Basic White Sourdough Starter (the "2-2-2 rule")
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This starter does not use any commercial yeast. Thus, your
starter will gather the wild yeasts that are all around us
in the environment. By creating an ideal environment with
the mixture shown below, you are creating a "gathering spot"
for the yeast, which will be an ideal medium for incorporating
into your homemade sourdough breads.
2 c. bread or all-purpose flour
2 c. warm water or milk (see note below) - approximately
95-110 degrees Fahrenheit is preferable
2 T. sugar or honey
Mix all ingredients together until well blended -- try to
eliminate any big lumps in the batter.
Place starter in a non-metal container -- glass, ceramic, or
plastic will work fine -- and cover with cheesecloth or clean
kitchen towel. I have used a scrap of clean, white muslin,
secured with a large rubber band. Place container outside in
a shaded, warm location for 2-4 days (summer is an ideal time
to do this); stir occasionally. If it rains bring it indoors
or move it to a sheltered location so it will not be
contaminated. You may also place it in a warm shed or garage
for protection. Each time you stir you may notice a clear
liquid on top of the starter. This is natural -- just stir
it back in to the starter as it continues to ferment.
If it is cold outside or the weather inclement, you may ferment
the starter in a warm, draft-free spot in your home: a gas
oven with a pilot light (turned OFF -- the pilot light provides
a bit of warmth, and the oven is draft-free); a utility room; on
top of a freezer or refrigerator unit; near a radiator; in a
warm closet or cupboard. The ideal temperatures for fermenting
starter are roughly in the ranges of 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit --
this is an ideal task for warm summer days. Cooler temperatures
will slow the fermenting action, and temperatures higher than
about 85 degrees will spoil the starter.
During this time it will ferment and begin to bubble. When it
has fermented it will give off a clean, fresh, sour aroma. When
the starter begins to bubble and expand in size, it is ready for
use. You will be able to see it bubbling if you examine it
carefully for a few moments. In addition, it will have a
spongy look.
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!! WARNING !!
If your sourdough starter develops a pinkish or greenish
color, discard the entire batch and start again. You may
wish to do the same if molds form on the top of the starter.
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NOTE ABOUT WATER:
It is best not to use chlorinated water for making bread or
starter as the chlorine retards the growth of the yeast. If
you have chlorine in your tap water, you may draw it and let
it sit for 2-3 hours to let the chlorine evaporate from it.
Otherwise, you may use some other source for water: distilled
or spring bottled water, water that has been boiled in your tea
kettle, etc.
Using & Feeding the Starter
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Each time you use a portion of the starter, replenish or "feed"
it by adding equal amounts of flour and water. If necessary,
adjust the amounts of flour or water to maintain its consistency.
It should be similar to thick pancake batter.
After feeding, cover and let stand at room temperature overnight,
or at least 8 hours, before refrigerating.
To keep the starter from being contaminated, you should regularly
wash and sterilize the storage container.
If not used for more than 3 days, the starter should be kept
loosely covered in the refrigerator. A clear liquid will form
on the top when not used regularly, and it should be stirred
down at least once a week to keep the ingredients mixed properly.
When ready for use, bring the starter to room temperature before
using and replenish as indicated above. Periodically, you may
wish to add 1 teaspoon of sugar or honey to the starter when you
replenish it.
If not used for more than a month, double it (add 1 cup of flour
and 1 cup of water to the starter; stir and allow to ferment for
several hours until it looks spongy) and discard half. This may
sound like a strange procedure, but if the starter is not
rejuvenated regularly it will die in its own waste products.
Regular use will prevent this from happening, since it must be
fed, and thus rejuvenated, after each use.
Basic White Sourdough Yogurt Starter
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1 c. warm skim milk - approximately 95-110 degrees Fahrenheit
4 T. plain yogurt
1 c. all-purpose or bread flour
2 t. sugar or honey
Mix ingredients together and follow the method indicated for
Basic White Sourdough Starter, above.
Sweet Sourdough Starter ("Herman")
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2 c. bread or all-purpose flour
2 c. warm milk - approximately 95-110 degrees Fahrenheit
1/3 c. warm water
1 c. sugar
2 pkg dry yeast
Mix ingredients together and follow the method indicated for
Basic White Sourdough Starter, above.
