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Cheese hearth loaf |
A fresh starter is a starter that has not been allowed to sour. This starter is a little more hands on but from start to finish it's ready in about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. You can have loaves of bread in the oven in about an hour and fifteen minutes after that.
This starter is also referred to as a sponge, but the purpose behind this sponge or starter is to make multiple types of bread. So while we often set a sponge and then continue to make a loaf or two of bread we end up with the same type of bread or rolls. With this recipe you can end up with a basic white loaf, some butter buns, a couple of boules and maybe a nut or fruit bread.
The next time you are charged with bringing bread to a dinner function this recipe will cut down on the work and make it easier to produce two or three choices. I first played with this kind of starter when a family member was going through an organ transplant. I had a lot of nervous energy and started a large batch of fresh starter in a big 30 cup bowl. Over the next day and a half I baked 17 loaves of bread, five different kinds! It gave me something to focus on, a little bit of physical therapy, something linear to think about. A little control over some small part of my world. Things turned out well for both my family and for the folks that seemed quite thrilled to receive bread. |
Making Fresh Starter
This starter uses yeast and I usually use Method 1 recipes for baking with this starter. Mix it up in a large uncovered mixing bowl, not a jar. If you have gnats or fruit flies, cover the bowl with a clean dish towel.
The recipes that call for fresh starter use a large amount of starter for each loaf of bread or cake that is made, so depending on the quantity of baking you need to do you may double or even triple the above amounts. I never use more than 1 teaspoon of yeast, even on a very large batch of starter. You can easily make 10 loaves or more of bread using only 1 teaspoon of yeast! It takes a bit more time but saves you money on the yeast front and while yeast isn't very expensive a little savings here and a little saving there can really add up! Plus, if you have a very limited amount of yeast on hand you can save time by not having to run to the store.
I never use a sour starter to get a fresh starter going. It can take 10 or more feedings every 2 hours and you end up with so much starter, both sour and finally fresh that I find it wasteful. I do add any left over fresh starter to my sour starter once I'm done with it. If you store this starter in the refrigerator for more than a couple of days you will have a sourdough starter!
This starter uses yeast and I usually use Method 1 recipes for baking with this starter. Mix it up in a large uncovered mixing bowl, not a jar. If you have gnats or fruit flies, cover the bowl with a clean dish towel.
- 2 cups water (I use filtered water, but if your tap water isn't too hard and doesn't smell of chlorine use it!)
- 2 cups unbleached flour (organic is best, but regular works too)
- 1/2 teaspoon regular yeast
The recipes that call for fresh starter use a large amount of starter for each loaf of bread or cake that is made, so depending on the quantity of baking you need to do you may double or even triple the above amounts. I never use more than 1 teaspoon of yeast, even on a very large batch of starter. You can easily make 10 loaves or more of bread using only 1 teaspoon of yeast! It takes a bit more time but saves you money on the yeast front and while yeast isn't very expensive a little savings here and a little saving there can really add up! Plus, if you have a very limited amount of yeast on hand you can save time by not having to run to the store.
I never use a sour starter to get a fresh starter going. It can take 10 or more feedings every 2 hours and you end up with so much starter, both sour and finally fresh that I find it wasteful. I do add any left over fresh starter to my sour starter once I'm done with it. If you store this starter in the refrigerator for more than a couple of days you will have a sourdough starter!