How to start a sour dough starter

[DrakeMaiden]

Dace it sounds like things are looking up. Just keep doing what you are doing . . . it may just take a little time to stabilize. Also, depending upon your house temperature, if it gets really warm that can be hard on the starter too, and may require twice as many feedings to keep it happy (if you are over 80 degrees F, if I remember correctly).

I wish I could find the King Arthur flour in anything larger than a 5# bag, but I haven't been able to either. I have found a source of relatively locally grown wheat flour in 25# bags, but I would have to get it in Seattle and that is a bit of a trip for me, so I haven't bothered yet. The rye flour I get is also in a teeny bag, but it usually lasts me for a month or more, depending on what I bake that month.

As far as whether to keep the starter growing in the house or whether to refrigerate . . . I guess that is a decision we each have to make for ourselves. It is interesting to note that keeping it out may (under some conditions) lead to a more sour starter. Since my house is pretty cold in the winter, I don't think keeping my starter refrigerated is going to make much of a difference in the quality of bread that I bake. My starter has had to adjust to living in a chilly house anyway, half the year. I guess I personally don't need mine to be as sour as possible, since I tend to use it exclusively (I don't buy commercial yeast anymore) and sometimes don't want as sour of a flavor in what I am baking.

 

[ORChick]

Drake, you are in Washington, aren't you? You might want to check this place out for your flour; they are outside of Portland: http://www.azurestandard.com/ Delivery is free, under certain circumstances - if there is an established drop off point near enough for you to get to they leave the order there, and you pick it up (a minimum order is required). I have ordered grains from them, and been quite satisfied. I have an order in right now for organic unbleached flour, and some beans. (They have a number of things that I wouldn't ever want, but they also have organic grains, flours, beans.)

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Speakng of commercial yeast, I used to buy it in bulk. I was almost out and dreading having to pay the ridiculously high cost for that little jar in the grocery store. But I found a pretty big bag vacuum sealed for only $4 and bought that.

Now I kinda wonder if I will ever use it up, if my starter works. I guess I can't complain though. It's still cheaper than a jar from the store and I doubt I'll run out before it expires (which isn't for quite a while).

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Drake, you are in Washington, aren't you? You might want to check this place out for your flour; they are outside of Portland: http://www.azurestandard.com/

You are right ORChick. I have been thinking on and off about ordering from them for about 5 years now, and I found out at the beginning of this year that someone I am acquainted with is ordering from them, so I could combine orders with them. I just haven't stepped up and done the heavy lifting yet. Thanks for the reminder though! I think they also sell poultry feed, right?

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Shiloh Acres: I wouldn't worry about it. You can freeze some of it for back-up. I still have some yeast that I bought in bulk YEARS ago in my fridge (only ever stored in the fridge, never did store it in the freezer) and it still works. On days when I want something like pizza dough, but haven't planned in the hours it will take with the sourdough starter or else if the sourdough starter is in the fridge, I will use some of that rather old yeast. But that is a very rare exception for me. I think I have used it twice this entire year and I am thankful it still performs!

 

[ORChick]

Drake, you are in Washington, aren't you? You might want to check this place out for your flour; they are outside of Portland: http://www.azurestandard.com/

You are right ORChick. I have been thinking on and off about ordering from them for about 5 years now, and I found out at the beginning of this year that someone I am acquainted with is ordering from them, so I could combine orders with them. I just haven't stepped up and done the heavy lifting yet. Thanks for the reminder though! I think they also sell poultry feed, right?

I didn't know that! But I just looked, and yes they do! Organic, and soy and corn free - and "local" - that is, Product of Oregon. Thanks for pointing me in that direction.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I didn't know that! But I just looked, and yes they do! Organic, and soy and corn free - and "local" - that is, Product of Oregon. Thanks for pointing me in that direction.

Hey, you're welcome! It is one of the reasons I keep thinking I really need to start ordering from them.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Shiloh Acres: I wouldn't worry about it. You can freeze some of it for back-up. I still have some yeast that I bought in bulk YEARS ago in my fridge (only ever stored in the fridge, never did store it in the freezer) and it still works. On days when I want something like pizza dough, but haven't planned in the hours it will take with the sourdough starter or else if the sourdough starter is in the fridge, I will use some of that rather old yeast. But that is a very rare exception for me. I think I have used it twice this entire year and I am thankful it still performs!

Thanks for the info!!!

I just used up my last remaining old yeast. I'll pack some of this for the freezer and put some in the fridge. I never tried to use it past the date. Very good to know!

And I just started using a pizza dough recipe that doesn't even require rising or any delay at all but makes a decent crust ( decent, not great, but whaddayawant for a 15 minute start to oven-ready pizza).

I'll probably never have to buy yeast again!

Thanks!!!

 

[ORChick]

Speaking of yeast (on a sourdough thread ), I buy mine at the health food store, out of a bulk gallon jar in the refrigerated section. I keep it in a clamp top & rubber gasket glass jar in the freezer. I have never had a problem with it not working. --The glass jar keeps everything nice and dry--

 

[Dace]

I keep my yeast in the freezer and just keep a small sized refilable jar in the frig.

So I think my starter was struggling because we were extremely hot here. ORchick mentioned the heat and I realized that my starter seemed to tank about the time the house was hitting 90degrees....now it has cooled down a bit and the starter looks good.

I'd like to try baking....gonna look into that today and hopefully bake tomorrow!