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Farm Kitchen:  Bread the MaryJane Way  |
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Karrieann
True Blue Farmgirl
1900 Posts
Karrieann
Northeast
Georgia
USA
1900 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 02 2010 : 4:31:39 PM
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Sarah,
I find that mine take about 35 to 40 minutes to bake.
This past week, I had some chopped walnuts and dried cranberries left over from Christmas. I added them to the bread mixture before the rising, about a cup of each. Boy oh Boy... it sure was delicious!
Karrieann ~ Farmgirl Sister #766 (29 Sept 2009)
My etsy: Yesterday's Scraps, Tomorrow's Treasures http://www.etsy.com/shop/2TomorrowsTreasures |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2010 : 5:50:48 PM
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Hi girls and thanks for your input! I love that tortilla recipe! Can't wIt to try it. I would suggest you get an oven thermometer - one that measures the temperature of the inside of your oven. Many ovens are really far off from what the dial is set to. You may find that your ovenruns cool and that mayresult in the need for a longer baking time. Also when bAking breads it is often recommended that you allow you oven to preheat close to an hour so that there is an even temperature throughout and no hot and cold spots. Also when you open your oven you should do it very quickly and don't open during baking to check your bread. Every time you open the door TONS of heat is lost. Hope this helps and good luck!
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
www.willowtreecreek.wordpress.com
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CherryPie
True Blue Farmgirl
935 Posts
Kimberly Ann
Puyallup
WA
USA
935 Posts |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
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CherryPie
True Blue Farmgirl
935 Posts
Kimberly Ann
Puyallup
WA
USA
935 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2010 : 5:29:54 PM
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Sadly, I think mother went downhill since I took that picture. The next several days she just had a bunch of liquid on the surface each morning and not alot of activity. I tried making a loaf today and it was a disaster. I let it rise all day but it didn't and I baked it just for the heck of it and it looks like a brick. :-(
Wonder if I need to start over with a new starter?
Kimberly Ann
Farmgirl Sister #225
Crochet Geek, Newbie Fiddler, Would-be Farmer, Backyard Chicken Rancher, Eager Podcaster
http://beesinourbonnetsintheburbs.blogspot.com/
Podcasts at http://thefannyfarm.blogspot.com/ |
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wildatheartfarmgirl
Farmgirl in Training
13 Posts
P.J.
Garden Farms
CA
USA
13 Posts |
Posted - Jan 12 2010 : 08:27:36 AM
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Ohh...Kimberly...I saw your four day old starter and was just thinking..."how the heck did she do that?"...then saw your next entry about it not feeling so great....don't throw it away...keep feeding it...I'm not at all an authority....just want you to know pretty much every person on this 109 page blog has had the same problem. Willowcreek will get back to you or another one of the amazing bread experts on this blog. Hang in there.
My question for the wonderful tortilla contributor (sorry but I don't know how to go back from here to get your name)...do you use a tortilla press or just your hands....I've been thinking about getting one and wondering if you are happy with yours if you have one.
I'm not good at blogging but am attempting to come out of my comfort zone...so I hope I did this right. |
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mom2my2boyz
True Blue Farmgirl
56 Posts
Sarah
MN
USA
56 Posts |
Posted - Jan 12 2010 : 09:37:14 AM
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The tortialls I make don't use a press (or my hands for that matter). My tortilla batter is a thin "pancake batter" consistency. I pour a little batter on the hot griddle, then working quickly, I start in the center of the batter and using the back of a soup spoon, I spread the batter out as thinly as possible, working in concentric circles (just going around and around in a circle - pushing the batter to the outside edge) until I run out of batter. Does that make sense?? It's actually really easy to do, just very difficult to explain. 
"So I threw my hands in the air. I was done with Wal-Mart and Wonderbread. I wanted something real."
