There are sourdough starters that have traveled the Oregon Trail, and gone to the Alaskan gold fields, and while these sourdoughs make great family lore, they are not necessarily any better than ones that were mixed up just a couple weeks ago.
The Basics of Sourdough Starter
Sourdough starter is a mixture of water and flour. The secret ingredient is wild yeasts from the air that cause the flour and water mixture to ferment. The fermentation process creates the desirable sour flavor, and the gases given off by fermentation leaven baked goods.
The Recipe for Sourdough Starter Couldn't be Simpler
- Put one cup of flour and one cup of water in a clean jar
- mix the ingredients together
- cover with a clean cloth and leave at room temperature for a couple days.
Feed The Starter
After the flour-water mix sets for a few days, it will be quite bubbly. At this point, begin feeding the starter to develop its leavening strength.
- Remove one cup of the starter and discard it.
- Add a half cup of water and a cup of flour.
These fresh ingredients will cause the starter to really start working. If the mixture seems too thick, add a bit more water, too thin, add a bit more flour. Starters vary in consistency from pancake-batter thin, to dough-ball thick. Exact consistency is a matter of baker preference. Continue to feed the sourdough a couple times a day for the next week or so, discarding a cup each time before adding more flour and water.
Refrigerate the Starter Until Needed
After a week or two of feeding the starter at room temperature, it is strong enough to leaven bread. At this point it can be covered and refrigerated, though it still needs to be feed every couple of weeks, following the the same the routine--removing half the starter, and adding flour and water. After each addition of flour and water, let the starter sit at room temperature overnight before returning it to the refrigerator. At this stage, the half of the starter that is being discarded can be passed on to friends, or the amount of starter can be increased by simply adding flour and water without discarding any.
What to do With the Sourdough Starter Before Using it
About two days before baking, take the sourdough starter out of the refrigerator and feed it every 8 hours or so, leaving it at room temperature to bubble away.
Sourdough Problems, Mold, Liquid on the Surface, or Bad Smells
Sourdough starter can very occasionally have one of three problems:
- Mold grows on the starter. If the mold is throughout the starter, discard it, and start over. If there is just a small amount of mold around the edges, pour the starter into a clean jar, and pick out any moldy bits.
- The starter may separate and have an amber to darkish liquid on the top. This is not a problem, just stir the liquid back into the starter before using. If the liquid is pink or orange, throw out the starter and begin again.
- The starter smells bad. The starter should have a sour, but pleasant odor. It may also smell have an alcohol smell. If the smell is unpleasant dump it out and start over.
Sourdough is easy to culture, rarely has problems, adds a great flavor to baked goods such as pancakes and biscuits, and is part of a long tradition of bread making.
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