Sourdough Starter Recipe
In another board, there was an inquiry about buying sourdough starter. This past weekend, I decided to pitch mine because it had an odd odor, and started another. Only on it’s third day, it’s already active, but not ready to use. However, it is so simple I thought I would share it and like this thread to the original poster’s thread.
Some advocate using juice, grape or apple skins, etc to get the acidity and the naturally occurring yeasts from these, but I didn’t this time. Once, I cheated by rinsing out the yeast from the bottom of a Belgian beer when I was doing a discard & feed cycle. The starter took on an even better flavor.
The consensus seems to be to do bread & starter recipes by weight. I’m posting in metric, but those using primitive measuring systems :-) can convert using 30g = 1 ounce.
- 60 g unbleached rye flour
- 60 g lukewarm tap water
- 60 g unbleached whole wheat flout
- I like to use a straight-sided glass jar–I think mine was for nacho sauce originally–as it allows me to see what’s happening below the surface and it is easier to scrape down the sides and keep them clean.
- Day 1: Mix the rye flour (you can substitute whole wheat if you prefer) and water in equal proportions by weight and mix thoroughly. Scrap down the sides with a spatula and place the top of the jar loosely on the jar. I left it on a back corner of the counter.
- Day 2: Mix in 60 g of whole wheat flour and 60 g of water, scrape down the sides and place top loosely on the jar. (Some people throw away half the first day, but I didn’t.)
- Day 3: I had activity: Lots of bubbles below the surface. Don’t despair if you don’t see activity, it might just take another day or two of the process before you see results. I threw away about half by volume and mixed in 60 g each of whole wheat flour and water and put it back loosely covered in its resting place.
- Repeat the Day 3 instructions every day for at least a week. After about a week to 10 days, your starter culture should be active enough to use. At this point, instead of throwing away half each day, you might want to put the discard into a jar in the refrigerator to be added to pancakes and other similar things.
- Once the culture it ready, you have the option of repeating the discard and feed step every day or putting it in the refrigerator. To reactivate the starter from the refrigerator, just take it out the day before you want to use it, discard half and recharge it with 60 g each of flour and water.
- As long as the starter smells "good"–yeasty and bready–keep using it. If clear liquid forms on the top, just stir it in; it’s hootch. If your starter ever changes color or smells “off”, discard it.
- When using the starter, remember to only use half & keep half!
Member recipes are not tested by the CHOW food team.
I have tried twice to make starter. After 24hrs, it is full of bubbles and frothy on the top but nowhere have I read that starter can be ready to use in 24hrs so I discard half and mix in equal flour and water for a few days and what I have is a starter without bubbles or froth with a layer of liquid on top. Can someone advise me on what to do? Do I try to use it after 24hrs or keep discarding...+READ
I have tried twice to make starter. After 24hrs, it is full of bubbles and frothy on the top but nowhere have I read that starter can be ready to use in 24hrs so I discard half and mix in equal flour and water for a few days and what I have is a starter without bubbles or froth with a layer of liquid on top. Can someone advise me on what to do? Do I try to use it after 24hrs or keep discarding and adding until I see bubbles reappear?-COLLAPSE
so, am i right in thinking that once you've got the starter going, you can cap it off (ie no need to let air circulate) both in and out of the fridge? or do the yeasties die that way? what's the best way to store a starter? and does anyone have any bread recipes using starter? i'm stumped but i have a delicious smelling bubbling brew just waiting to be used/stored...
=)
Oh, you're Canadian. That explains the tongue-in-cheek pseudo-snobbiness concerning the U.S.'s antiquated measuring system (we like it already, so let us be! :-)). As a Pacific Coaster, I'm mad for good sourdough, and it's IMPOSSIBLE to find in Southern California; fair is the best we have here. Are you at all familiar with Boudin Bakery in San Francisco and their out-of-this-world, best-ever...+READ
Oh, you're Canadian. That explains the tongue-in-cheek pseudo-snobbiness concerning the U.S.'s antiquated measuring system (we like it already, so let us be! :-)). As a Pacific Coaster, I'm mad for good sourdough, and it's IMPOSSIBLE to find in Southern California; fair is the best we have here. Are you at all familiar with Boudin Bakery in San Francisco and their out-of-this-world, best-ever sourdough? If so, is your recipe at all comparable? This is an awful lot of work, and I'm not willing to go through it all if it doesn't produce truly excellent sourdough.-COLLAPSE