-Excerpted from Jenna Woginrich's book, "Made from Scratch" a must-read! |
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CherryPie
True Blue Farmgirl
935 Posts
Kimberly Ann
Puyallup
WA
USA
935 Posts |
Posted - Jan 12 2010 : 11:34:56 AM
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Well, I added more flour to the mother (no water because she was already really liquid) but I don't have alot of hope. By the way, Sarah, I love Jenna Woginrich's book (and blog) too! :-)
Kimberly Ann
Farmgirl Sister #225
Crochet Geek, Newbie Fiddler, Would-be Farmer, Backyard Chicken Rancher, Eager Podcaster
http://beesinourbonnetsintheburbs.blogspot.com/
Podcasts at http://thefannyfarm.blogspot.com/ |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Jan 12 2010 : 3:44:09 PM
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Kimberly DO NOT START OVER!!!! The liquid is normal (called hooch) and MANY people experienced less than ideal bread results (ie., bricks) on the first baking and some on the second. It seems many peoples starters took a little longer to develop their natural yeasts. I have always recommended that people stick withrecipes that don't require rising (such as pancakes) for the first few weeks. Please go back and read through the posts in this thread. There is a TON of valuable information and I think it will help you greatly.
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
www.willowtreecreek.wordpress.com
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missgive
True Blue Farmgirl
127 Posts
Kim
Blairsville
Georgia
USA
127 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2010 : 2:25:50 PM
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I will be starting my "mother" on January 25th, after I am home from our son's college visit. I already promised to share with a high school junior, Emily, who wants to go to college to be a patissirie chef. I will direct her to this thread to help her with her sourdough bread. I used to make this all the time when my daughter was little. It will be fun to do it again. Does anyone know the carb count on a slice? I am a diabetic and carb count is vital to blood sugar balance.
Thanks
Kim
Proud Farmgirl Sister #927
A Farmgirl Sister headed for my mountain home and farm in 2010. |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2010 : 4:01:48 PM
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I don't know the carb count but I do know that sourdough is typically less than regular bread. I will look around on the Internet and see if I can find one of those things that let's you put in the ingredients and then gives you the nutritional informatin. I'll get back to you!
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
www.willowtreecreek.wordpress.com
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2010 : 4:27:34 PM
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Okay this is probably HIGHLY UNSCIENTIFIC! I used the recipe calculator on sparkpeople.com.
I entered the ingredients for the farmhouse bread and half of the starter mixture although. My loaves usually come out to about a pound in weight when they are done and the FDA reccommends a 1 oz. serving. I entered in all the ingredients and divided by 16 and here is what it says per 1 oz. slice.
Calories - 87
Fat - 0
Cholesterol - 0
Sodium - 109.3mg
carbs - 19.4 g (dietary fiber .8g and sugars 1.1g)
protein 2.5g
AS I said this is just using an online tool and who knows how accurate it is. I imagine this would also change slightly if you substituted whole grain or rye flours or added additional ingredients. Hope this helps.
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
www.willowtreecreek.wordpress.com
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wildatheartfarmgirl
Farmgirl in Training
13 Posts
P.J.
Garden Farms
CA
USA
13 Posts |
Posted - Jan 19 2010 : 1:46:19 PM
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| Oh No...I think I may have ruined my mother...I have been keeping it in the room where the fireplace is these past two weeks (yes...against your advice), because I have never had success with my mother...my house is consistantly freezing...we are lucky to ever get above 62. It has made a huge improvement in her and my last batch of sourdough actually rose. HOWEVER...today when I uncovered her I was paniced to see her covered in a yellow/brown surface with about a half-inch glob of mold on the top that dipped just under the surface. It wasn't pink or red but definately a color I have never seen and a slightly different smell to her. I am not going to use her until I hear from you willowtree...I did feed her and will continue to feed her until I her from you. I am so sad. |
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wildatheartfarmgirl
Farmgirl in Training
13 Posts
P.J.
Garden Farms
CA
USA
13 Posts |
Posted - Jan 19 2010 : 1:47:41 PM
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| Oh yeah...of course I skimmed all the stuff off the top...I'm scared. |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Jan 20 2010 : 07:59:15 AM
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First of all I HIGHLY suggest that you read through this topic as much as possible (I know its long!!!) because there is so much information that others have shared and experienced that can be really helpful.
