May 13, 2011 - 4:57pm
First sourdough loaf rather bitter, any idea why?
I decided to give my starter, which is maybe only a week and a half old, a go at baking something since it smells good and has a lot of rise.
I tried this recipe: http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2008/11/05/more-sour-sourdough/ Only 1 loaf, just in case.
The loaf rose good, looked good and smelled good. And at first it tasted good. But after cooling, I noticed that it tasted significantly more bitter. Not sour as a sourdough with rye might be, but just plain bitter.
Any ideas as to what might cause this? Might my starter just not be mature yet?
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The name is more sour sourdough so that's what you made. 23g salt?
Jim
Hi, Bread.
My hunch is that the bitterness comes from the increased rye. The only thing in this bread that has a bitter flavor is the bran in the whole grain rye. I would look to the freshness of your rye flour.
On the other hand, I've often found that the grassy/bitter flavor disappears by 24 hours afterwards, so don't give up on this loaf too soon.
David
-jcking
There is a difference between bitter and sour, though. I've eaten sourdoughs before, this just happens to be my personal first attempt at making one.
-dmsnyder
I think you're on the right track, come to think of it my rye isn't very fresh at all anymore. But I'll see how the loaf is after waiting for awhile just in case.
The recipe is called "A more sour sourdough." Did the SD you tasted come from a grocer or a bakery? Did you make a full batch; 4 loaves? Did you change any of the ingredients?
I didn't make a full batch, but I kept everything proportionate. I wouldn't think that would have an effect, but I could be wrong.
And I still maintain that there is a difference between sour and bitter, or the earthy flavor of rye and bitterness. But I don't want to start an argument over it so I'll just drop it.
Yes there is a difference, yet that is in the eyes of the recipe writer; his more sour may be bitter to you or even me. Sorry I wasn't questioning your taste preference. A rough look at the recipe gives about a 40% of the starter this would normally make it more sour. If the rye flour isn't the problem cut back on the starter to 400g. I would also cut the salt back a little, say 20g.
I had very bitter bread when I wasn't feeding my new starter enough. If the temps in your house are high your starter may need to be fed more often.
To follow up, today I made another bread with an very similar recipe but way less rye, and it turned out quite good. So it must be my rye and not the starter. Which is good, I can bake more!