Make Your Own Sourdough Starter
From shirleyoma 17 years ago
- - to make
- Serves 6
Here are different ways to make your Sour Dough Starter. Easy too! by Pat Veretto
Ingredients
- Make and maintain your own sourdough starter shopping list
- you can make your own. shopping list
- you'll need a volume of at least one and 1/3 cups. shopping list
- There are several ingredient combinations for making wild shopping list
- yeast sourdough: shopping list
- - One is to grate a raw potato. Then add enough water to cover shopping list
- and enough flour to make a thin batter of about a cup and a shopping list
- third in volume. shopping list
- - Another method is to use water that you've boiled potatoes shopping list
- in instead of the grated potato and water combination. shopping list
- - You can also use flour, sugar and water. Use one cup of shopping list
- flour, a tablespoon of sugar and enough water to make a shopping list
- pancake consistency batter. shopping list
- - Yet another is to simply mix together equal amounts of water shopping list
- and flour (whole wheat is best for this). shopping list
- Anything that provides food for the yeast and a good growing shopping list
- environment will work. yeast needs sugar or carbohydrates shopping list
- (which it converts to sugar), and clear liquid. shopping list
- Make your choice based on what you have handy and just because shopping list
- that's what you'd like to try. Don't worry about whether or shopping list
- not one set of ingredients will work better than another, shopping list
- because the chances are that they will all be equally shopping list
- efficient in attracting wild (sour) yeast. There is no exact shopping list
- recipe because there are so many other variables in each house shopping list
- that will invite or dissuade wild yeasts from entering the shopping list
- mixture. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. The shopping list
- most important thing is the method. shopping list
- When you have decided on the ingredients you want, put them in shopping list
- a glass container that will hold at least three times the shopping list
- volume of the ingredients. Mix lightly with a wooden or shopping list
- plastic spoon as some metals will react to it. The working of shopping list
- the starter will mix itself. shopping list
- Leave the mixture undisturbed and loosely covered with a cloth shopping list
- or perforated plastic (to allow gases to escape) at warm room shopping list
- temperature until it begins to froth or "work" and expand. shopping list
- This is a sign that wild yeasts have made themselves at home shopping list
- and that's what you're after. The new starter will rise up in shopping list
- the container, then fall again. When it has, it's ready for shopping list
- use. (Note: It will smell sour!) shopping list
- When you use it, always leave some in the container and add shopping list
- flour and water back to equal what you've taken out. Most shopping list
- recipes call for a cup of starter, so replace it with a half- shopping list
- cup of flour and a half-cup of water and set it in a warm shopping list
- place to work again. shopping list
- You will probably see a liquid covering the top at one time or shopping list
- another. This is called "hooch," and it's exactly what it shopping list
- sounds like, but don't drink it! Actually, it's harmless, so shopping list
- stir it back into the starter if the starter is thick, or if shopping list
- it's thin, just pour the hooch off. It's nothing to worry much shopping list
- about either way. shopping list
- Keep sourdough in the refrigerator unless you use it at least shopping list
- every third day. If you use it that often, you can leave it on shopping list
- the counter or any place where it's safe. If you can't shopping list
- refrigerate it, you can keep it fresh by throwing out a cup of shopping list
- it every second or third day and then replenish with flour and shopping list
- water. Wait until it "works" again before counting days. shopping list
- A properly cared for starter can live indefinitely, but if you shopping list
- leave it out without using it for too long, the yeast can shopping list
- literally suffocate in its own waste products. If the starter shopping list
- looks off color (grayish is normal) or turns pink, toss it and shopping list
- start fresh. shopping list
- What can you make with sourdough? Besides the traditional shopping list
- bread, you can make biscuits, pancakes, pretzels, bagels, shopping list
- muffins, cornbread and even cookies! Once you're comfortable shopping list
- using it, you can experiment with your favorite yeast or shopping list
- baking powder recipes. Simply put, you substitute sourdough shopping list
- for leavening and part or all of the liquid. shopping list
How to make it
- The basic recipe for plain sourdough bread:
- 1 cup starter
- 1 Tbsp. of fat (margarine, butter, vegetable oil or olive oil)
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- Enough flour to make a dough that can be handled without
- sticking, but is still pliable
- Knead by hand or machine until it's smooth, then cover and let
- it rise until it's doubled in bulk. This will take longer
- (sometimes over an hour longer) than yeast leavened bread, so
- don't give up and throw it out! Make sure you keep it warm,
- but not hot, while it's rising.
- Again, there is no hard and fast rule because circumstances
- are so variable. Your starter might be more or less robust, or
- thinner or thicker, or your kitchen may be warmer or cooler.
- After it's risen, punch it down and knead enough to remove all
- the bubbles, then form it into a loaf shape and put it in a
- lightly greased bread pan. You can sprinkle a little corn meal
- in the pan and on top of the loaf if you like. Let it rise in
- the pan, then bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.
- Baking sourdough bread is a learned skill and one that takes
- practice, but even if your first loaf doesn't meet your
- expectations, it will be edible. Once you become familiar with
- the process, you can experiment on making just about anything
- that is leavened. Biscuits, cookies, pancakes, cornbread,
- specialty breads and even cakes can be made using sourdough
- starter instead of yeast or baking powder.
- Besides creating incredibly delicious baked goods, you'll save
- a bundle of money over time by not buying yeast!
The Rating
Reviewed by 4 people-
Thanks for all your hard work at posting this. Really appreciate this so much. 5 from me.
dottiet
in Woodward loved it
-
Alot of information here, kinda scary!!! YIKES!!! Have never attempted bread at all :( I do LOVE sourdough bread though. :) Thanks for the post/info!! :) :) :)
sharyl4
in Mohave Valley loved it
Reviews & Comments 9
-
All Comments
-
Your Comments
" It was excellent "
" It was excellent "