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Recipes

Proto-Dough

By Alton Brown

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients

1

2/3 cups bread flour

1

teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast

1

teaspoon sugar

1

/2 500-mg vitamin C pill (not chewable), crushed

2

cups cups warm filtered or spring water (105°F to 115°F)

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Place 2 cups warm water in large clean sealable container. Add dry ingredients; whisk vigorously to combine. Cover container with lid slightly ajar; let stand in warm draft-free area 24 hours.

    Step 2

    After 24 hours, you can use the proto-dough in a recipe. Or you can develop the flavor by adding a cup each of warm water and bread flour, letting it stand, uncovered, at room temperature until foamy (about 2 hours) and stashing it, covered, in the fridge for at least 3 weeks. An alcohol-rich liquid will rise to the surface every few days; just whisk it back in. 'Feed' the proto-dough every time you take some to use in a recipe. For every cup taken, add a cup each of water and bread flour, let foam, and return to the fridge. Proto-dough can last for years, as long as you keep taking and feeding. To use proto-dough in a regular yeast recipe, replace the dry yeast and every cup of liquid (including dissolving liquid) with 1/2 cup of proto-dough, 5 ounces liquid, and 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast.

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