Sourdough Starter

My sourdough starter: Freshly fed and happily active.

This is a natural starter. I mixed 1 part unbleached bread flour to 1 part warm water and left it in a warm spot for about a week (after the first 2 days I covered it with clear film). Wild yeasts from the air will start to activate the dough over time. This can take anywhere from 1 to 10 days. Every 12 hours the starter should be 'fed.' Remove one cup of starter from the bowl to throw away (while doing this, skim any gunk from the top as well). Then add 1/2 a cup of flour and 1/2 a cup of warm water and mix. By feeding the starter two things are accomplished. First, it keeps the starter active because the yeast has something to eat. Secondly, feeding the starter encourages the yeast to be active and discourages bad bacterias from taking over and eating the yeast. (More scientific accounts can be found if you google sourdough). Once the starter looks healthy (doesn't smell off, is a good creamy color) and active transfer to a jar and store in the refridgerator. Feed at least every two days in the same manner.

I will be making sourdough bread soon, check back.

A fantastic resource for learning how to make your own sourdough starter and bread can be found here on the eGullet forums. (You can also order starter here if you are not prepared to make your own.)

Comments

[Melissa]

Yes, looks good...and very happy too. Nothing compares to a happy sourdough starter :) Love it!

[gemma]

Thanks Melissa. It is a pleasure to have a happy starter. All cooking is a creative process, but watching something actually grow is amazing and quite rewarding.

You have have very neat site, I like it!

[Vito]

Well?

How did it work. I'm trying to find somone that has the different stages of starter online.
So far I am winging it .. I just need someone that can confirm what my starter should look like... ;)

v.

[gemma]

Vito, if you follow the link in my post to the eGullet forums you will find the closest thing to a step-by-step guide to sourdough as I have found. Good luck! If it smells off or it becomes discolored (orange-ish, usually), try to spoon off and discard the bad stuff and refresh the starter. Hopefully the good bacterias will take over again. If this doesn't work after the first try, it is generally best to throw out the starter and begin again.