So, I got some some kefir starter on Friday evening and I've been a busy girl

Let's play catch up first. I live in Kenya "hence ...miss fit kenya" born and raised here. Sometimes it's difficult finding some ingredients here, the last few years, it's become better. However, speciality stores haven't come up and things like cultures are not yet commercially available...which is why Kefir is a big deal to me.....Can't find it in stores....

I got some milk kefir starter from a friend of mine Friday evening. I have never met her, she sent the office messenger, but I know her because she is a fitness friend, and we share that online bond (Thanks Judy aka Nimo Mimo). The origin of the kefir is Cyprus, through another fitness and health friend (thanks Daisy!), who brought the Kefir to Kenya, and now our little Kefir community is growing.

Kefir is cultured from milk. Whilst one can confuse it with yoghurt, it isn't yoghurt. The difference being in the micro organisms present in each and the fermentation process. Kefir contains beneficial bacteria and fungi while yoghurt is cultured from bacteria. Kefir has a tart taste while yoghurt is mild, the former is also fermented at room temperature which means it takes longer to ferment than yoghurt which is made in a warm, controlled environment. Both have health benefits which I won't go through right now.

I have been a busy girl.


I make yoghurt at home, so on receiving the kefir, I knew it needed to be fed so that I don't compromise the bacteria and yeast in it. I fermented my first batch that very night.

The next morning, (Saturday) I fed my kefir to bulk it up a bit because I intended to try out kefir sour dough bread and I needed more. The days are warm so by evening, I had a decent amount of which half I used to make a kefir starter dough. Unfortunately I didn't take a photo of that, I was in a hurry, it was date night with hubby and this pregnancy has made me an ugly duckling, it takes much longer to get ready (and pretty).

The starter is made by making a dough of flour with the kefir. I used white flour, which I don't mind using because the culturing process transforms the dough eating away the gluten and adding all sorts of good nutrition in it.

This morning, I was pleasantly surprised to find my starter bubbling with life, it had doubled in size (or more) and was definitely ready for use. Please refer to my blog on sour dough bread of which you will find it takes much longer for that kind of starter to be ready.

http://missfitkenya.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-to-do-your-own-sour-dough-bread.html

As I write I am waiting for the final rise in my dough and to put it in the oven. Here is the process.....

1. Take your kefir starter, add bread flour, salt, honey, durum flour or rye flour, water, some yeast....I usually eyeball my quantities which my husband hates....he's very precise, I was brought up using my hands and eyes to measure in the kitchen. If you want I can approximate the amount.

Mix these into a dough, cover with a wet cloth or cling film, leave to rise to double the size... (about one hour or slightly more)

(Note: Rye flour and durum flour are heavy flours and tend to produce very dense breads. For beginners and those who like lighter breads, I would advice you use wholemeal bread flour instead or spelt. We like dense breads and have grown accustomed to them )

Kefir starter made into a dough with addition of other ingredients

And the dough has doubled in size....

Now, knead the dough and divide it, putting it into oiled bread tins according to how much bread you have made. Cover with oiled cling film which makes it easier to remove if the bread rises above this. This second rise should also take about an hour. 

Just put the dough, now waiting for it to rise.....

And what did I do with the remaining Kefir? I took some, put in a jar and into the freezer so that I don't lose starter, and the rest I "fed" and put in the fridge to use in some recipe or another (smoothie, pancake mix, as a drink on it's own...)

This batch was going into the fridge

Now waiting for the rise after which I should bake it for about 45 minutes....Since this is a first, lets hope the results are edible :-)

The result was good.  The loaf turned yellow becaise of tge durum and had a characteristic dour taste of sour dough bread blended in with durum which also has it's own peculiar taste.  A dense bread great for open sandwiches.