when using a mother to make a sour dough starter, how long and at what temp should you ferment the starter. Also, after mixing the dough how long should you ferment the dough and at what temp. and the same question for after shaping the dough. Is there any way to keep the dough from spreading out on the second rise after being formed. my bread seems to spread out and when I bake it there isn't very much rise because it spread out so much.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2000

Answers

You should let your starter sit for atleast 5 hours. Use it within that next hour or it will begin to degenerate. Let the starter sit at 72 degrees. Ferment the dough at the same temp. for 30 min. to 50 min. depending on how much age and sour flavor you want your bread to have. The more time spent fermenting the more sour your bread will be. After shaping the dough place it in a 40 degree cooler that is at around 80% humidity for 18 hours. Cooling the dough will slow the proofing thus allowing your bread to develope a more full sour flavor. If you don't wish to cool the dough then place the shaped dough into a mold and let rise in a humid environment until the loaf raises to 1/4 to 1/2 inch above the mold. If you don't wish to use a mold then try to shape the dough into a tight ball, that should help keep it uniform. Let me know how it turns out.

-- Anonymous, July 31, 2000