Anyone have Sourdough Starter?

[Blooie]

 

[PippinTheChicken]

Thinking about getting my starter in 2 weeks! I need lots of tips! Even the things you expect me to know (I probably won't know). I'm gonna get a super cute jar and label it with the starter's name.

 

[Blooie]

You know you can use a medium tipped Sharpie and write right on the jar, right? It’s how I put my starters’ names on their jars. Also I have Weck jars with glass tops, so I write the proportions on the top. Then if I increase or decrease anything, I can just wash it off and put the new recipe on the glass top. I also use Sharpies to mark the level where my starter was at feeding time, and see how much it rises. Easier to me than the old rubber band. When I feed, I just use a little soapy water on the corner of a scrubby and the Sharpie wipes right off so I can put the new time on it.

 

[Blooie]

What did you mean by “getting my starter in two weeks”? What’s wrong with right now? Mine is just equal parts water and wheat (or rye) flour stirred up the first day. The second day (and I don’t count Day 2 until I see some bubbles) I switch to bread flour. If it gets sluggish after that, I use half bread and half wheat (or rye) to give it a boost. It’s usually ready to use in 7-10 days.!

 

[NatJ]

I have a question and it's sort of a strange one: If you have sourdough starter do you have to make bread regularly? I don't bake much, so I won't be using the starter regularly, does the starter have to be used a lot?

It needs some kind of regular use. (Discard half and add flour & water to "feed" it is the other option.)

My Dad mostly made pancakes with his, although it often went several weeks between uses.

Basic way to do pancakes:
Mix flour & water into the starter in the evening and let it sit out all night.
In the morning, put 1/2 cup in the fridge to save for next time (that's your starter.)
Add the right ingredients to make the rest into pancakes and eat them for breakfast.

(How much flour & water you add in the evening is based on how many pancakes you want the next day.)

 

[NatJ]

Wow, warm sourdough bread with butter is really good. Really, really.

We'll see if anything disappointing happens to the rest of the loaf. And, @NatJ I am not holding you responsible for anything. I did this all to and by myself.

How was the rest of the loaf?

 

[Sally PB]

How was the rest of the loaf?

It's a little drier than the last one, but I blame that on my temp mess up. Very tasty. It is great for toast, and it would be really delicious with some good soup.

 

[Blooie]

Um, that could be because you cut it when it was hot. The article I mentioned before said that suddenly instead of the steam dissipating slowly through the scores made in the dough before baking, if you cut the bread hot when the bread is still moist and full of steam, the steam disappears rapidly through the larger opening you just made. That can leave the bread either gummy where the moisture accumulates or dry because the moisture rushed out when you cut it.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

Getting close to sourdough time! I'm thinking of using @Blooie's recipie since it's simple.

Spoiler: Recipie

Day 1. My starter begins with 60 grams of wheat (or rye) flour and 60 grams of water. Stir well, cover loosely, and let it be.

Day 2. As soon as you see bubbles (can be one to three days or even more sometimes, but regardless of how many days it takes to see action, that “bubble day“ is counted as Day 2), then discard all but 60 grams of the starter, stir in 60 grams of water to what’s left, add 60 grams of wheat (or rye) flour, stir until no more dry flour is seen, cover loosely and let it be. At this stage the web site I learned from, and which has never failed me, recommends changing to all bread flour but I prefer one more day of the others because the starter seems to me to be getting stronger.

Day 3 - 6. Repeat the process above. But at Day 3 I usually switch to 30 grams of wheat or rye flour and 30 grams of bread flour, then after that I feed just bread flour. If it gets sluggish, you can go back to half of each. Your starter is “hungry” when you see the slide marks where it rose, then dropped back down, and/or when you see watery bubbles on top. If your starter is very active, you may need to feed 2x a day. Better to underfed than overfeed.

Once your starter is doubling within 6-8 hours of feeding, it’s ready to use. There are sites that talk about doing the “float test”, dropping a teaspoon of peaked starter into a glass of water to see if your starter is strong enough to use. It lies. I’ve had starter float but got little to no rise in the bread, and I’ve had it not float and just fall apart in the water and the bread was perfect. Same starter, same recipe.

The site I got this particular recipe from, and the no-knead bread recipe we like, has videos that show you day by day what the starter should be doing and what you should be doing. As a beginner I found this the most helpful and uncomplicated site of all and I still refer to it. I’ll be happy to send you a link to it. Sourdough starter and bread making does not have to become all-consuming and complex. I don’t fuss or obsess and still get great results every time.

So, I need tips. Anything.
I'm super excited, but with chickens I did my research and learnt everything, but this starter stuff is confusing.

My question is: should I buy a kit or make it from scratch?

 

[topochico225]

Getting close to sourdough time! I'm thinking of using @Blooie's recipie since it's simple.

So, I need tips. Anything.
I'm super excited, but with chickens I did my research and learnt everything, but this starter stuff is confusing.

My question is: should I buy a kit or make it from scratch?

In your case, I’d do it from scratch. My from-scratch starter was risky and ultimately didn’t work because I live in such a moist subtropical climate mold grows on anything that stands still.

You should be fine, though. Go for it!