The sourdough Starter Thread

[lottie dolly]

I shall look from the side lines

[Bren In Pots]

Snoop I used the 'River cottage' recipe and still do after a this time. Next time I'm on my PC instead of my phone I'll repost some of the pictures I uploaded that were lost.

[smallblueplanet]

Thanks. Be prepared for a barrage of questions... I've got two books and they say very, very different things. I shall ponder and get back to you.

Don't know what you're trying to do but making a sourdough starter is very easy.

We started with a rye starter because it's meant to be easier. We used the info here (with video):

https://www.weekendbakery.com/posts/...in-easy-steps/

Basically it came down to rye flour and a similar amount of water in a jar which then ferments over time. That's it, honestly. We keep ours in the fridge and only feed it when we use it; not it, I mean Elvis!

After keeping the rye starter going for a while we made a similar white flour starter - again 100% ie equal flour and water. Easy peasy.

[Mr Bones]

Our starter's called Boris but usually it's referred to as Bozzer

Edit.. Thought I'd better add, there's no political reference intended, it's more like something out of a 1930's monster movie

[farendwoman]

I want to play!!
Any chance of posting the (best) recipe/method so I can get started please???

[Bren In Pots]

I want to play!!
Any chance of posting the (best) recipe/method so I can get started please???

You can't go wrong if you follow the link smallblueplanet posted

[Snoop Puss]

Thanks smallblueplanet. I've got two books that give info on starting a sourdough starter and they're very different. Ken Forkish uses a 6 litre tub and 500 g of flour every feed at the start, while Dan Lepard uses just a few teaspoons and currants. The Weekend Bakery website was very helpful, though I haven't watched the video yet due to data allowance problems.

Does the amount of starter you keep affect how much bread you can make? At the moment, I'm making five or six loaves a week (maybe four of them with about 500 g of flour and the others just a couple of hundred g or so). Would this mean I need more starter?

Just for info, I have a few organic flours: rye, wholewheat and white. I was thinking of starting a rye starter and maybe trying a white one too. Do you use your rye starter for wholewheat loaves? I saw from the Chatback thread that Nicos's husband has three starters.

Looking forward to seeing your photos, Bren.

Glad you'll be joining in, farendwoman. The more the merrier.

Edited because forgot to ask: can you use your discards from the process of starting your starter in some of the recipes that TS provided a link to (https://www.kingarthurflour.com/reci...iscard-recipes) or is it too early in the process and you're better off just chucking it out (or in my case, cooking it somehow and feeding it to the dogs, nothing gets wasted here).

[Bren In Pots]

Snoop I make those crackers they're really good, this morning we had sourdough oatcakes topped with bacon, egg and mushrooms. I've made crumpets a few times but usually make free form pikelets instead. I've never thrown any starter away there's always something you can use it in.

[farendwoman]

You can't go wrong if you follow the link smallblueplanet posted

Off I go then!
Thanks Bren (and small blue planet)

[Snoop Puss]

Snoop I make those crackers they're really good, this morning we had sourdough oatcakes topped with bacon, egg and mushrooms. I've made crumpets a few times but usually make free form pikelets instead. I've never thrown any starter away there's always something you can use it in.

What great news. Those crackers always catch my eye...

[smallblueplanet]

Thanks smallblueplanet. I've got two books that give info on starting a sourdough starter and they're very different. Ken Forkish uses a 6 litre tub and 500 g of flour every feed at the start, while Dan Lepard uses just a few teaspoons and currants. The Weekend Bakery website was very helpful, though I haven't watched the video yet due to data allowance problems.

Think the 'real' chefs tend to overdo things. I read lots of starter recipes and some bread recipes before we decided to give it a go. I chose the Weekend Bakery one as it seemed the most straightforward and tbh the most sensible.

So flour, water and a jar with a lid. Started with a small amount of 100% starter mix, ie equal flour and water, then added more flour/water as per the recipe (can't actually remember it!).

But basically it's down to waiting. I think we chose organic flour because we are, and maybe used boiled, cooled water? Mixed it in a jar, left the lid on loose and put it somewhere at 'room temperature' (about 20/24C). We looked at it constantly for the first day or so - well you do don't you! Think there was a bubble or two appeared on day 2. When it got going, by about day 4(ish) we could wait no longer and took some out and baked with it!

