Sour Dough, mixed in TMX, baked in Bread Machine, NO ADDED YEAST

The Good Loaf,  sliced.

FAILED                 

                                                                                        SUCCESS

I set my self this challenge.  To make a Sour Dough loaf,  mixed in TMX and Baked in the Bread Maker.   99% of recipes for making Sour Dough in the bread Maker have added dry yeast.  The one article that didn't ,went into a complicated method of mixing the dough, switching off the bread maker,  and then resetting it to bake,  for the next day.
As you will see from the 2 photos attached,  the first attempt was not a success.  The second loaf,  although not cut , at this moment, was a success.  The good loaf was made in the one day,  and had only one rise.  This will be very handy in Summer when I don't want to heat the kitchen with the oven.  It will also save electricity. This recipe was developed for forum thermomix members. who have Bread machines.

375g bakers flour, (I use Laucke , Crusty White Bread Mix,  this has the sugar and salt added )
! teaspoon of each salt and sugar if NOT using a mix.
300g of active Sour Dough starter.
100/150 g.  warm water.  This will depend on how wet your starter is.

Do
Place all above in TMX bowl and knead for4 mins.
Tip on to Silmat that has been lightly floured,  and fold on itself several times.  It should be a soft dough,  but easily handled.
Place in Bread Machine bucket which has the paddle removed,  and is lined.
Spray with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  (the seeds will prevent the loaf from sticking to the sides of the bucket as it bakes.)
Cover with plastic.  I use a shower cap.
Leave in a warm place. ( between 20/25 o) to rise.  Mine took 5 hours,  could take up to 6.
Warm the inside of the Bread Machine 10 mins before you are ready to bake.  ( I heat a wheat bag in the microwave for 5 mins , and place this in the machine.)
Spray loaf with more water , and gently place in machine.
Bake for 1 hour and 10 mins.  ( this will vary depending on machine.)
Cool on rack.

I have just cut this loaf and it is perfect.

Chookie's Meyer Lemon Dust

We have had our first full crop of Meyer Lemons.   I have been looking for different ways of preserving this beautiful fruit. I have been using my dehydrator lately so thought I would dry some lemons and then grind them into powder in the TMX.

I sliced 8 lemons as thin as possible,  and then dried them.  This took all day.  I ended up with 100g of powder.  It has an intense lemon flavor and could replace zest in a recipe. Could be added to meringues or cream in a sponge.  Shortbread biscuits or coconut biscuits.  Sugar could be added for an icing and i could go on and on.
JulieO,  from forumthermomix, put her dust through a spice grinder, to get an even finer powder,

Sour Dough Pancakes

These are just the best pancakes.  Not quite as thin as crepes,  but not stodgy like some pancakes.  They can be used as a base for sweet or savory food. There are quite a few suggestions for fillings on forumthermomix

Serves 4

In to TMX bowl add 15g. butter, 5mins/ temp 50 /speed 1.
Then add,  in order listed, 170g. milk
                                      3 eggs
                                      120g Sour Dough Starter
Mix 10 sec/ sp 5
Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt ,  and 100g plain flour.
Mix 10 sec/sp 5
Stand at room temp for 30 mins.

Heat frying pan and lubricate with butter.
Cook until golden, flip,  cook other side.

Lubricate between each pancake.

Reconstituted Sour Dough Starter.

 loaf made from reconstituted starter.

Starter , after overnight,  and ready for additional flour and water , to make loaf.

With 50g of Dehydrated  CHEROKEE Sour Dough Starter,  you are able to build a starter and then make your own Sour Dough Loaf.

Instructions.
To make starter
Sterilize  a 500ml. jam jar with boiling water.
When cool, tip in starter and add 50g bread flour and 100g of filtered water.'(you can boil water from the tap and then let it cool.)
Stir well,  let sit in a warm place over night.  ( 15/20 o)
Next morning add 1/2 cup of flour and enough water to form a thick paste.
When it starts to have bubbles on top ,feed again.  This may be 2/3/4/ hours or if cold ,all day.
Keep feeding until you have 300/400 g of starter,  and it is bubbling energetically.
You are now ready to make a loaf.

