I recently started my own sourdough starter - mostly just on a lark. I was curious what was living in my kitchen. Meeting my bacterial neighbors, and then eating them!
I had no idea the starter could be neglected that long. I felt bad when I left mine alone in the fridge for 9 days recently, but it was my first week in the fridge so I guess I’m overly cautious.
What is the recommended course of action to get started? Are any of the dry packaged starters worth using, or is there a starter exchange group on the Interwebz?
This looks interesting:
Authentic Einkorn Sourdough Starter 4oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N14QFZK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_nOoKCbTFG3T34
Sourdough starter is a lot like honey: it’s localized. The bacteria is going to be different, and that’s not a bad thing. What will grow in your starter is very much dependent on what will grow in your environment, so trying to force the bacteria from someplace thousands of miles away (and a very different climate) is an exercise in frustration.
Celebrate the starter you have, not the starter you wish you could have if you lived someplace completely different!
My starter originally came from France, by way of the Netherlands, and rather quickly became very different from what was given to me. Different smell, different color tone…it’s good, just different. That’s how it goes.
Wow… That is pretty impressive.
Can you freeze it? I get balls of yeast bread/pizza dough at the supermarket, frozen, toss them in the freezer, take them out a couple weeks later, and let thaw, and the dough rises fine.
I’d show you the latest with apples, cinnamon and honey … but I ate it.
There’s lots of different instructions on the web. Some are very complicated for a process that ultimately consists of mixing flour and liquid together and letting whatever yeasts are floating around go to town.
I’ve used this one and enjoy the resulting bread, so take that for what it’s worth:
There’s a written description for those who prefer that to videos.
Allegedly pineapple juice has a good mix of characteristics for ‘kickstarting’ the starter.
I made the current batch about 5 years ago and it’s lived happily in the fridge ever since with a quick top of fresh flour and water after I use some which is about once a week.
I did not use purified water.
These are the instructions I used, personally:
Around day 10 or so it kinda plateaued in development and wasn’t doubling so the only thing I did differently is giving it some rye flour at that point to help it along, which worked wonderfully.
I’ve never used anyone else’s starter or bought one so I wouldn’t know if they’re worth it. Making my own was a fun science experiment, so that was the real deciding factor for me.
I was curious a bit back and found there’s starters for sale on Etsy too. One of them is named “Bella” haha. Seems to me starting with a purchased starter would be a fine way to begin, but you wouldn’t have to, the yeast you want is already living in your home you just have to make a home for it.
I’m wondering then, if there’s anything to the idea that age of the starter matters. As in “I’m using a starter that my great great grandmother carried from [exotic place] in 1901.” Sounds neat, but maybe that is as far as it goes.
I think people like that for the same reason one might be excited to eat a traditional dish or hold an antique or raise an heirloom plant - different starters ARE unique, since the bacteria profile varies, so I think it must be like, feeling like you’re part of a very old tradition working with the same little underdog yeast to make the same bread.
Starting a new one is a very old tradition too though =)
I HAVE heard that San Francisco sourdough is particularly good, but I’ve never had it so I can’t say.
I have had my starter for ten years. What I like is I know it and how long it takes to cycle, etc. It’s how I get consistent, awesome bread.
Mine smells like Parkdale.
I have a starter in the fridge that I wake up whenever I think I’ve neglected the family by not making good sourdough bread.
It’s always an experiment/adventure, because sometimes it makes delicious bread, sometimes it makes dwarf bread. When it’s dwarf bread, I know I’ve waited too long (perhaps years, sometimes) and not given it enough food time to start thriving again.
Over the years, I’ve been given starter, made my own with flour, water, and rotting grapes, and used dried granules from the Oregon Trail. The Oregon Trail stuff makes the best tasting bread (when used with King Arthur bread flour) according to the guys, and I’ve gone 6 months between uses. It lives in a mason jar in the fridge.
I’ve frozen my soudough dough, but only for a few days. It made delicious rolls.
No idea if longer freezing makes a difference.
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