Dace
Revolution in Progress
I was searching thru here for SD starter recipes and branched out into the web. I found this, which has clear directions and is a similar to what Jesse had suggested.
Ingredients for natural sourdough starter:
1+1/2 cups plain white wheat flour (no substitutes)
2 cups mineral water or spring water, room temperature
1 handful of unwashed organic grapes, on their stem
more water and flour as described in this recipe
[edit]Steps
Stir 1-1/2 cups flour and 2 cups mineral water or spring water together in a large plastic or earthenware bowl. If your water is from a creek or stream, boil and allow to cool.
Add the bunch of grapes, pushing it into the batter. (or you may use plums, or any other fruit that has a natural "bloom" of yeast on the skin surface)
Cover the bowl lightly with a clean dish towel or cheesecloth, so that the starter gets air but no dust or bugs. Set it on your counter top, preferably in a warm place.
Every day stir in a tablespoon of water and a tablespoon of flour. This is called "feeding" the sourdough batter. In a couple days there should be signs of "starting"; namely, bubbling a bit as the yeasts feed on the starch and sugar. If this doesn't happen, discard the batch and begin again.
Continue feeding every day. Don't worry if the batter separates; this means when the water rises and the flour is lower. This is normal. After 5 or 6 days the starter will develop a good slightly sour smell. It is yeasty and not unpleasant.
Feed it for a couple more days and you'll get a batter similar to thick drippy pancake batter.
Remove and discard the grapes.
Cover the starter and refrigerate it. If you don't have refrigeration, keep as cool as possible and you need to feed and stir it every day to keep it healthy. Set it in a calm place in the creek or cool part of the house between feedings. If you begin to get too much batter (say to a gallon, discard the excess).
Take the starter out of refrigeration the evening before you use it. It takes four cups starter to make two loaves bread. Every time you use the starter, replenish it like this:
For each cup starter you remove, stir in 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup cool water.
If you don't use the starter every few days, keep it in the fridge and feed it at least once weekly or it will die. If it gets very yellow and doesn't "rise" before baking, discard and start again. Starters have been continued for decades. It is possible (though not always recommended) to freeze your starter and revive it at a later date.
[edit]Tips
This sourdough recipe has been used at a gold claim in British Columbia and it has sustained the people there continuously.
Avoid a starter recipe that calls for commercial yeast as a primary ingredient; it gets icky after a month or so.
You can find good recipes for sourdough bread, biscuits, cookies, sourdough pancakes etc., on wikiHow or the internet; just use this starter batter and not a commercial version suggested by any recipe.
[edit]Things You'll Need
Bowl - plastic, ceramic or earthenware
Wooden spoon (no metal!)
Dish towel or cheesecloth
Tablespoon (plastic, melamine etc., not metal)
Ingredients for natural sourdough starter:
1+1/2 cups plain white wheat flour (no substitutes)
2 cups mineral water or spring water, room temperature
1 handful of unwashed organic grapes, on their stem
more water and flour as described in this recipe
[edit]Steps
Stir 1-1/2 cups flour and 2 cups mineral water or spring water together in a large plastic or earthenware bowl. If your water is from a creek or stream, boil and allow to cool.
Add the bunch of grapes, pushing it into the batter. (or you may use plums, or any other fruit that has a natural "bloom" of yeast on the skin surface)
Cover the bowl lightly with a clean dish towel or cheesecloth, so that the starter gets air but no dust or bugs. Set it on your counter top, preferably in a warm place.
Every day stir in a tablespoon of water and a tablespoon of flour. This is called "feeding" the sourdough batter. In a couple days there should be signs of "starting"; namely, bubbling a bit as the yeasts feed on the starch and sugar. If this doesn't happen, discard the batch and begin again.
Continue feeding every day. Don't worry if the batter separates; this means when the water rises and the flour is lower. This is normal. After 5 or 6 days the starter will develop a good slightly sour smell. It is yeasty and not unpleasant.
Feed it for a couple more days and you'll get a batter similar to thick drippy pancake batter.
Remove and discard the grapes.
Cover the starter and refrigerate it. If you don't have refrigeration, keep as cool as possible and you need to feed and stir it every day to keep it healthy. Set it in a calm place in the creek or cool part of the house between feedings. If you begin to get too much batter (say to a gallon, discard the excess).
Take the starter out of refrigeration the evening before you use it. It takes four cups starter to make two loaves bread. Every time you use the starter, replenish it like this:
For each cup starter you remove, stir in 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup cool water.
If you don't use the starter every few days, keep it in the fridge and feed it at least once weekly or it will die. If it gets very yellow and doesn't "rise" before baking, discard and start again. Starters have been continued for decades. It is possible (though not always recommended) to freeze your starter and revive it at a later date.
[edit]Tips
This sourdough recipe has been used at a gold claim in British Columbia and it has sustained the people there continuously.
Avoid a starter recipe that calls for commercial yeast as a primary ingredient; it gets icky after a month or so.
You can find good recipes for sourdough bread, biscuits, cookies, sourdough pancakes etc., on wikiHow or the internet; just use this starter batter and not a commercial version suggested by any recipe.
[edit]Things You'll Need
Bowl - plastic, ceramic or earthenware
Wooden spoon (no metal!)
Dish towel or cheesecloth
Tablespoon (plastic, melamine etc., not metal)
