While not quite ready to post a pic, I’ve got decent sourdough. The warmer weather has really helped.
Bonus story. While in the Tibetan borderlands of Shangri-la (aka Zhongdian aka Gylthang) last weekend, I bought a few pounds of yak butter and yak cheese, and brought them home Sunday. Made a small loaf of sourdough, baked it for breakfast, and then enjoyed fresh baked bread with yak butter. It just don’t get any better than that. 
I just started my starter this weekend (Goldrush starter packet). China Guy, have you tried leaving the starter in the oven with the light on? I refrigerate my apartment so that’s the solution I hit upon (recommended online). Also, every source I’ve read states not to add sugar or commercial yeast to it.
I’m contemplating feeding my sponge with beer. Seems like it would improve the taste or am I going to kill it?
Thanls for bumping this thread - I missed it the first time around. I might right to Carl’s Friends and try some myself. I’ve been baking some dynamite white bread.
StG
well, since it’s bumped. My sourdough has been pretty good. Looks, tastes and texture like good sourdough.
Still tends to collapse a bit even after refridgerating the dough overnight. Actually collapses when I try to score the dough with a razor.
The pan of water in the oven works great to make thick crust in an easy way. Pizza stone makes for a good crusty bottom.
I’ve added beer to both the starter and the spoonge and it’s been good.
The bread doesn’t come out as sour as I would like but i’ll keep Carl’s yeast going
Well, Oscar (my starter/mother sponge), is already souring up quite nicely in the oven. I think I’m going to give him a week of feedings before I try to bake a loaf out of him.
I was at one of my fave stores (Cost Plus World Market) and saw a pizza stone for 12$ and figured it would be good for the bread-making so I purchased it. Good to know that it’s going to result in the desired effect.
On another note, I’ve started making my own cheeses…just finished a chevre last night…can’t wait until Oscar ripens so I can have some bread with it!
Perfectly normal.
Since I assume it’s not collapsing to a flat mush of dough…
If you touch it, some of the bubbles inside will break, if you cut it, you’re breaking LOTS of bubbles… and it’ll sag a bit. Don’t worry, that all works out in the bake. Better that than a huge break in the side as it expands under a “set” crust.
Sounds like you might be slightly overproving it. Check out the eGullet Demo on Proving Bread if you haven’t already.
Are you baking cold? I’ve found this is the easiest way to avoid both collapsing dough and overproving.