Sourdough Bread - A new start!

One of my favorite breads to make is Sourdough Bread. I love sourdough bread for the taste and texture. Some time back I showed you how I made my Sourdough bread.

I've decided to restart a new sourdough starter this week. The last starter I had fizzled out after a few months for some reason. I will blame it on the Oklahoma humidity, and not on my lack of culinary skills.

When you have a sourdough starter, you have a pet of sorts. It is really fun to watch the sourdough starter begin from simple rye flour and transform into a bubbly mixture. To me its a calmer form of a pet that does tricks.

The recipe I use is from "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon. It is also the same Recipe in Above Rubies Magazine Issue #76, by Serene Allison.

All Sourdough Starters are started basically the same way.

First you sterilize a jar or a bowl. I bring water to a boil in a tea kettle, and then pour some into the bowl or jar and let the steam sterilize the inside. Let it cool to the touch and pour out the water.

In your bowl or jar, add:
1 cup flour
1 cup of filtered water

Rye flour is the best flour to make your starter with. Cover with a double layer of cheesecloth, or another breathable cloth.

In my last post I told you to use Honey, but I have since learned honey is not necessary, and it can actually lead to the failure of your starter.

Every day for 6 more days, sterilize a new jar or container. Pour your starter into the new container, and add 1 cup flour and 1 cup water. The changing of the containers helps to ensure you are letting the starter catch the wild yeasts in the air, and it discourages bad bacteria.

As the days go on, you will need a larger container. I use 1 gallon plastic pitchers, or 1 gallon glass pickle jars. Do not use a metal container, because the metal will kill your yeast.

After a few days you should see your starter begin to bubble, and it might have a slight alcohol smell. At the end of the 7 days, it will be really nice and spongy, and have a sweet/sour smell.

Use your starter to make sourdough bread (see the recipe and link to the video by Serene on the original post), but leave 1-2 cups in reserve to continue growing starter.

Feed your starter 1 cup flour and 1 cup water every day, stirring it around. Give it a new home once a week by switching it to a clean container. And keep covered with cheesecloth or another material.

Here is what my new starter looks like after only 2 days.


Isn't it pretty?