TARTINE SOURDOUGH WITH STARTER PROCESS

TARTINE SOURDOUGH WITH STARTER PROCESS
Starter process:
Day 1:
Levain: any time before noon.
Put 500 g + 2 table spoons of whole-wheat flour with 500 g of water at about 32º in a 6-quart tub and mix by hand till all ingredients are incorporated. Leave uncovered for 1-2 hrs (collecting bacteria), then cover and leave in a warm place (23ºC-32ºCF = ideal).

Day 2:
Any time before noon. Estimate and throw away about 3/4 of initial mix. Leave roughly 1/4 in the tub. Add 500 g + 2 tbsp whole-wheat flour and 500 g of 32ºC water to the goop in the tub and mix by hand. Leave uncovered for 1-2 hrs and cover and let rest in warm place (23ºC – 32ºC= ideal).

Day 3:
Progress!
The levain should be twice the volume of the day before, with little bubbles right throughout and a leathery, alcohol smell. Again, any time before noon, throw away about 3/4 of mixture.
Add 500 g + 2 tbsp whole-wheat flour and 500 g of 32ºC water to the goop in the tub and mix by hand. Leave uncovered for 1-2 hrs and cover and let rest in warm place (23ºC- 32ºCF= ideal).

Day 4:
The levain should again have doubled with bubbles right throughout. You will reserve a smaller amount of levain today. Throw away all but for 200 g ( 3/4 cup) of mixture. You will want to be accurate with measures, so use a scale and scoop out levain until overall weight reading is 200 g greater than the starting weight of tub.
Add 500 g + 2 tbsp whole-wheat flour and 500 g of 32ºC water to the goop in the tub and mix by hand. Leave uncovered for 1-2 hrs and cover and let rest in warm place (23ºC – 32ºC= ideal).

Day 5:
The levain should now be ready for baking. Test by dropping a teaspoon of levain mix into a cup with luke-warm water. If it floats, it is ready to bake with.

Proceed to mix bread ingredients into levain according to recipe used. Keep small consul jar with lid, with 50 g of the levain and store in the fridge.
If you need to make more bread, take levain out of fridge night before. Next morning, I feed it with 50 g of whole-wheat flour, you already have 50 g of starter to work with, so add that, then add 200 g all-purpose flour and 200 g luke-warm water.

Personally I think it is a waste of flour to do it in larger proportions once you have a functioning starter. It makes more than enough starter to even triple the ingredients for a batch of bread. Always reserve 50 g every time you bake and put lid on jar and keep in fridge.

Note:  Tartine Sourdough
San Francisco style.You need to feed the starter (initial batch) about 5 times (once every 12 hrs) before first bake. When you want to bake, use the starter as if it were the next time you are feeding it (third feed). Retain about 50 g and put in fridge in small “vlessie” with a sealed lid. It can stay in the fridge for weeks, and then be left out for 12 hrs overnight, 3 days before you next want to bake. Feed twice, and starter is ready for baking. I normally feed mine 50 g of starter, 50 g whole-wheat flour, 200 g lukewarm water (29ºC – 32ºC) and 200 g of all-purpose flour. = Many tartine recipes online. You can double or triple the recipe (make sure you calculate in the amount of starter you will need, plus the 50 g to keep in fridge). If I triple the recipe, I normally feed the starter 100 g whole-wheat flour, 100 g starter, 400 g all – purpose flour and 400 g water on the second feed before making the dough. You will have plenty of starter then with enough to keep in fridge. Once your dough is folded, risen, etc, you can put it in a proofing basket (I have 9 of them). Take a plastic grocery bag and tie tightly around each basket filled with dough. Thoroughly sprinkle baskets with rice flour before putting in the dough. Dough won’t stick if you do. It can be frozen for weeks. Take out frozen loaves the night before and keep in fridge or leave out if you intend to bake the next day. Proofing baskets, after brushed clean and washed with warm water, can go in oven at 76ºC – 176ºC for 10 mins and put away for next time you bake . Kills all potential for mold in the baskets.
Recipe and Photo: Annie Goussard Newton