BAKING WITH SOURDOUGH STARTER 
Our last post told you how to get your starter going so you will have it ready to use to make your sourdough breads, cakes, pancakes, buns, muffins etc. Yes, sourdough starter can be used in all those baked goods and more. Once you have your sourdough starter bubbling away, you are ready to use it is a variety of recipes. Don't use all of the starter at once, but always keep some to feed and use to start the next time you want to bake.
The Day Before Baking
 Making sourdough breads means you have to think a little ahead, as the starter needs to be removed from the fridge and some of it used to make the starter you wish to use the next day. You will need to consider how much starter is needed for your recipe in order to determine how much starter you need to take out. A small amount of starter when fed with flour and water will make enough sourdough starter for a 4 loaf batch or bread that we usually make with our Bosch Universal machines. Just remember the ratios of one part sourdough starter to one part water to just under 2 parts flour. Mix them together and let sit out on the counter, 8 hours and then repeat the process again so that the sourdough has been sitting out 16 to 24 hours before you will use it to bake. It should be bubbly and light with the wonderful pungent smell.
The original sourdough starter can also be fed with some flour and water and mixed and let sit on the counter for 8 hours before returning to the fridge for storage. If you don't use all the sourdough starter that you have prepped for your baking save the remaing and make some easy and quick sourdough pancakes. (recipe below)
It is perfectly acceptable, however, to use a different flour or combination of flours as the ingredient in the sourdough bread recipe. For instance, if a recipe calls for 2 cups flour, you may wish to use 1 cup rye flour and 1 cup wheat flour, regardless of the type of starter used. Be aware that your starter has been consistently fed with one flour so it is used to that flour as food. The starter may act differently in baking when a new flour is introduced. If the dried starter calls for rye flour then that is what you use to start it and feed it all along until you go to use it, so if you have Desem Wheat sourdough starter you use whole wheat flour, or if you have Swedish Rye starter then you use rye flour. After the starters are bubbling and happy, you can then add a different flour when you go to use them in the recipe.
Now You're Ready to Go!!
When making bread with a Bosch Universal Plus Mixer or even our smaller Bosch Compact or Bosch Styline mixers, we always put the liquids in the bowl first, so that is when the starter is put into the mixture. We put in 1/2 the flour the recipe calls for and then add the remaining flour while the machine is kneading on speed one. Always start with the least amount of flour called for and slowly work your way up, gauging the texture of the dough as you go. Adding flour gradually allows for adjustments due to the hydration level of your starter as well as the humidity on a particular day. Moist dough is preferable to dry dough. The dough should just come together in a ball that pulls away from the bowl, but it should also remain moist. We add the flour until the sides of the ball are fairly clean with white flour, or just starting to come clean when using a grain flour.
Once the dough has been kneaded for 5 to 6 min. if it is white flour or 8 to 10 min. if it is whole grain flour, you can choose to let it proof in the bowl or take it out of the bowl and let it proof, or rise for the first time. A warm, draft free area would be preferable.
 You can also choose not to proof it as sourdough dough unlike regular baker's yeast dough, does not need to be proofed twice. When working with sourdough (as opposed to baker’s yeast), a second proofing is not required. Once the dough is kneaded well, shape it, place it in the pan and cover it with a damp cloth or paper towel. Place it in a warm location (70° to 85°F) to rise.
For baking, preheat the oven. Slash the loaf with a very sharp knife to create a bit more rise in the oven. Then bake until the internal temperature has reached 210°F. Remove the bread from the pan and cool completely before cutting.
Try some of these great sourdough recipes with your new starter: Click here to see starters.
Rye Sourdough Farm Loaf Sourdough French Bread
Basic White Sourdough Bread Basic Sourdough Pancakes
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Making sourdough breads means you have to think a little ahead, as the starter needs to be removed from the fridge and some of it used to make the starter you wish to use the next day. You will need to consider how much starter is needed for your recipe in order to determine how much starter you need to take out. A small amount of starter when fed with flour and water will make enough sourdough starter for a 4 loaf batch or bread that we usually make with our Bosch Universal machines. Just remember the ratios of one part sourdough starter to one part water to just under 2 parts flour. Mix them together and let sit out on the counter, 8 hours and then repeat the process again so that the sourdough has been sitting out 16 to 24 hours before you will use it to bake. It should be bubbly and light with the wonderful pungent smell. 
when you go to use them in the recipe.
You can also choose not to proof it as sourdough dough unlike regular baker's yeast dough, does not need to be proofed twice. 