Variations of this recipe contain instructions to refrigerate
the starter after 24 hours, stirring daily.
This starter should be placed in a large, non-metal container --
approximately 5 quart capacity -- to allow the starter to
increase in volume as it ferments. It may double or even
triple in size as this process occurs.
This starter is replenished by adding 1 c. bread or all-purpose
flour, 1 c. warm milk, and 1/2 c. sugar. You may double these
amounts if you need to increase the starter's volume in
preparation for a lot of baking.
If the starter is not used frequently, make sure that the
starter is fed every 5-7 days with a tablespoon of sugar.
NOTE: Make sure that the starter is stirred daily.
Sweet Wheat & Honey Sourdough Starter ("Herman")
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1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. bread or all-purpose flour
2 c. warm milk - approximately 95-110 degrees Fahrenheit
1/3 c. warm water
1/2 c. honey or brown sugar
1 T. ground ginger
2 pkg dry yeast
Mix ingredients together and follow the method indicated for
Basic White Sourdough Starter, above. The same notes apply
for Sweet Sourdough Starter ("Herman"), above.
This starter produces more gases than the Sweet Sourdough
Starter ("Herman"), above, so the liquid on the top may be
somewhat darker. This is natural, and the liquid should be
stirred into the starter as usual on a daily basis.
This starter is replenished by adding 1/2 c. whole wheat flour,
1/2 c. bread or all-purpose flour, 1 c. warm milk, and 1/4 c.
honey or brown sugar, and 1/4 t. ground ginger. You may double
these quantities if you need to increase the starter's volume
in preparation for a lot of baking.
If the starter is not used frequently, make sure that the
starter is fed every 5-7 days with a tablespoon of honey or
brown sugar.
NOTE: Make sure that the starter is stirred daily.
Mashed Potato Sourdough Starter
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2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut in half
2 T. sugar
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. warm water
1 c. all-purpose flour
In a large saucepan, place potatoes with enough water to
cover. Boil gently until the potatoes fall apart. Do not
drain. Force through a sieve, liquid and all; allow to
cool to room temperature.
If necessary, add water to potatoes to make 2 cups. Stir
in the sugar and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth and
creamy; cover and let set in a warm spot for 24 hours. The
batter should smell sour after that period. Stir in the
remaining cup of flour and warm water. Continue the
fermentation process as described for Basic White Sourdough
Starter, above.
Cooked Potato Starter
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4 T. cornmeal
2 T. sugar
1 c. milk
3 medium potatoes, peeled
1 quart water
3 T. sugar
In a saucepan, combine cornmeal, 2 T. sugar, and milk together;
bring to the scalding point (about 190 degrees Fahrenheit).
Stir constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Pour this into
a non-metal container, cover tightly with plastic wrap. Continue
the fermentation process as described for Basic White Sourdough
Starter, above. The starter is ready when it becomes light and
frothy. Stir it each day.
When the mixture is spongy, cook the potatoes in a pot with the
water until tender. Reserve the water, adding more (if necessary)
to make 3 cups of liquid. Mash the potatoes and put through a
sieve or food mill. Stir in the reserved liquid and 3 T. sugar.
When cool, stir in the fermented cornmeal. Cover and let stand
in a warm place. Stir down each time it becomes bubbly. After
24 hours, put the mixture into a non-metal container, cover, and
store in the refrigerator to age for about 3 days before using.
When the starter has been reduced to 1 or 1-1/2 cups, prepare a
new mixture as directed above. When it has cooled, add it to the
old starter and proceed as before.
Grated Raw Potato Starter
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1 grated raw potato, medium size
1-1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 c. warm water
2 T. sugar
Mix the water, flour, and sugar in a 2-cup measure. Add enough
grated potato to make 2 cups. Place in a non-metal container.
Continue the fermentation process as described for Basic White
Sourdough Starter, above. This starter should ferment at least
2-3 days, at which time it will become light and foamy. During
fermentation it should be stirred several times a day.
