Sourdough Made Easy

* Exported from MasterCook *

SOURDOUGH MADE EASY

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Breads

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
12 To 24 hours until bubbly and
-a clear liquid has formed
-on top.

SOURDOUGH STARTER

1. Heat 1 cup skim (nonfat) milk to 90øF to 100øF.

2. Stir in 3 tablespoons plain, fresh, high quality
yogurt.

3. Pour mixture into a 1-quart glass or ceramic
crock, jar, or bowl. Cover with a non-metallic lid;
set in a warm place (between 70øF to 100øF) for 24
hours. On a warm day you can place the starter
outside in the sun or on the kitchen counter. On
cooler days, place it in a gas oven with a pilot
light, on top of the water heater, or on a heating pad
set on low.

4. After 24 hours, the milk will thicken and form
curds. At this point, gradually stir in 1 cup white
flour until well blended. Cover with lid and set in a
warm place again until it ferments and bubbles and a
clear liquid forms on top, about 2 to 5 days. Stir
daily.

5. Starter is now ready to use. Stir, cover loosely,
and refrigerate.

IF AT ANY POINT IN THE PROCESS THE STARTER TURNS PINK,
SMELLS RANCID (NOT JUST SOUR), OR DEVELOPS A MOLD,
THROW IT OUT AND START OVER.

REPLENISHING THE STARTER

Every time you use some of the starter you must
replace it with a like amount of milk and flour. For
instance, if you use 1 cup of starter, return 1 cup of
milk and 1 cup of flour to the jar. Follow the
directions for feeding the starter.

FEEDING THE STARTER TO KEEP IT ALIVE AND HEALTHY

A starter should be used as often as possible, at
least every 2 to 3 weeks. If you are not using it that
often, plan to feed it once a month to keep it going.

1. Bring the starter to room temperature. (You can
place it in a bowl of warm water to speed the process.)

2. Add equal amounts of warm milk (90øF to 100øF) and
flour (1/2 to 1 cup each)

3. Cover with lid and allow to stand in a warm place
(70øF to 100øF) for

4. Stir, cover loosely (set lid on jar but do not
tightly seal; gases must be allowed to escape), and
refrigerate.

REJUVENATING A NEGLECTED STARTER

If you forget to feed your starter monthly, don't
throw it away thinking it's gone bad. Chances are you
can still revive it. 1. Pour off the liquid and
discard all but 1 to 2 tablespoons of the starter.
Temporarily place reserved starter in a bowl. 2. Wash
out the starter container with hot water. 3. Put the
starter back into the container. 4. Follow the
directions for feeding the starter using 1 cup warm
(90øF to 100øF) nonfat milk and 1 cup flour. 5. You
may have to repeat this procedure once or twice to
bring it back up to a bubbly, sour smelling starter
again. SOURDOUGH FACTS TO KEEP IN MIND Use only wooden
utensils and glass or ceramic containers. The acid in
the starter will corrode any metal with which it comes
in contact. Store loosely covered in the refrigerator;
do not put in a tightly sealed container. The gases
must be allowed to escape. The yellowish or
grayish-beige liquid that rises to the top is the
"hooch". Just stir it back in before measuring out
starter for a recipe. You can refresh your starter
once a year or so with a few tablespoons of fresh,
plain, good quality yogurt. For the sourest taste when
making bread, mix the room temperature starter with
the liquid and half the flour called for in the
recipe. Cover and allow to stand in a warm place until
bubbly and sour smelling, about 12 to 24 hours. At
that point, combine the mixture in the bread machine
with the rest of the ingredients in the recipe. Your
starter can be frozen up to 3 months. Before using it
again, let it thaw completely at room temperature for
24 hours until bubbly. You may need to feed it once
to bring it back to the bubbly stage after freezing.
SUGGESTION: We have included a recipe for a San
Francisco-type Sourdough French Bread. However, we
feel you could create some very unique breads by using
your starter in other recipes such as Tangy Buttermilk
Cheese Bread, Basic Whole Wheat Bread, Lois's Rye
Bread, Russian Black Bread, Apple Oatmeal Bread with
Raisins, Dinner Rolls, Squaw Bread, Hamburger Buns,
and English Muffins, just to name a few. Simply add
1/2 cup to 1 cup of the starter, as desired, to the
recipe and decrease the liquid by approximately half
the amount of starter used. (Example: Use 1/2 cup
starter -- decrease the liquid by 1/4 cup.) From:
"Bread Machine Magic Cookbook" by Linda Rehberg, Lois
Conway Posted by: Debbie Carlson - Cooking Echo



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