Recipe: Potato Flake Sourdough Starter and Bread (3)

POTATO FLAKE SOURDOUGH STARTER AND BREAD

Starter (first time):
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 package (2-1/4 teaspoons) dry yeast
3 level tablespoons instant potato flakes

Mix and let ferment on counter for two days. Then feed with starter feeder. (If you get starter from someone else, you can omit this step.)

Starter Feeder (subsequent times):
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons potato flakes

Add to starter. Let stand on countertop eight hours. Refrigerate 3-5 days, then make bread.

To Make Bread:
6 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 cup starter (See note below)

Mix well. Knead on a floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes. Put dough into a greased bowl. Cover with a wet dish towel and let it rise in a warm place overnight or all day (about 12 hours). Punch down. Knead on a floured surface to get any air bubbles out. Spray 3 loaf pans with cooking spray and divide dough approximately equal into the 3 pans (shaping into loaf form). Let rise 6-8 hours, covered loosely. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25-30 minutes.

Note: After using 1 cup of the starter for dough, pour one cup back into container and refrigerate. Discard any other starter.

Store starter in refrigerator.

When you're ready to make more bread or every 3 to 5 days feed starter with:

3 tablespoons potato flakes
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup warm water

Stir well and leave on the counter overnight or all day (about 12 hours.)

Carla's Notes:
I let my mixer do the kneading. Using the dough hooks I "knead" for 4 minutes. Then I knead only lightly after the dough has risen and been punched down. I heat a cup of water in my microwave, then with the microwave off, I put the dough in there with the steamy water. Works especially well in the winter when it might be hard to find a warm place for the dough to rise.

One more note: I roll dough to about 1/2 inch. Spread powdered sugar and cinnamon on it, add nuts or raisins and roll it up jelly roll fashion. Bake in a regular loaf pan or cut in wheels to make cinnamon rolls. Hope this helps. I think it's a can't-fail recipe!

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POTATO FLAKE STARTER AND BREAD

Below are bread and starter recipes for the Potato Flake Starter. This page contains recipes for two different potato flake starter recipes, along with instructions on starting up the starter, feeding it, baking bread with it and storing it. The information was compiled from a variety of recipes for this particular starter and bread found across the internet. Both of these starters call for the use of commercial bakers' yeast, others do not. Pick one starter, try it and see how it works for you. If it doesn't work for you or you don't like it, give the other one a try.

POTATO FLAKE STARTER #1

This one uses yeast, water, sugar and potato flakes to start and feeds with sugar, water and potato flakes.

Starter Ingredients:
3 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water to dissolve yeast: (105 to 110 degrees - some recipes omit this 1/2 cup )
1 cup warm water (some recipes call for more than 1 cup)
2/3 cup sugar to 3/4 cup sugar (amount seems to vary in various recipes)
3 Tbsp instant potato flakes (other recipes call for more)
Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water, then add with 1 cup warm water, sugar and potato flakes.
Note: remember it is the sugar and potatoes flakes which feed the yeast

Feeding Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp instant potatoes flakes
1 cup warm water

POTATO FLAKE STARTER #2

This one uses yeast, water, sugar and flour to start and feeds with sugar, water and potato flakes.

Starter Ingredients:
1 to 2 Pkg active dry yeast (recipes vary in amt)
1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbsp. sugar ( some recipes call for more sugar )
3 Tbsp. Flour (not potato flakes)
Mix yeast with the 1/2 cup warm water. Combine remaining starter ingredients and add to yeast mixture.

Feeding Ingredients:
2/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. instant potato flakes
1 cup warm water

STEP 1 - STARTING UP THE STARTER

Instructions for both starters:
After combining the starter ingredients let it stand at room temperature in a lightly-covered glass jar for 3 to 5 days. Refrigerate it and feed every 3 to 5 days. Give it several feedings 3 to 5 days apart to age the starter before baking with it for the first time. (Other instructions say to mix the starter and let it sit overnight, then refrigerate it, covered, for 3 to 5 days before using it to make bread. Let it come to room temperature, feed it and let stand overnight before baking with it. If one way doesn't work for you, try the other way.)

STEP 2 - FEEDING THE STARTER

Instructions for both starters:
Take the starter out of refrigerator and let sit at room temp for 8 hours, then add the Feeding Ingredients and let it sit at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight, then place it all back in the refrigerator or follow instructions below FOR BAKING. It is important to use and feed the starter consistently for bread making or the taste and texture of the bread may change. Many starters mutate over time and bread results may become variable.

