Sourdough Starter

[killer b]

Where did you get it from?

 

[existentialist]

Are you supposed to start feeding it straight away, like after the first day, or wait for it to do something first?
the internet seems divided.

I'd say start feeding it a smaller amount, until you start to see some life. My guidance said 75g once a day to start with...what I actually did was to kick off with 50g (and equal water), not take anything off the top for a few days, then when it was starting to do something, go into the take some off, feed twice a day routine.

The starter was noticeably more lively than the one I used for last week's bread. Something is going right

 

[killer b]

oh, are you making it from scratch? no idea about that, I always get some from my dad.

 

[moose]

oh, are you making it from scratch? no idea about that, I always get some from my dad.

I was, but I'm running out of patience rapidly (and I have A LOT of patience) I've tried 3 different flours and left each for a week, and... nowt! If I could leave the house, I'd just go and buy some nice bread.

 

[killer b]

do you want me to post you some?

 

[Saffy]

My starter isn't right at all. I've binned it and going to start again. I'm not sure my kitchen is warm enough, so I'm going to put it in the airing cupboard.

 

[bimble]

I was, but I'm running out of patience rapidly (and I have A LOT of patience) I've tried 3 different flours and left each for a week, and... nowt! If I could leave the house, I'd just go and buy some nice bread.

The woman who gave me mine she started her own one but she said you have to give it something to eat (not flour) for a bit and then take that thing out again ? She used a single grape.

 

[Saffy]

bimble I've read people putting raisins in their starter to help with natural yeasts and you fish them out when it's got going.

 

[moose]

do you want me to post you some?

Thanks for the kind offer, but no thanks - it was only intended to be a mild lockdown diversion, and I've got plenty of others (not least a very full-on full-time job!)

 

[bimble]

It’s not dead yet! Thinking to attempt a first bread tomorrow.

 

[bimble]

I have made a hump. It’s a start.

 

[sojourner]

Right, I've finally given in and started a starter. Started it yesterday and got bubbles already so quite pleased about that.

Quick question - if you start it off with 4oz flour and 4 of water, can you feed a little less, as long as you keep the ratio of 1:1? Seems a massive waste of flour otherwise, unless I'm baking 5 loaves a week with it or sommat.

 

[killer b]

it's pretty durable stuff IME - once you've got it going you can probably drop the feeding to every other day.

 

[LDC]

Right, I've finally given in and started a starter. Started it yesterday and got bubbles already so quite pleased about that.

Quick question - if you start it off with 4oz flour and 4 of water, can you feed a little less, as long as you keep the ratio of 1:1? Seems a massive waste of flour otherwise, unless I'm baking 5 loaves a week with it or sommat.

I stick mine in the fridge for most of the week, then take it out Saturday and feed it, then do that again Sunday, then make the preferment Monday, and bake Tuesday, then it goes back in the fridge until Saturday. It is a bit weak I think but works OK.

 

[komodo]

Yes - once starter is good and healthy it will last about a week in the fridge between feeds. I just get mine out of the fridge about 6pm then empty some out, put more flour and warm water in and then leave somewhere warmish.

About 9 or 10 pm stater should be going crazy and ready to use some for an overnight proof and bake bread in the morning. I stick the unused starter back in the fridge until I want to make bread again.

 

[Part 2]

Right, I've finally given in and started a starter. Started it yesterday and got bubbles already so quite pleased about that.

Quick question - if you start it off with 4oz flour and 4 of water, can you feed a little less, as long as you keep the ratio of 1:1? Seems a massive waste of flour otherwise, unless I'm baking 5 loaves a week with it or sommat.

Mine sits on the side in the kitchen. I don't feed it.

I put 50g of each the day before I want to use it and another 50g of each next morning, usually it's bubbling by evening then I mix it and put it in the fridge for 2 days with one or two mixes in that time. None of this all day bread making with folding and stuff either just get it out of the fridge, put it in the banneton and put the oven on. Once it's full heat stick it in the oven covered by my biggest pan then half an hour later reduce temprature to 200 and stick it back in for 20 minutes without the pan. I still use the recipe killer b posted ages ago with variations in type of flour depending what I've bought.

 

[sojourner]

it's pretty durable stuff IME - once you've got it going you can probably drop the feeding to every other day.

I meant the quantities used, not regularity of feeding.

 

[sojourner]

That's interesting Part 2 , probably the least fussy method I've read so far!

 

[iona]

I feed my sourdough the bare minimum needed to keep it alive and sometimes just abandon it at the back of the fridge for months

 

[killer b]

The fuss is mostly for show, to make everyone think you're magicking up some kind of complex alchemy when really there's nothing much to it.

 

[sojourner]

Yeh. Would I be okay to drop the quantities though?

iona seems to be doing exactly that, so I'll give it a go too, after this first week of getting it going.

 

[iona]

Yeah get it going first, but once it is you can experiment with amounts. What temperature you keep it at and how often you want to bake are factors too.

I make proper dense seedy 100% rye mostly which is a bit more forgiving but I don't ever discard starter - just keep a really tiny bit back once I've started feeding, stick that in the fridge and bake the rest.

 

[sojourner]

Thanks so much

 

[killer b]

Don't If you do find yourself discarding starter, make crumpets instead of chucking it out.

 

[iona]

Don't If you do find yourself discarding starter, make crumpets instead of chucking it out.

Was just coming back to say this. Pancakes and bread muffins too!

 

[sojourner]

I'll look up recipes for the crumpets, for sure! Cheers killer b

 

[Part 2]

And pizza obvs!

 

[LDC]

Making bread today, last week's was a bit shit, putting that down to the cold weather as the preferment wasn't that bubbly and the loaves were a bit flat, so hit upon the brainwave of using the seed propagator to keep them warm. Left the preferment in that overnight and seemed to work, so have chucked the loaves in there this afternoon to see how they go for 5-6 hours before baking.

 

[Dovydaitis]

I’ve done normal loaves, but never sourdough. Might get one cracking

 

[sojourner]

Making bread today, last week's was a bit shit, putting that down to the cold weather as the preferment wasn't that bubbly and the loaves were a bit flat, so hit upon the brainwave of using the seed propagator to keep them warm. Left the preferment in that overnight and seemed to work, so have chucked the loaves in there this afternoon to see how they go for 5-6 hours before baking.

Interesting. I was wondering how everyone was managing to keep it at the temperature recommended, in the UK, in January! I put mine in the warmest bedroom in the house, but the heating is only on for a bit in the morning, and a few hours in the evening, so it isn't as warm as it should be. Still bubbling, but probably needs to be more bubbly. Stinking now too