Sourdough Starter

* Exported from MasterCook II *

Sourdough Starter

Recipe By : Bill Turner Hewlett-Packard Personal Software Division, Sant
Serving Size : 3 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Breads

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
500 ml warm water (about 45 =F8C)
500 g flour
7 g active dry yeast (optional)

1. Get a container for the starter. Crockery is best, but just about
anything can be used, except metal. Try to get something with a lid. I
use a vinyl plastic food-storage container.

2. Mix flour and water (and optionally yeast).

3. Let the starter sit (uncovered or loosely covered) in a warm place until
bubbly and sour, about 3-5 days.

Author's Notes:
Many people think of sourdough as something from the Gold Rush days.
Not so! Sourdough was the first way raised breads were made. ``Way back
then,'' there was no such thing as active dry yeast, and all breads (along
with a number of other goodies) needed sourdough starter to rise. There are
a number of recipes for sourdough starter, but this is one I've used, and
it works fairly well. It came originally from the cookbook The Complete
Sourdough Cookbook by Don Holm.

If you do a lot of bread baking, there will probably be enough yeast
spores floating around your kitchen so that the added yeast isn't needed.
The less yeast you add to the starter, the more ``authentic'' the flavor.=
If the starter starts turning orange or green, throw it away. Other nasty
things have started growing in it! After the starter is ready, it can be
used immediately. Try to use some of the starter once every few days, or
it will start to die. The starter can be refrigerated to last longer (use
at least every other week). Make sure the starter is at room temperature
before using. After using some of the starter, replenish what you take with
equal amounts of warm water and flour. Let the starter sit until nice and
bubbly before using again. Usually, the first starter made will need a
while to ``come up to strength.'' Best bets for first recipes are ones that
don't require much raising, such as pancakes, or ones that have additional
yeast.

Difficulty : easy.
Precision : no need to measure.

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