Comment by Gail Gibbs on March 31, 2010 at 6:40am

Where do we find how to make the NL starter?

Comment by James Simmons on March 31, 2010 at 6:50am

The instructions for making naturally leavened starter are in the free downloadable Daniel's Challenge in Kitchen Challenge Five recipes.

Comment by Janet Rife on April 30, 2010 at 6:06am

I just made my first NL bread and it turned out great and my family loved it!

Comment by Sue Crosby on July 20, 2010 at 8:15am

Are there any refrigeration rules on the starter? Can I put it right back in the refrigerator after I feed it or should it sit out for awhile. Do I need to let it sit at room temperature awhile before making bread?

Comment by James Simmons on July 20, 2010 at 1:27pm

After we feed our starter, we generally put it right back into the refrigerator. Feeding occurs in the refrigerator, just at a much slower pace. When making bread, the kneading process warms up refrigerated starter until it is activated; there is no need to allow it to sit at room temperature. We used to do this but now skip this step, as we have found it to be completely unnecessary.

Comment by James Simmons on July 20, 2010 at 1:28pm

Way to go Janet; as you teach a few others to do so, you will become a true pro. Once you are very comfortable with the process, you will find that the dough can be used for all sorts of fun things. Be as creative as your heart desires!

Comment by Leanna Hunt on February 28, 2011 at 5:33pm

my bread came out really dense...my started was bubbling, so I knew it was active...could I be using the wrong flour? or maybe I didn't grind it fine enough? Any tips would be helpful...I want my loaves to turn out like yours!

Comment by James Simmons on March 4, 2011 at 8:02am

Leanna, The first few loaves we made turned out like hockey pucks:) It gets better. Here are some thoughts for you:

First, the type of flour you are using makes a difference. Grind it fresh and we use hard white wheat; the protein count is 13% in the grain we use. The higher the protein count the longer the whole process takes. If your wheat is old and it hasn't been stored in a cool place it doesn't work as well. Also, during the past few weeks the weather has been on again and off again switching between warm and cold. This is the hardest time of the year to make bread consistently. When it is drafty it takes so much longer to rise properly. Be sure to not add too much flour when you are making the dough, just enough so the dough pulls cleanly from the side of the mixing bowl. Colleen and I will schedule and event for this month for local residents who would like to watch and participate in learning to make the bread. Today is a great day for making bread, because our house feels so good. Even in the wintertime we make bread easily. It's just the draftiness of Spring in this valley that is somewhat disruptive at times. Colleen also said to make sure that you allow it to rise full. Also, don't forget that after your starter becomes very active, freshen it a couple of times until the real sour flavor goes out of it, or your bread will be very sour. The starter should have a nice pleasant oder before you use it to make bread. If we wait too long between bread-making, we always freshen it twice before using it to mix up a batch of bread. Jim

Comment by Brooke Sadler on March 5, 2011 at 12:27pm

Jim,

I have a friend that I think would like to come to a demonstration/class. She's in Layton, but she may be able to come to wherever you'll be.

Comment by Shari Peterson on July 12, 2013 at 4:47pm

Wow - 450 degrees for 35 minutes!  I'm having such a hard time getting my loaves to turn out! The first rise is always great, but when I turn out the loaves, the dough is somewhat runny.  I try to shape them but the dough will not hold the shape well, so I just get them in the pans fast.  They take longer to rise the 2nd time, more like 4 to 5 hours.  I bake them at 375 for 30 minutes but the dough shrinks to about 1/2 the size.  The taste is ok, but is hardly a sandwich bread.  I will NOT give up!  I just don't know what I'm doing wrong.  Maybe I need to knead more on the initial knead.  Do you do the windowpane test? I knead for 10 minutes in my Bosch, but the dough will still not pass the windowpane test unless i knead more.  Also, I only make 2 loaves at a time.

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