’t seem like she would be okay. She didn’t seem too acidic and she definitely wasn’t moldy. Hopefully my second try will be better. |
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Ashley
656 Posts
Ashley
MOSCOW
Idaho
USA
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Posted - Sep 30 2020 : 09:07:39 AM
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| It's too bad about about your first attempt, but I'm hoping your second go-round will be a success! |
Ashley Ogle |
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Topic |
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Question about Quinoa Mother and Batter Bread
