565778 Sat Oct 18 22:14:16 -0700 2008 4 31 Home Cooking 0 4113800 I was just lent some sourdough starter from the Cheeseboard, and I don't bake enough sourdough bread to make good use of it. I know that yeast (the industrial kind) has only been around for about 150 yrs. Pan dulce has been around for longer than that in mexico. I want to know if it is possible (and "normal") to use this to make pan resobado, conchas, pan de yema, or molletes. Any info would be great. Sat Oct 18 22:14:17 -0700 2008 227302 kirinraj 1 4113877 Inasmuch as sourdough starter is an effective leavening agent, I suppose it could be used as an ingredient in pan dulce in place of packaged yeast. I just don't know why you'd want to begin building a pan dulce - a sweet bread - with a sourdough starter. I might try using it if it hadn't soured to the extent that it imposed a dramatic influence on the flavor of the finished recipe but I'd want to be pretty careful to ensure that the sugar in the pan dulce was enough to compensate for the sourdough preparation. Sat Oct 18 23:41:50 -0700 2008 4113800 203621 todao 2 4114123 Thanks. Would it work in a bolillo? Teleras and bolillos might benefit from a little extra flavor, especially compared to most US versions. Sun Oct 19 08:09:37 -0700 2008 4113877 227302 kirinraj 3 4114518 Within the variety of leavening agents available to us, we will find a certain degree of variation in their performance in baked breads and other recipes that call for leavening agents. Most of the performance variation will depend upon other ingredients that we include in our recipe. Baking powder and baking soda will perform somewhat differently depending on the amount of acid in the recipe. Yeast recipes will perform differently depending on temperature, humidity, and other factors. My suggestion would be, if you want to learn and develop your culinary skills, never be afraid to experiment. Not all of my experiments have been successful, but I've learned something from each of my failures. Most of my failures, while they might not have had the flavor or texture I had hoped for, were fit to eat. Those that weren't met their fate in the land fill or, if he'd eat them, the dog. Sun Oct 19 12:31:46 -0700 2008 4114123 203621 todao 4 4114550 Thanks for the advice. I've mixed the dough earlier today, and it seems to be rising well. It'll be ready to bake at about 5-ish (california time) Sun Oct 19 12:51:08 -0700 2008 4114518 227302 kirinraj