Dorothy recipe

Dorothy

Wellington, New Zealand

Mixture

Unknown
Liquid Flour Other
Dorothy

Preserve your sourdough for the future

Create your own Explore sourdough library

Since 2002

I had been interested in it for many years, mainly because of reading about it in old novels. After a few false starts, I got it going in 2002.

Characteristics

Best thing about it is the caramelised flavours in the crust. I make a 100% wholemeal and an 85% white, as well as English muffins and sourdough pancakes. It has a mild, fruity flavour, not at all sour but quite rich.

Taste & flavour

Recipe

Starting ingredients

Feeding ingredients

  • % Water
  • % Flour
  • % Temperature
1
Add water and stir in till it's runny
% Water
2
Add flour and stir in till it's medium-to-stiff
% Flour
3
We live in temperate Sydney (houses typically don't have central heating), so my fermentation temperature is quite variable--23 C is about average, but can go up to 30, or down to about 10 in winter.
% Temperature

Working method

1
Mine is very ad hoc. I can't tell you percentages. I started it by mixing flour and water, and waiting--but it's so long ago I can't remember quantities.
2
Back when I started it, my little boy was still alive, and in the child Wellington climate he needed a heater on in his bedroom at night, so I used to leave the starter, and whatever I was making, in his room with him to rise. (He was blind, and enjoyed smell.)
3
Now I feed it with a variety of flours--white, rye, wholemeal, whatever is around.

Result

English muffins

My first successes, now family staple: substituting sourdough for commercial yeast into Elizabeth David's muffin recipe.

Bread

85% White bread adapted from Vermont sourdough in Jeffrey Hamelman

Baps

Overnight, single-rise, white milk rolls

100% wholemeal, 100% hydration

Made in loaf tins

Sourdough pancakes

Raised with sourdough overnight, then I fold in beaten egg whites next morning--extra fluffy.

Preserve your sourdough for the future

Create your own Explore sourdough library