Production Notes for the Formulas in this Chapter

Preparing the Sourdough. The sourdough is prepared by dispersing the mature culture into the water, adding the flour, and mixing by hand or machine until the flour is thoroughly incorporated. The consistency should be fairly stiff, but loose enough to allow it to “breathe.” Sprinkle rye flour on top and cover the bowl with baker’s linen or plastic. The sourdough will ripen in 14 to 16 hours at about 70°F (the three-phase Detmolder breads are an exception; refer to the 90 percent formulafor a detailed explanation). Adjust ripening times based on ambient temperature and humidity. The ripe sourdough should be domed, with a pleasingly acidic tang. If the sourdough has collapsed, the room it ripened in is too warm or the length of ripening is too long. If it appears not to have matured at all, the room temperature is too cool or ripening time should be lengthened.