To make a loaf.
Tip 200g of starter into TMX bowl.  Leave some in jar to start to build for next loaf.
Add 250g of bakers flour and 125g of filtered water,  and knead for 3 mins.
Leave in bowl to double,  in a warm spot, (over night)
Next morning,  add 250g of flour and 100g warm filtered water
2 teaspoons of salt and 1 or 2 teaspoons sugar   .(If you use Laucke Pre Mix , don't add salt or sugar)
Knead for 4 minutes.
Tip on to Silmat that is well dusted with flour and knead by hand for a few mins.,  until dough does not feel sticky.
Shape and put into  lined cast iron pot or bread tin,  spray with water, cover with plastic, and place in warm spot to double.  Could take 4/6 hours.
Bake in hot oven 200/220 o for 30 mins, remove from tin , lay on side and bake for another 15 mins.
If baking in a tin,  place a dish with water in bottom of oven to create steam.  if in covered cast iron pot,  this is not necessary.
If baking in cast iron pot, spray inside of lid with canola oil, so that bread doesn't  stick to the lid.  Remove the lid after 30 mins. and continue to bake for 15 mins to brown top.

A thermometer is very handy to test if loaf is cooked.  A thin metal probe that measures Fahrenheit is best.  If when stuck into the side of the loaf it reaches 200 o F ,  then it is cooked.  If not put back in oven, out of tin for 5/7 more mins.

All About Sour Dough

Over the next few days I will try and explain the process of making a starter,  feeding it, storing and using it to make a loaf.  This is based on my experienced and I am not an expert.  but it works for me .

White Flour Starter.
Into a sterile glass jar mix 1/2 cup of bakers flour,  ( strong bread flour ),  with 3/4 cup of FILTERED water.
Place a Chux loosely over the top,  and place in a sheltered place outside.
You are going to capture wild yeast that lives in the air.
Leave for 3 to 4 days ,  to ferment.
You can bring inside now and sit it on the kitchen bench.
If it smells bad ,  chuck out and start again.
When it starts to have small bubbles on top,  stir in 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of Filtered water.
For the following 3 days feed with 1 tablespoon of water and flour.
When the starter is active,  ( with bubbles on the top and smelling a little like beer, ) , transfer to a larger sterile container and feed with equal larger amounts of water and flour.
This can be 1/2 cup of each.
This is to increase the amount of starter for use in following recipe.  ( you will need 400 g of starter.)
You can now use your starter to make bread or screw on top and place in fridge

Instead of going to all this trouble,  you may be able to get a small amount of starter from someone else. If you do,  just put it in a large sterile jar and feed it to increase the volume.

If you leave your starter on the kitchen bench ,  you will need to feed it every day.  Only do this if you intend to make a lot of Sourdough bread., or want to build up the amount of starter.
If you place your starter in the fridge, best fed once a week.  However it will last a lot longer without a feed.  I left mine for 13 weeks last year when we went OS.  I don't recommend this as it took a lot of refreshing.  I think it was sulking. LOL.
When left in fridge it will develop a grey water on top,  just stir this back in and feed it.
When you take your starter out of the fridge and feed it, it needs 7 hours or overnight to become very active.  It is then that you can make your bread.
 
Do not use all your starter, leave 1/2 cup in the jar and start feeding it again until you have enough for the next loaf.

Recipes.

It is best to start off simple.

This recipe is adapted to the TMX from 'Bread Revolution',  by Duncan Glendinning and Patrick Ryan.

Place into Tmx bowl,
400g active starter,
500g bread flour
250g warm water, filtered.
2 teaspoons of each salt and sugar.
Knead for 4 mins.
Scrape/pour into lined bread tin. Cover with plastic
Let rise , in a warm place,until at least double. 
Brush with egg wash.
bake in oven 200/220 o C,  with water in dish in bottom of oven.

NOTES
Look at Cookies variation,  for double rise method.
Can place in fridge over night,  then bring back to room temp,  before baking.
This starter is mild in flavour,  but the large amount of starter does not give an over powering sour taste.
The dough is very moist,  and I like to roll it around on a floured SIL mat to make it more manageable.
Make a plain loaf first,  then add seeds or wholemeal flour,  once you understand the method.

Bread sticks made with this recipe,  are as close as I have got to a genuine French Baguette.