Hello all,
I live in a cold house where it's typically around 13 degrees C in the winter.
I make bread a lot but not the sourdough kind where starters and doughs are kept at warm temperatures for extended periods so my normal method of keeping dough warm (a hot water bottle or the oven on very low) aren't practical.
I'm sure I'm not alone with this problem so how have people here solved it?
Any suggestions or links to previous threads would be gratefully received.
Many thanks
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The temperature just slows down the fermentation. You can still make bread. I have made dough at low temperatures and from start to putting the dough into the oven is over 24 hours. The bread really is the best bread that I have ever made. You can speed the fermentation up by changing the temperature of the water that you make the dough with. This will take a little bit of trial and error on your part. I also use a warm spot on top of a upright freezer to help speed up fermentation if I'm in a hurry.
The room needs to be humid for the dough to rise well. Try boiling some water in a vessel... when it starts letting off steam, the kitchen will be humid enough. Keep the dough near the vessel of boiling water. it will rise in some time.. I have tried this method, and it has worked for me.. hope this tip helps..
You may, however, have trouble making a starter from scratch at 13 C. (it may be possible, but all the instructions I've seen say to stay between 20 - 26 C)
Do you have a microwave? It can make a really good proofing box, I close the door almost all the way so that the light stays on, then cover the gap at the top with a cloth or tea towel. Temp hovers around 25 C (although my room temp is closer to 20 C, so yours might be a little lower, but probably still okay)
If it's not practical to use your microwave for long periods like this, you could maybe buy a cheap secondhand one? As long as the light works... :-)
Good advice from mlucas re using your microwave as a proofing box, and there's no doubt that you'll get a starter going faster in warmer conditions. However, after an inital false start or two, some sage mentoring from Graham, and following SourDom's tutorial to the letter I managed to get my first starter going in the middle of winter. The ambient temps ranged from 12-16C during this period. So there you go - it can be done. From memory it took 14 days or so and a switch to some top quality stoneground organic rye as a 30% component of the flour mix (as per SourDom's intructions).
Happy to report the baby is now a mature starter a few months out from its 3rd birthday! We enjoy a wonderful symbiotic relationship: I feed it and it feeds me!
Cheers
Ross
I have a friend who uses a crock pot as it maintains a certain temperature, and she's very successful..
You can try that one. She puts water in it, but I'm not sure how much.. I'll ask her if you want.
There is also a heating pad, with kind of a towel in it, that you can wet and put it back in the cover, and temperature for this is over 90F. I have one, you can buy them for $30, CDN at Walmart You can get a small crock pot abouit 3 1/2 -4 litres for $20.00CDN at Walmart.
I think the crock pot would be a better choice.
I agree on the microwave/crockpot also for the starter...
But for regular proofing when making the bread.....I live in a high altitude area, with zero humidity.
This is a much worse situation than yours, so to solve that I do all my fermentation and proofing in my refrigerator encased in a plastic bag .
The former to slow the fermentation process, the latter to create a moisture filled environment, aiding in healthy fermentation.
The first part of the bread is done in the fridge and the second is on the counter top as that is only for 3-5 hours then bake in the preheated baker.
I've just purchased the "Bread Bakers Apprentice" and the author suggest putting boiling water into the mircowave and placing the bread in there for the final prove.
from the thread of replies that appears a good one to try
actually, about 2 months ago I used it to rise my panettone before baking it!!
Good idea. I just added some white whole wheat flour to my organic unbleached white flour and water starter in the hopes that it would add a bit of life to this new one. 'Bernadette' has been sitting on top of the fridge since last Friday, almost a week, and though there are a few bubbles, she hasn't risen much at all. It's a new fridge and not nearly as warm as the old one was on the top, and it's pretty cold in our kitchen too. I'm in Montreal.
I live in Manitoba Paddy, and I keep my starter in the closet, I also do the rising in the closet if I'm going to bake that day, if not, It goes in the fridge.
I put the bread dough in a plastic container I bought at walmart with a lid, which helps keep heat in.
Another suggestion is to use White Bread flour, not AP. [not sure what you are using] I had no success with AP, but great success with Bread Flour. I learned from this forum that "wheat" flour don't rise, but you will get the bubbles and froth. When I make a whole wheat, I use Wheat Gluten and it rises really well.
Hope
I went out and bought the organic unbleached a-p flour specifically for my new starter, as bread flour is just too expensive here and not widely available. So far I haven't made bread with her because I'm waiting for the starter to double; at the moment it just bubbles. I'm going to try the microwave today and see if that makes any difference. The other starter I have is 3 years old and was originally given some commercial yeast; it's a buttermilk starter and the joy of that is that I need never throw any of it out. I use it every week and between times, it sits quite happily in the fridge.
Hi Paddy, let us know how the bread comes out when you do bake. I'm sure it will ok!
I love Buttermilk! I will have to try a starter with Buttermilk and see how that is. I do make a cheese with Buttermilk that is quite good. Once it drains though it's a dry curd, I put some goats milk in it to make it creamy. It's really delicious.
Paddy I'm not a professional baker, just a home baker who bakes quite often. Today I used Spelt flour in my bread, for the first time, hopefuly it will come out good.
I'm not a professional baker either, Hope, never have been, though I'm selling 3 loaves a week to neighbours now. I had a great non-yeast starter going for a year or so, but lost it to an invasion of fruit flies last summer. I'm hoping 'Bernadette' takes off so I can make some unyeasted bread. I always name my starters, by the way. The buttermilk one is called 'Brigid' after St. Brigid of Ireland; she began her life on St. Patrick's day 3 years ago, and 'Bernadette' began her life on the feast day of the saint of the same name - this year.
I use to bake for 4 people, [I bake for 1, sometimes 2 now] but I give the breads away. They buy me flour, which helps. Funny, I don't name my starters, but I do call it a girl.
It is my understanding that sourdough is yeast, it's just natural. It's all I use. I don't purchase any commercial yeast anymore. My sourdough is only 2 months old, and I too now, keep it in the fridge, and I don't throw any away either.
The bread i made today with Spelt flour is really good. Next, I will try Millet.