Stiff Dough Levain: Day 3

My little ball of flour and water seems to have ripened nicely. I’m picking up very tangy notes of fruitiness that weren’t there on day 1. Both yesterday and today there was some rising, probably a 50% increase, and I have seen, smelled, and tasted many of the signs that the book says are indicative of a healthy culture.

Day 3, prior to feeding

So Yesterday I fed it 2 tablespoons of water, 50 grams (1/3 cup) of bread flour, and 2 teaspoons of organic whole-wheat flour. I mixed in the water, then added the flour and incorporated it all in.

After adding the water it froths up a bit

Today I fed it the same thing. Only I made one of the cardinal errors in baking, and I hope I didn’t blow it:

You are NEVER supposed to pour something over a bowl, and what did I do? I poured the water from a gallon pitcher into a tiny tablespoon right over the bowl and too much poured out and got into the dough. I think it was just a little bit extra, and I think I compensated by adding less than the required 2 measured tablespoons, but the book says the dough won’t be smooth. Check it:

That's Smooth

We’ll see…

Similar Posts:

• Creating a Yeast Culture – Take 3
• A Sourdough Starter: Success?
• Sourdough from Scratch!
• Invest a little time, make a lot of dough
• No Knead Zone: Organic Whole Grain Bread