That being said - the liquid is likely hooch which is completely normal. The mold on the other hand can be a problem. Some of the girls on here have discarded their starters at the signs of mold others have scooped it out and kept on going. It is entirely a personal preference although many outside internet sources suggest throwing it out. I have scooped and kept going and I am still alive!
Here are a few pieces of advice I can give you to help with your mold issues in the future.
1. transfer your starter and clean your bowl frequently! I have to do mine at least once a week because we have high humididty and I was getting mold spots on the edge of my bowl.
2. Make sure you are using the same water source to moisten your towel as you are to feed your starter. If you are using bottled water for the starter wet the towel with that.
3. Being close to the stove and using a wet towel may be increasing the humidity in the bowl therefore increasing your chance to grow mold.
4. The starter itself should be okay in temps around 60 - 70. My heat is only on from 3:30 to about 10 pm. The rest of the day my house is around 62 or less and I have never had trouble. The starter should be okat left in a cooler location. Of the starter gets to warm that is when mold issues arrise.
5. When you are making bread and you are waiting for it to rise this is when you are looking for warmer temperatures. This is when you would more likely want to place it near the stove.
If it smells at all like nail polish remover throw it out. A strong alcohol scent is okay although you are looking for a more yeasty, strong beer or wine smell.
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
www.willowtreecreek.wordpress.com
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wildatheartfarmgirl
Farmgirl in Training
13 Posts
P.J.
Garden Farms
CA
USA
13 Posts |
Posted - Jan 20 2010 : 8:34:26 PM
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Thanks for all the info...believe it or not I actually have, over time, read all 110 pages of this thread...and yes I went against your warnings against keeping my starter so warm (so sorry). I started her last March and have struggled for months trying to get her to raise my "bricks"... "Others" suggested starter benefiting from higher temperatures and for awhile it seemed to work. For the past few weeks I finally have had bread success. Until a few days ago...for all those listening...don't try it...I almost lost her.
I did not throw her away, removed the top layer, fed her several times, and thankfully tonight made an excellent bread. I now believe I may have been confusing my other only recent successes with a few other changes I made all at the same time I began keeping the starter warmer.
#1 - In the last several weeks I began feeding her with purchased "artisian spring water". (It finally occured to me that although the chlorine had been eliminated in my filter pitcher, the heavy minerals in our well water were still present.)
#2 - I practically whipped it up with the wooden spoon prior to adding my warmed spring water (around 78 degrees) to oxygenate my mother.
#3 - I began wetting my towel with the purchased water rather than our tap water. And last but not least...
#4 - I finally found some King Arthurs ORGANIC flour, the organic was difficult to find in my area.
So...it probably was doing better because of the above...not because of the temperature. I really learned alot and hope others can gleen from my experience. |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2010 : 12:58:36 AM
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Well PJ keep me posted as to your progress! It sounds like you made some important discoveries! I know there are a lot of people out there who dont buy into the importance of things like "organic" and "spring water" and etc. There are a lot of "5-minute" and "no-knead" type recipes out there but the process for those often include a prepackaged yeast and the dough is always refrigerated. With this bread we are trying to work with natural yeasts and it is important (and sometimes difficult!!) to create the perfect environment to capture and grow those natural yeasts. Its a process in which each element is vital to the complete puzzle! Good luck and keep us posted!
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
www.willowtreecreek.wordpress.com
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CherryPie
True Blue Farmgirl
935 Posts
Kimberly Ann
Puyallup
WA
USA
935 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2010 : 11:56:49 AM
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I'm still feeding my mother and hoping she'll start going gangbusters again like before. Right now, she has bubbles on the surface and a layer of hooch. She smells a little like stinky cheese, rather than beer or "yeasty". It's not a really stinky smell but my husband did comment the other day "hey what's that smell coming from the green bowl over there."