STEP 3 - BAKING WITH THE STARTER

Instructions for both starters:
Measure out one cup or the starter for your recipe and place the remainder in refrigerator, loosely covered, again feeding it every 3 to 5 days until you want to bake with it again. Some recipes say to use one cup for bread, save one cup to refrigerate and feed and throw or give the rest away. After your starter is well established , you will only need to feed it once a week. As with any starter, if it looks moldy or smells off , discard and try again. Both starters will bubble (give off gas) if active but will not rise. Stir any separated liquid back into the starter

Ingredients for 2 - 3 loaves of bread:
1 cup starter (see above)
1/2 cup sugar (some recipes call for less sugar)
1/2 cup corn oil
1 Tbls salt (some recipes call for less salt, 1 to 2 tsp.)
1 1/2 cups warm water
6 cups bread flour OR 4 c bread flour & 2 c whole wheat flour

Bread Making Instructions:
Combine bread ingredients in large bowl mixing by hand to make a stiff batter or dough. (Depending on which starter you use, humidity etc., the amount of flour required may vary. Many recipes indicate the dough should be pliable and non sticky- and advise being careful about adding too much flour or kneading too much as the bread will be heavy)

Place dough in a greased/oiled large bowl, turning dough over to coat with oil. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise overnight (at least 8 to 12 hours) on counter at room temperature or in a warm place. In the morning, punch dough down lightly with fist and divide it into two or three parts. (Some recipes indicate to let the dough rest covered 15 minutes before kneading). Knead each piece lightly on floured surface and place in two or three greased loaf pans (quantity depends on pan size). Brush with oil. Cover lightly and let rise for 6 to 12 hours at room temperature or until puffy in pans (no specifics how high in the pan dough should rise- but it probably should come to tops of the pan). (Bread will rise in less time during the summer (perhaps 4 hours or so) and need more time for rising in the winter (8 hours or so).

Bake at 325-350 degrees F for 25 to 35 minutes or until it tests done and is golden. Remove from pans, brush with butter and let cool.

VARIATIONS:

CINNAMON RAISIN BREAD:
Roll out dough and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, to taste. Add some raisins over dough. Roll dough up, place in pans and let rise as instructed above. When baking, recipe may need 10 to 15 minutes more baking time or bake till tested done.

WHEAT BREAD:
substitute for the flour: 4 cups bread flour, 2 cups whole wheat

SALLY LUNN:
use 1 cup starter, 2 eggs, 3/4 cup warm milk, 1/2 cup melted butter cooled, 1 tsp salt and 4 cups flour. Combine and mix all well. Cover and let rise until double in a warm place. Spoon into a well-greased bundt pan. Cover again and let rise until double. Bake 350F 45 to 55 minutes or until it tests done.

STEP 4 - STORING THE STARTER

Instructions for both starters:
If you are using your starter on a regular basis, store it in the refrigerator.

It is important to keep the starter lightly covered when refrigerated or at room temperature since a tightly sealed container will cause the yeast to have a feeding frenzy from the sugar and potato flakes and the starter may become weakened. Keep the starter in a non-metalic container. Until the starter is well-established, take it out and feed it every 3 to 5 days whether you are going to bake with it or not. If you are not baking with the starter, discard all but 1 cup of starter and feed the 1 remaining cup with the feeding ingredients as above.

If you are not using your starter regularly, it MIGHT be possible to freeze some of it if you will not be using it for a while. Thaw and feed several times before using for baking. No guarantees that the starter will remain viable through freezing.

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POTATO STARTER

2 evelopes (2 TBSP) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water(105 to 115 F)
1 cup warm water (105 to 115 F)
2/3 cup sugar
3 TBSP instant potato flakes.

Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in 1
cup warm water, sugar, and potato flakes.

Let the mixture sit out all day, then refrigerate 10 to 15 days. (A 10 day
schedule works fine.) Remove from refrigerator and feed, see the feeding
instructions below. Now you are ready to use 1 cup of the starter to make
bread.

Return the rest of the starter to the refrigerator for another 5 to 10 days.
Before making your next batch of bread, feed the starter again.

Now that we have a starter, we need to feed it.

Feeding Recipe: Starter from recipes above, 1 cup water, 3/4 cup sugar, and
3 TBSP instant potato flakes.

Into starter, stir ingredients well and keep at room temperature for 10 to
12 hours.

Makes 2-3 cups