Beer Starter
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3 medium potatoes, peeled
1/2 c. cornmeal
3 T. sugar
foam from 12-ounce can of chilled beer
Cook the potatoes in 3 cups of water until tender. Drain off
liquid and reserve for later use. Add more water if necessary
to make 3 full cups. Put potatoes through a food mill or
sieve.
Scald the cornmeal in 1 cup of the potato water until it reaches
the boiling point and thickens, stirring constantly to prevent
lumps from forming.
Combine the sieved potatoes, 2 cups potato water, cornmeal
mixture, and sugar in a non-metal container. Let cool until just
warm.
Pour the cold beer slowly into a large glass. Immediately skim
off all the foam and stir into the mixture in the bowl. Cover
tightly (clinging plastic wrap is good) and set in a warm place.
Continue the fermentation process as described for Basic White
Sourdough Starter, above.
When the starter is reduced to 1 cupful, repeat the beginning
process, omitting the addition of beer foam to the mixture. When
the new mixture has cooled, add the remainder of the old starter
and stir well. Ferment as described for Basic White Sourdough
Starter, above.
Fermentation for this starter is complete when about 1/2" (or
more) of clear liquid has risen to the top.
Sourdough Starter with Commercial Yeast
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This starter includes all the same ingredients and techniques
as outlined above, but with the addition of 1 packet or cake
of commercial yeast when the ingredients are mixed together.
The starter will be ready sooner than the other recipe above,
but it will contain the commercial yeast strain in addition
to the wild yeast found in your geographical area.
To some sourdough purists, the use of commercial yeast is
unacceptable. Without going into the details of such
arguments, I leave it to you to make the final decision in
your own breadmaking efforts.
Whole Wheat & Rye Starters
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Any of the recipes listed here may be made with whole wheat or
rye flour. Adjust the amount of water slightly if the starter
is too thick or too runny -- it should resemble a thick pancake
batter, but still be somewhat runny.
For rye sourdough starter, you may wish to add 1 small onion
which has been peeled and halved. After 24 hours the onion
may be discarded and the fermentation continued.
Potato Water Starter
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Any of the recipes listed here may be made with potato water.
Potato water is simply the water left over from boiling potatoes,
as follows:
3 medium potatoes, peeled, cubed
1 qt. water
In a large saucepan, cook potatoes in water until tender. Drain,
reserving 2-1/2 c. liquid; set aside to cool. Use potatoes for
another purpose. The reserved liquid may be used in making
sourdough starter.
NOTE: liquid left over from cooking potatoes or other vegetables
may be used in baking your sourdough or standard bread loaves.
Simply replace some of the liquid called for in the recipe (e.g.,
milk, water) with an equal amount of potato water.
Converting Standard Recipes to Sourdough
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If you are attempting to convert a standard bread recipe to
one that uses sourdough starter, you may follow this general
rule:
1) For a recipe that yields 2 loaves, replace 3/4 to 1 cup
of water called for with about 1-1/2 to 2 cups of sourdough
starter. Calculate accordingly for recipes that yield fewer
or more loaves.
2) You may decide to omit the yeast called for in the recipe if
your starter is very active.
It is probable that some experimentation is in order when
converting recipes, but that is the nature of breadmaking. In
doing so, you may very well create a wonderful, new recipe unlike
any others that you may have in your collection!
Sourdough recipes require a longer time to grow, or rise, bread
dough. Thus, many recipes refer to times of at least 6-8 hours
to grow, and sometimes longer. This process is often more
convenient when started on one day and completed on the next.
On the first day a sponge is created and left to rise overnight.
On the second day, the remaining ingredients are added and the
bread-making procedure continues as usual (except for longer
rising times). If you have a busy schedule, you may wish to
begin the sponge in the early morning and complete the baking
in the evening of the same day. As always, some experimentation
with each recipe will reveal what works best for you.
Sourdough Sponge
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A wet mixture known as a "sponge" is typically created in the
initial stages of sourdough bread making. The sponge consists
of the following:
sourdough starter
part (usually half) of the flour
sweetener
all of the liquid, minus the quantity of sourdough starter
For a recipe yielding 2 loaves of sourdough white bread, the
quantities are often similar to these:
1 c. sourdough starter
3 c. flour
1 T. sugar or honey
1-1/2 c. warm water or milk (95-110 degrees Fahrenheit) (
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