Sourdough For Real

True Sourdough Bread

I have tried to make my own starter so many times, each in a different way, with no luck. Oh, maybe they had a good sour flavor or maybe a not so good dirty sock flavor. Never did any of my starts give my loaf a lift, I always added a bit of yeast to help out. That made me feel like I was cheating and it was, as far as I'm concerned. I was provoked by Diane about three weeks ago to give it another try, that was the same week we bought the book to build an outdoor oven. I spend all my free time one Sunday reading on line and watching little you-tube videos here about it. I think I just needed to see pictures! And I am disappointed in the pictures I took, but I'm hoping to provoke someone else to try it on their own, and yes, you can collect enough wild yeast to lift a loaf!

This isn't my original start- I used white flour as my first try. I read also that fresh ground wheat berries are the best as they have enough yeasts present to give things a super start.
The recipe called for pineapple juice (specifically for the citric acid to kill a bacteria that can kill most attempts at this), you've probably heard of people using unwashed (homegrown) grapes or raspberries with bloom to do this. But as I had nothing of the above and more enthusiasm than I could contain I decided to try it with whey (left over from cheese making). Yes, in a week I could think about baking my first batch.
Since it worked so well, I though I would make another start using whole wheat flour and straight water (I was too cheap when I went to the store to get the pineapple). This one worked too - I'm still using both of them.
And here is my success story!

Day 1

Day 1

Day #1 Mix together 3 1/2 TBS flour of choice and 1/4 cup of water ( from our Berkey water filter) into a jar. Covered the jar loosely with a lid and set it aside. I made an effort to come back and stir a few times that day.
Day#2 Stir 2 or three times this day...oops I didn't. It was foamy on top and had a funny whole wheat smell.
Day #3 Added 2 TBS ww flour and 2 TBS filtered water. Tried to remember to stir a few times that day. Didn't look any different or smell worse so I carried on.
Day #4 This is what it looked like:

Day 4

I stirred it and smelled. At this point I wasn't sure if it was going to work, but seeing some activity was encouraging!

Day 5

Day #5This morning I added 5 1/4 TBS flour and 3 TBS water. This was the day to see if it would work so I made a mark on the jar to see how much elevation would happen, because so far not much was going on.

Day 5 morning

 

Day 5 in the evening

When I got back home that evening this what had been going on while I was gone! Doubled and began to descend. Bookues  of activity! I couldn't resist messing with it, so I did! I stirred it down, tucked in 5 TBS flour and 3 TBS water and put my little sourdough to bed.

Every day for a few more days I fed it twice a day 1/4 cup of flour and 1/8 cup of water each time. I only used this measurement because I was too lazy to find the TBS. More flour than water and once or twice I forgot and added the same proportions. See? You don't need to be exact. Just be there with the goods!
After I published this post I discovered another website that has experiments, calculation, and the science behind sourdough. There is a lot to being exact, I need to get my head into that thought more often. And there are a few techniques that I didn't know about like bulk proofing and autolyse. Check it out if you've been inspired here to learn more...from the experts!

A few tips (and I should add to this as I keep learning how to use my sourdough starter):

• Smaller feedings (but still twice a day) seem to produce a stronger starter.
• Use filtered water (if you have a softener- as salt interferes with the rising power).
• I've been using 1/4 cup per loaf with great results. The recipe I use is my artisan no-knead one and I just replaced the yeast. I want to try a banana bread and biscuits still.
• Careful not to over proof! Actually as soon as it looks like the dough has doubled or getting close work the dough into your loaf. Once it descends I'm out of luck...except at this point it makes a great pizza crust because it still will puff up quite a bit in a hot hot oven, just not enough strength for taller loaf, unless of course you don't mind bricks!
• When I have my bake day (I've been using  5 cups of starter at a time) I need to plan waaaaay ahead of time. I use it all but a 1/4'' from the bottom of my jar ( my starter now grows in a 3/4 gal. pickle jar) and build it up by the next baking day (with twice a day feedings).

• Supposedly it is a hard thing to kill, and can keep very well in the fridge with weekly feedings. Do you do other fermented things? Same principle! It's alive and growing, keep it healthy! 

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   Frugally Sustainable