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Barm

The second step in making sourdough bread.

From the book The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart

Total Time	2 days
Yield	6 cups

Introduction

Creating a barm, or mother starter, is the second step in making sourdough bread.

Ingredients

	3½	cups (16 ounces) unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
	2	cups (16 ounces) water, at room temperature
	1	cup (7 ounces) Seed Culture

Steps

Stir together the flour, water, and seed culture in a mixing bowl. (You can discard the remaining seed culture or give it to a friend to build into his or her own barm.) Make sure the seed culture is evenly distributed and all the flour is hydrated. It will make a wet, sticky sponge.
Transfer the sponge to a clean plastic, glass, or ceramic storage container twice as large as the barm. While transferring the barm into the container, repeatedly dip your hand, spatula, or bowl scraper in water to keep the barm from sticking to it.
Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap and ferment at room temperature for approximately 6 hours, or until the barm is bubbly. The plastic wrap (or plastic lid) will swell like a balloon; when this happens, open the lid or release the plastic to let the gas escape.
Replace the cover and refrigerate overnight before using. The barm will be ready to use the next day and will remain potent for three days.

Notes

Read more about making homemade bread in Melissa Lion’s essay, “The sourdough apprentice.”

This content is from the book The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart.

Seed Culture

The first step in making sourdough bread

Sourdough made simple

How to make your own starter

‘Sourdough fever’s got me’

Making starter at home

The sourdough apprentice

Two weeks, five pounds of flour, one loaf

Tags

baking,
bread,
sourdough,
techniques,
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There are 12 comments on this item

Unrated

8% recommend this recipe

1. by Fiksu on Nov 21, 2008 at 7:47 AM PST

I love the word barm. I also enjoy things that take a few extra steps, a few extra days, even. It definitely adds to the enjoyment of the finished product

2. by Jennifer on Nov 21, 2008 at 9:51 AM PST

I had never heard the term “barm” before -- thanks for the lesson!

3. by ky2here on Nov 21, 2008 at 3:43 PM PST

Me too, I wasn’t familiar with ‘barm’ but it’s just common sense. It reminds me of that friendship bread that used to travel round and round. Booze bread may have been a better name as I recall. I love sourdough bread. This isn’t that complicated - just sequential.

4. by anonymous on Nov 21, 2008 at 9:03 PM PST

I never realized there are different steps to making sourdough bread. I love to cook and am always interested in learning new things about cooking/baking. Thanks for keeping us informed.

5. by clc408 on Nov 22, 2008 at 4:14 AM PST

I’ve tried to research sourdough before and have never come across information this detailed and informative. I’m impressed.

6. by anonymous on Nov 22, 2008 at 6:35 AM PST

I have always wanted to try a sourdough bread, but was uncertain how to start. Thank you for the instructions!
smchester at gmail dot com

7. by anonymous on Nov 23, 2008 at 4:32 AM PST

We used to have a sourdough starter that kept in the fridge for months, if not years. Every few days, we’d take it out and feed it a little flour. I called him Jimmy, and he made yummy sourdough :)

8. by rosewx12 on Nov 23, 2008 at 7:10 AM PST

Hmm, I may have to try again using these recipes. My last attempt at sour dough was VERY sour and rather dense.

9. by mariana on Nov 23, 2008 at 10:35 AM PST

I never heard of the word “barm” before. I learned a new word today!

10. by kittylink on Nov 23, 2008 at 11:48 AM PST

sounds easy enough

11. by Suzanne on Nov 23, 2008 at 7:56 PM PST

Well gee, like some others I had never heard of the term ‘barm’. I am starting to feel a little more brave to try sour dough again. First time I did it was not so good.

12. by elsmarlouamrman on Nov 24, 2008 at 6:36 AM PST

Never heard of “barm”. Have made sourdough bread before with my daughter when she was working on a GS badge. Thanks for this chance to win!

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