My son (then in 3rd grade) and I, of course, set up a whole science fair project doing exactly this. A difference is that he soaked the grapes (and also organic apple peels and dried fruits) in water which was then used to make the starters. I made bread every day from the discards. We ditched the science after the fair and kept one starter going for many months. What I loved was how the starters smelled from day to day- sometimes like honey, or beer or orchards- or sour sour sour! After the commitment to science was over, we also ditched recipes and measurements. All of our breads were made by whim and feel- a rye one day, whole wheat on another, pancakes to rustic accompaniments to hearty soups... Only a couple out of maybe 60+ loaves were duds. Really fun. All the talk about poolish, biga, chefs and lelvain has a place, I guess, but making bread is not that hard at all.
June 5, 2019 at 11:45pm