Bltlancnttr Farming, Saturday, May 21, 1994
Old-Fashioned Sourdo
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Fanning Staff
PITMAN (SchulyldU Co.)
Confused about sourdough bak
ing? See all those recipes that seem
to give conflicting advice?
The reason for conflicting
recipes stems from several diffe
rent methods of preparing a sour
dough yeast. The confusion comes
from thinking the methods are the
same since each is called
sourdough.
Three different methods of mak
ing sourdough will be examined in
this article.
Sourdough is a type of yeast
production. It was the most com
mon way used to make raised
bread in the years before packaged
yeast was available.
People still enjoy the taste of
this old-fashioned bread and the
many other baked items that can be
made from it
One of the oldest methods and
the one used by our ancestors on
the wagon train, is still made today
by Johannes Zinzendorf of the
Christiansbrunn Kloster in Pitman.
This method requires no store
bought yeast and is easy to prepare
the starter from potatoes.
Sourdough gets its name from
the way it captures yeast fungus in
the air. Yeast fungus is not harmful
since it is naturally occuring and
we constantly breathe the spores
that are in die air.
“There are no secrets just
common sense and experience to
make sourdough bread,” said Zin
zendorf. “It was the most common
way of raising bread in Pennsylva
nia in the 1600 s because it works
and is almost impossible to kill if it
is done correctly. That’s why it
was taken in the wagon trains.”
Zinzendorf said, “Doing suc
cessful sourdough is like success
ful farming. Just like you need to
Sourdough rises overnight when placed In a warm area.
Old-fashioned sourdough bread is baked outside In a bake
oven that Zlnzendorf built in the same style as his
ancestors used.
prepare the soil properly, you need
to prepare the mixing bowl ingre
dients to provide a proper nutrient
base.”
According to Zinzendorf, the
potato-based recipe is excellent as
the potato provides a belter source
of starch and carbohydrates than
flour alone. The sugar and salt are
also necessary so when the airbom
'yeast lands on the mxiture, it
begins to multiply. The life cycle is
shod and as the fungus dies, it
emits gas that are the bubbles in the
yeast
‘The major misconception is
that sourdoughjs only viable if it is
frothy and bubbling, that is not the
case,” Zinzendorf said.
“Often it froths and bubbles as it
begins to ferment A brownish liq
uid covers the top this is alco
hol. This fermentation is not only
natural, it must be allowed to hap
pen that is what makes sour
dough sour. It provides most of the
flavor. Without it you get a very
bland result that many people seem
to like, but it is not an authetic
sourdough.”
He said that the fermentation
does not kill the yeast, it presaves
it. There is no reason to freeze it.
‘T’ve left mine in a crock in the
spring for months at a time and it
always comes back. Refrigeration
works just as well.” Zinzendorf
said.
To rejuvenate yeast activity,
make a new batch of potato/water/
sugar/salt like you do to start the
sourdough. This time, add one to
two cups flour to make a sponge.
Add to the fermented soughdough
and let it rise in a warm place for
six to 24 hours or until it starts to
aubble and froth. Use this in
*ecipes, but always save a few cups
x ) return to the crock for using the
text time.
Sourdough is tough. It does not
Johannes Zlnzendorf prepares sourdough bread at the Christlansbrunn Kloster In
Pitman.
iced to be treated gently.
SOURDOUGH STARTER
SPONGE
Peel and slice 3 medium-sized
xttatoes
Boil in 2 quarts water until soft
3rain and save water. Mash pota
oes and return to water. Add:
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
Let stand uncovered for 3 days
until mixture begins to bubble. Put
in crock, cover, and store in
refrigerator until ready to use.
The day before each weekly
baking day, Zinzendorf prepares
the sponge. Into a crock, he puts
the following:
3 handfuls of high-gluten bread
flour
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
Meanwhile boil three potatoes,
strain and mash. Put potato water
into a crock. Mix and add mashed
potatatoes, sourdough with
enough lukewarm water to make
V/i gallons starter. Let set by fire
or warm place until evening. It
should froth and foam.
Before going to bed, grease
dough box. Put in two quarts bread
flour, add starter but reserve 2
quarts for the next baking day.
Mix and knead ingredients,
adding flour until dough is dry.