Does the amount of starter you keep affect how much bread you can make? At the moment, I'm making five or six loaves a week (maybe four of them with about 500 g of flour and the others just a couple of hundred g or so). Would this mean I need more starter?

Just for info, I have a few organic flours: rye, wholewheat and white. I was thinking of starting a rye starter and maybe trying a white one too. Do you use your rye starter for wholewheat loaves? I saw from the Chatback thread that Nicos's husband has three starters.

Work out how much starter your recipe needs and make sure the jar has that much plus 'some' extra left to feed up to get more starter. We had a rye one and a white one as we sometimes made white bread, but we decided we wasn't that fussed and now use the rye starter for all bakes. In the scheme of the bake it's not that much rye flour.

Edited because forgot to ask: can you use your discards from the process of starting your starter in some of the recipes that TS provided a link to (https://www.kingarthurflour.com/reci...iscard-recipes) or is it too early in the process and you're better off just chucking it out (or in my case, cooking it somehow and feeding it to the dogs, nothing gets wasted here).

The amount of 'discards' or waste that 'chefs' seemed to make was one of the things that nearly stopped us using a sourdough starter. We only bake bread/pizza dough/etc maybe once a week. So the idea of keeping feeding the starter and discarding the excess starter seemed very wasteful.

But basically we decided (after reading other bakers web posts) that it's easy to keep the starter in the fridge and take it out, feed it up and then use it, then feed again and back in the fridge. If there is waste/excess nowadays we just bung it in the bread mix - but we're usually making 'half & half' loaves (ie we use half wholemeal and half white flour). There are recipes to find that use sourdough starter excess - I've even make carrot cake with some!

Give it a go it's easy. The flour/water starter should start to ferment without any additions as the 'friendly bacteria' will be on the flour and in the air already.

[smallblueplanet]

Snoop I make those crackers they're really good, this morning we had sourdough oatcakes topped with bacon, egg and mushrooms. I've made crumpets a few times but usually make free form pikelets instead. I've never thrown any starter away there's always something you can use it in.

Do you have the sourdough oatcake recipe Bren? Sounds interesting. We've never got around to making crumpets - which I love slavered in butter! But I have of course bought the (more kitchenalia!) crumpet rings already.

[Snoop Puss]

Smallblueplanet, thanks for the above replies. I was almost on the verge of giving up before I've even started. I saw that the Weekend Bakery people only use 100 g of starter a week in their baking and I will probably use many times that over the course of a week.

Anyway, time to find an appropriate jar and just get going.

Thanks again.

[smallblueplanet]

Smallblueplanet, thanks for the above replies. I was almost on the verge of giving up before I've even started. I saw that the Weekend Bakery people only use 100 g of starter a week in their baking and I will probably use many times that over the course of a week.

Anyway, time to find an appropriate jar and just get going.

Thanks again.

Don't give up!

I've just read their steps and I think perhaps they start with a small amount because if things go wrong then there's less waste. But I can't see why it should...

Anyway when you get here "Day 5: Your starter should at least double in size consistently after each refreshment to be ready for your first baking project. If your culture does not double in size consistently after day 4 or 5 repeat the directions of day 4 until it does." Then you can make as much starter as you need/like.

Say your recipe needs 400g of starter (and the starter is 100% ie half flour/half water), then add 200g of flour and 200g of water to your starter and wait until it is 'active' (bubbly). Then take out your starter to use, and feed up the starter left in the jar - say 50g flour/50g water, and put it back in the fridge. Take it from the fridge the night before you need it or the morning as we do because we forget! So then a few hours before you intend to bake feed it up and let it get active. Once you've done it a few times it all becomes easier/clearer and you'll wonder why you worried.

[Bren In Pots]

Do you have the sourdough oatcake recipe Bren? Sounds interesting. We've never got around to making crumpets - which I love slavered in butter! But I have of course bought the (more kitchenalia!) crumpet rings already.

Can't think were I found this recipe I've had it that long.

its one cup of each of the following.

Starter
Oats (I use fine oats or pin head)
Water
Flour

mix together and leave overnight in the bowl

Next morning add a pinch of salt, bicarb and a bit of oil and maybe some water to make it like a pancake/Yorkshire pud batter. I use a 1/4 cup of mix which makes 14 oatcakes in a 8 inch skillet.

Once cool they freeze fine.