Foolproof Sourdough Starter Food

FOOLPROOF SOURDOUGH STARTER

Steps:

• Mix the milk and yogurt together in a glass or pottery container (Do not use metal).
• Place lid on it, but don't seal it (sealed starters have been known to explode).
• Put mixture in a warm place (80 to 90 degrees) for about 24 hours.
• The yogurt and milk will separate forming a large curd, when adding the flour just stir it all back together.
• Add the flour stir, and put back in warm place for 3 to 5 days; stirring daily.
• It will bubble and have the odor of fermentation--it is ready to use.
• Remember the starter is a living thing and needs to be fed and fed frequently when an infant.
• I feed the "infant" weekly by placing it on the counter for several hours and allowing it to come to room temperature.
• Then remove 1/2 cup starter, discarding the remainder.
• Feed the 1/2 cup with equal amounts of milk (buttermilk will produce a stronger sour taste) and unbleached flour; i.e. 1 cup flour and 1 cup milk plus 1/2 cup of starter.
• If you would like, you can feed the starter with 1/3 cup dry milk powder and 2/3 cup bottled water in place of the 1 cup milk.

SOURDOUGH STARTER

Steps:

• Combine flour, water and yeast in a warm bowl.
• Use a wooden or plastic spoon to stir mixture till smooth.
• Cover the container with plastic wrap and place it in a warm, draft-free area for 36-48 hours; your starter should be slightly bubbly and give off a delicious sour, yeasty, aroma.
• Its consistency will be that of light pancake batter.
• Cover the sourdough container and put it to rest in the fridge.
• I use a Mason Jar.

SOURDOUGH STARTER

Steps:

• Wash the grapes and wrap them in a muslin or fine cheese cloth.
• Loosely tie the open end with a string or elastic band and lightly crush the grapes inside with a rolling pin.
• Combine the flour and water in a large plastic, ceramic or stainless-steel bowl.
• It is best if you can find one with a lid.
• Squeeze some of the juice from the grapes into the flour and water mixture, before completely burying the little bag inside the mixture.
• Cover with the lid or a plate and leave for 10 days to two weeks at room temperature, around 20 C or 68 F.
• The grapes should start to ferment and the bag should balloon slightly with the gases being given off by the grapes.
• Pull the bag out of the mixture and squeeze any juice back into the white mixture.
• Throw away the grapes and the bag.
• Stir the starter, which should now be slightly pink and have a sour, grapey smell.
• Now you should pour away about a third of the initial starter mixture and stir in one batch of its food.
• In the beginning, you will have to feed your starter twice a day (best done at regular intervals) for two weeks.
• Just before you feed the starter, make sure you also throw away 200ml of the basic mixture.
• This might seem like a waste but if you don't you will have far too much starter!
• After two weeks, your starter should really be alive and kicking.
• Taste a bit and it should have a slight fizz to it.
• If the starter doesn't taste fizzy, keep feeding it until it does.
• A slightly lower room termperature can slow things up a bit.
• When it tastes fizzy you are ready to start making bread.
• To keep your starter going (it is a living thing, after all) you should only need to feed it once a week and leave it in the fridge, unless you are making bread more than once a week.
• If you are not making bread very often, you can leave feedings for two weeks.
• Make sure you keep it in the fridge, which slows the starter down.
• If it is kept at room temperature, it will need to be fed every day.
• Between making bread, give the starter at least a day to recover.

RYE SOURDOUGH STARTER AND BREAD

Steps:

• Starter:.
• Day 1: In a 1 quart jar with a lid mix 100 g rye flour with 100 ml lukewarm water. Stir well to completely mix. Don't mind if it seems not to be enough water and the dough is sticky. Just mix well to have a homogenous dough.
• Close the lid of the jar loosely and let stand for 24 hours at room temperature, maybe not in the coolest room of the house --.
• Day 2: Stir the starter well, close the lid again and let stand for another 24 hours.
• Day 3: Stir in 100 g finely ground whole rye flour and 100 ml lukewarm water, cover again and let stand for another 24 hours.
• Open the jar and check the smell: DON'T stick your nose into the jar! I did that with my first attempt and nearly burnt off my mucosa with the cloud of acetic acid that evaporated from the vinegar starter I produced -- So, open the jar and carefully check the smell. If it doesn't sting but smell pleasantly sour, proceed. The colour of the starter should be greyish brown.
• Bread:.
• Place the flour in a large bowl, make a well and fill the sourdough starter into the well. Hold back about 2 tablespoons of the starter, put it into a glass jar, tightly close the lid and keep the jar in the refridgerator. It will not rise while in the fridge nor produce gas, so don't be afraid of tightening the lid.
• Mix the starter with some of the flour, then add the salt and water and knead for about 15 minutes. The dough is very heavy, so most machines give in and collaps. I always kneaded by hand on a floured surface until the dough was smooth.
• Form a ball and dust with flour, cover and let rest for 2 hours.
• On a dusted surface, knead lightly, form an oval loaf, cover and let rest for another hour.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees Celsius (220 fan assisted).
• Place bread on a baking tray layered with nonstick parchment paper, prick bread with a fork in a regular pattern all over and brush with water.
• Place an ovenproof bowl with hot water on the bottom of the oven, then slip the baking tray into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes reduce heat to 200 degrees Celsius (180 fan assisted), continue baking for 30 minutes.
• Put off the oven after 30 minutes, but don't open yet. Let the bread rest.
• for another 15 minutes in the hot oven.
• Take it out and knock at the bottom of the bread. It should sound hollow.
• Let completely cool on a wire rack.
• You need not keep the bread in the fridge.
• If you use the starter for the first time, it works better if you add some yeast to the bread dough because the fresh starter is not very strong.
• The starter which you hold back will be strong enough without adding yeast if you feed it again for 3 days like described above.

SOURDOUGH STARTER

Steps:

• In a large bowl or jar, mix the yeast with the water.
• If you are using active dry yeast, let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle the flour onto the yeast mixture and whisk it in to form a thick batter.
• It is not essential for the batter to be smooth.
• Cover it with plastic wrap and let the batter stand in a warm (80-85°F) place for about 24 hours, or until it is frothy.