Sourdough starter a Flop

[anngili]

I would definitely vote for going with using the commercial yeast. The "wild" yeast is pretty rare in the air unless you've already added some by making bread with commercial yeast! You're just as likely to also get something that would kill the yeast as you would to get good "wild" yeast. Many of the recipes including the "wild" yeast kind of forget to mention that or that some of the recipes come from bakeries where (surprise!) there's lots of yeast already in the air.
I wish I had time right now to try some of those recipes out! They look delicious!!

 

[rufus]

Seems to me my mother used to catch yeast starter by mixing flour, water, a little sugar and comino. Just let it set on the counter until it bubbles.

Rufus

 

[babettenj]

I just started making sourdough using the instructions for "starting a starter" at breadcetera.com. It starts by using AP and whole rye flour. The author is trained as a scientist, as am I, so I appreciated his use of a digital scale for measuring. All wild yeast- it was so successful I have too much starter now. Made sourdough pizza for dinner...mmmmm. I'm new to chickens- my chicks arrived TODAY! I plan on posting about them on my food blog babettesnjfeast.com

 

[R3Rugrats]

I've been reading the sourdoughome.com site... Boy does she have lots of information. Can't wait to try this out... I'll add a bit of sugar to what I have in my jar now and see what I can come up with. I use King Arthur bread flour for all my breads, but according to the site its better to use all organic whole wheat or rye flour.. So we'll see what happens.

I am going to try the artisan bread today. I'm making homemade tortellini chicken soup with mini meatballs for dinner tonight. So dipping bread is always welcomed..

It must be fall here in New England I'm in the baking mood...

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

use king Aurthur it is the best

ETA: when making sourdough bread with rye, pumpernickel and flours similar do not use the whole sour use half of your sour if you mix rye with the sour, the sour will go bad and then you will need to start all over again

 

[BurntToast]

I'm too passionate about Sourdough to witness folks failing left and right without a fight!!!!! I've witnessed way too many give up over the years! Never, ever, give up!!!

There are a couple 'secrets' that you can use to significantly increase your chances of culturing a healthy wild sourdough starter on the first try.

Firstly,
Sourdough yeasts and bacteria thrive in an acidic environment.
Creating an acidic environment (using acidic fruit juice the first 3 days of starter culture) from the start will ensure that conditions are right for good starter production and help keep nasties from getting a foothold.

Secondly,
Aerating (mixing) the starter 2-3 times per day (until the starter is ready for use in a recipe), not just when the starter is fed, will help keep the mixture evenly acidic which helps to ensure that the bennies have perfect conditions and the nasties are discouraged.

Anyway....
Here's the formula for success in more cases than not!

Day 1: mix together...
2 T. whole grain flour (rye or wheat)
2 T. unsweetened pineapple juice or orange juice
Cover and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.


Day 2: add...
2 T. whole grain flour
2 T. juice
Stir well, cover and let sit at room temperature 24 hours. At day 2 you may (or may not) start to see some small bubbles.


Day 3: add...
2 T. whole grain flour
2 T. juice
Stir well, cover and let sit at room temperature 24 hours.

Day 4:

Stir down, measure out 1/4 cup and discard the rest.
To the 1/4 cup add...
1/4 cup flour (any good non additive flour can be added at this point)
1/4 cup filtered or spring water

Day 5 and beyond.....continue the same daily procedure until the mixture is very active and yeasty, is the starter stalls add 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar to the other added ingredients daily...that'll lower the PH and make things active again


Using just flour and water or any mixture without acidity incubates a gas producing bacteria, among other nasties, called Leuconostoc, that mimics the activity of yeast for the first few days...it gives off carbon dioxide bubbles, but then subsides creating a poor environment for yeast and leaving a nasty end product! Acidity fights Leuconostoc and other nasties!

Leuconostoc is, allegedly, becoming more and more prevalent on the surface of wheat and subsequently in flour.

I can back up the argument for acidity with some interesting links if anyone is interested.

~Burnt

 

[miss_thenorth]

Quote:
maybe you just need too send ALL of us some of your starter!

I will try it again, but I completely forgot this summer, and temps are now cooler in my kitchen, and winter they will be hovering at around 66F, so, Ill wiat until next summer if I remember.

 

[KDbeads]

BurntToast.... THANK YOU!! I've been fighting with my starter for weeks, first week it does great, next time it doesn't do squat. Off to try the vinegar....

 

[Charlene]

I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area and I have tried the wild yeast thing, and it does actually work here. And it is a little sour which makes sense considering...

Anyone do the No Knead Bread? I make it every week. It's really good and easy, you just need a little patience. It was popularized in the NY Times a couple years ago. Back then I had no time, and I thought "who the heck can think to make bread a day in advance?" Now, the answer is me

It's worth it!

 

[ChickenToes]

The method I use is just flour and water, maybe with a pinch of sugar and salt thrown in.

The starter takes 4 days to make. On the first day place ¼ cup of warm water in a large bowl, add ½ cup of flour and a pinch salt and sugar. Stir until well combined. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Let sit out at room temperature for 24 hours, then stir in another ¼ cup of warm water and ½ cup of flour, mix well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap again, let sit out at room temperature another 24 hours. Repeat this process for 2 more days.

It works for me.