A ? about Sour Dough.

[Whispering Winds]

I used a very simple recipe for sourdough; l cup bread flour, l cup sugar, and 1 cup milk . . .its ready to use, and it has a nice consistency, left it out on the counter this whole time (over 10 days now) but it doesn't have that old "sour dough" smell that my other starters use too . . .think it will work the same?

 

[peeplessinNC]

Can you tell that it is bubbling away as if there is wild yeast present? If not, then it won't raise your bread without the addition of some commercial yeast.

Have you fed it at all in those 10 days or just let it sit there? I would try discarding all but one cup of the starter, then feed it with 1/2 cup water (not tap water, but bottled/spring water) and 1/2 cup flour. Then watch it over the next 24 hours and see if there is any action in it - bubbles forming, rising then falling action - does it look alive. If you do not see any action, I would pitch it and start again with a different starter recipe. One cup of sugar to 1 cup of flour seems like too much sugar to me.

Just my opinion.

 

[muddler6]

Also, what kind of flour are you using? I used wheat flour for mine. and I don't remember adding sugar. Got some infor off of the internet. Made a ton of bread and pancakes with it and never had a problem as long as I fed it regularly.