Cover and set by fire or stove to
rise overnight.
The following day, Zinzendorf
bakes his bread in an outdoor bake
oven. For baking in a regular oven,
separate the dough into individual
loaves and let rise.
Bake in 350 degree oven for
about one hour.
HERMAN YEAST STARTER
A more popular sourdough
method is often referred to as Her
man Yeast Starter or Amish
Friendship dough. The starter
requires the use the store-bought
active dry yeast These recipes ate
from Doris Brown of Pine
Grove.
Rises In Popularity
HERMAN OR FRIENDSHIP
STARTER
1 cup sugar
'/j cup warm water
2 envelopes active dry yeast
2 cups milk.
2 cups flour
Sprinkle one tablespoon sugar
over warm water. Sprinkle yeast
on top. Let stand in warm place
until doubled in size, about 10
minutes. Mix milk, remaining
sugar, flour, and yeast mixture.
Place in plastic or glass container
about the size of a 5-quart incream
container. Stir using wooden
spoon (metal retards yeast
growth).
Cover loosely. Let stand in
warm place overnight. Next day,
refrigerate. Stir daily with wooden
spoon. On fifth day, use 1 cup and
give one cup as a gift. Feed remain
ing starter with 1 cup flour, 1 cup
milk, and 'A cup sugar. Use 1 cup
every S days, giving 1 cup to a
friend and feeding remaining
mixture.
HERMAN WHEAT AND
HONEY STARTER
'A cup honey or brown sugar
'/i cup warm water
2 envelopes active dry yeast
2 cups milk
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1 tablespoon ginger
Stir one tablespoon honey or
brown sugar into warm water.
Sprinkle yeast on top. Let stand in
warm place until double in size,
about 10 minutes. Mix milk,
remaining honey or brown sugar,
flour, ginger, and yeast mixture.
Place in plastic or glass container
about the size of a 5 quart ice
cream bucket Stir using a wooden
spoon or paddle (metal retards
yeast growth). Cover loosely. Let
stand in warm place overnight
Next day: refrigerate, stir every
day’with wooden spoon. On Sth
day, measure out 1 cup to bake
with, 1 cup for gifts. Feed remain
ing starter with 1 cup white flour, 1
cup milk, and 'A cup sugar. Stir
well. Refrigerate and stir daily. On
10th day, give 1 cup to a friend.
Use 1 cup in recipe, plus feed as
before. Thereafter, use starter
almost daily and feed every Sth
day.
HERMAN WHOLE-WHEAT
APPLESAUCE CAKE
'/> cup granulated sugar
'/> cup biown sugar
l A cup honey
'A cup butter
'/> cup shortening
l'/a teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup Herman wheat and honey
starter
I'Acups applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon nun flavoring
IVi cups white flour
'A cup whole wheat flour
V 1 teaspoon cinnamon
'A teaspoon allspice and ground
cloves
1 teaspoon baking powder
'A teaspoon baking soda
1 cup raisins, optional
1 cup broken walnuts, optional
Cream together sugars, honey,
butter, shortening, and salt until
light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a
time mixing thoroughly. Add Her
man starter, applesauce, vanilla
and rum flavorings.
In another bowl, combine
flours, spices, baking powder, and
baking soda. Mix thoroughly with
wire whisk. Fold into creamed
mixture. Fold in raisins and nuts.
Pour into greased and floured
10-inch tube pan or bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degrees, 75-80
minutes or until toothpick inserted
in cake comes out clean.
HERMAN COFFEE CAKE
' 1 cup sugar
V» cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 cups Herman or Friendship
starter
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
I 'A teaspoon baking soda
VA teaspoons cinnamon
Topping:
1 cup packed brown sugar
'/* cup butter
1 tablespoon flour
‘/i teaspoon cinnamon
Beat sugar into oil. Add eggs
and starter. Combine flour, baking
powder, baking soda, and cinna
mon. Add to starter mixture. Pour
batter into lightly greased
9x 13-inch pan.
Topping; cut sugar, flour, and
cinnamon into butter until crumb
ly. Sprinkle over batter in pan.
Bake at 350 degrees or 30 minutes
or until golden.
(Turn to Pago Bit)