Holy crap. I love sourdough. I currently am keeping a starter as a pet. Feeding Victoria everyday, and I am rewarded with some absolutely wunderbar bread. This is an easy to start process, it just requires a few days of your occasional attention. So basically everywhere we go, there are very specific yeasts just floating around BEGGING to eat your flour and water concoction, and what they give you is a tangy, zippy dough starter.
Now here's the thing. This is essentially fermenting flour and some fruit flies can't resist. I keep mine in a gladware container that is airtight. Plus I'm sure you have one laying around.
Okay NOW we can start:
1/2 c. bread flour (easily found at the grocery store, but AP will do)
1/4 c. room 80F(if it feels slightly warm, but not cold water.)
Stir these bastards together and seal them in your airtight container.
Come back the next day(at least 12 hours) and do the same thing. And then the next day, and then the next day and then the next day, and then the next day. Same measurements....and then the next day, and then the next day. Get my drift? Like cats, and dogs, and children it likes to be fed every day. But this initial mixing in will get ya started.
Alright, once your little yeast monster is established and you happen to forget to feed it one day, just feed it extra. There is a sourdough out in the world that is 150 years old, so its easy to maintain.
If it has a pungent smell and is all gooey and bubbly, you've succeeded at something. Call your mom, she'll be so proud.
I hate to complain but don't you think AP Flour and Bread Flour aren't the BEST for starting a starter. We need bacteria and we need yeast - rye and whole wheat is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteI suppose, but my baking books don't seem to mind bread flour...
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to ease people into sourdough. I will definitely get into wacky sourdoughs like apple starters and potato starters because I am a huge bread nerd.
But first, baby steps.
If I had a sourdough pet, I'd name it Audrey 3.
ReplyDelete