Kimberly Ann
Farmgirl Sister #225
Crochet Geek, Newbie Fiddler, Would-be Farmer, Backyard Chicken Rancher, Eager Podcaster
http://beesinourbonnetsintheburbs.blogspot.com/
Podcasts at http://thefannyfarm.blogspot.com/ |
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missgive
True Blue Farmgirl
127 Posts
Kim
Blairsville
Georgia
USA
127 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2010 : 5:17:07 PM
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Hi,
I started my mother today, but then wondered if there will be a difference since I used organic SOY flour (gluten and wheat free). Anybody have experience using this type of flour? I wanted to use whole wheat, but noticed it was seriously out of date (so had to discard it) and this was not. Since I started with soy flour, should I continue with it? Or can I switch to organic whole wheat or some other gluten free organic flour? Please advise. I want to try those cinnamon/raisin rolls for Sunday.
Thanks,
Kim (aka misgive)
Proud Farmgirl Sister #927
A Farmgirl Sister headed for my mountain home and farm in 2010. |
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gramadinah
True Blue Farmgirl
3557 Posts
Diana
Orofino
ID
USA
3557 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2010 : 5:49:46 PM
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Mom just did a wonderful job on some sourdough waffles and beer syrup.
she always makes things beter.
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #273 |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2010 : 8:29:38 PM
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Kim - I don't know that this type of flour will work as the process develops the natural yeasts found in the wheat. I have never used it though so can't say for sure. Also keep in mind that the starterusually takes two to three weeks to get to it's full potential and may not rise great on your first try.
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
www.willowtreecreek.wordpress.com
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CherryPie
True Blue Farmgirl
935 Posts
Kimberly Ann
Puyallup
WA
USA
935 Posts |
Posted - Jan 26 2010 : 09:02:49 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by willowtreecreek
Pam is right! It was a misprint. Dry towel for the first week!
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
www.willowtreecreek.wordpress.com
Wonder if this information can be made front and center on the first page of this thread - I didn't see it until now and I've been working on my starter since January 5.
Kimberly Ann
Farmgirl Sister #225
Crochet Geek, Newbie Fiddler, Would-be Farmer, Backyard Chicken Rancher, Eager Podcaster
http://beesinourbonnetsintheburbs.blogspot.com/
Podcasts at http://thefannyfarm.blogspot.com/ |
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missgive
True Blue Farmgirl
127 Posts
Kim
Blairsville
Georgia
USA
127 Posts |
Posted - Jan 27 2010 : 03:44:31 AM
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I relented adn went and got KA organic bread flour. Added yesterday and today and I am seeing a few bubbles. Though the soy is protein, it may not ferment as well (although soy sauce is made from fermented beans I think). I will expect to take longer with my mother than originally outlined - giving a starter to a young lady (sophmore - friend of son) with the instructions because she dreams of becoming a patisserie - baking chef- and is taking bread-making class right now. Thought she and her mom might like this pass along. That way my mother won't take over the big bowl it is in....
Kim (aka missgive)
Proud Farmgirl Sister #927
A Farmgirl Sister headed for my mountain home and farm in 2010. |
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MarciaJeansFarmette
Farmgirl in Training
31 Posts
Marcia
Gerber
CA
USA
31 Posts |
Posted - Jan 27 2010 : 10:59:16 AM
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I am a newbie! I'm on day 3 of my 'mother' and excited as I watch her developing!
I ordered MaryJanes back issues of the magazine and can't wait to pull each 'new' one out of the box! I read them from cover to cover.
I'm looking forward to baking my first loaf of bread the 'Mary Jane way'! My husband is too!
Marcia Jean
Learning as I go... |
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gramadinah
True Blue Farmgirl
3557 Posts
Diana
Orofino
ID
USA
3557 Posts |
Posted - Jan 27 2010 : 3:18:19 PM
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Julie I think that one of the problems people are having is bleached flour. I live in a small town with no organic flour on the store shelves so I went to an unbleached and have had great success.
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #273 |
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Farm Kitchen: Bread the MaryJane Way |
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Bread the MaryJane Way
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