Sourdough Starter question

[lakota]

This is my first attempt at making sourdough starter and have a few questions.
First here is the recipe I got from the Field Guide to Dutch Oven Cooking: 2-1/2 cups flour, 2-1/2 cups warm water, 1 pack dry yeast and 1 TBSP honey. I let it stand open for 24 hours as the recipe says and then it has been sitting covered for 3 days. The recipe says to let stand coverd for five days until sour and to stir down occasionally.
Now my questions:
I stirred it down today and it smelled like real strong whiskey. Is that how it is supposed to smell?

It also looks like watery dough. it is white and slighty runny in consistency. Is that right?

If everything sounds right should I be able able to use it by the weekend. I cant wait to try some sourdough bread from my dutch oven.

Thanks,
Scott.

 

[silverfox]

Sounds right from what I have used. Just remember to put the mother back in the frigerator for your next batch. Good cooking
Fox :hatsoff:

 

[halfdan]

My wife keeps a crock of sourdough starter on the counter all year 'round and yours sounds just like what I'm looking at.

Good eatin'!

Halfdan

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I don't have a clue but when you find out how it's done maybe ask how whole-wheat flour can be 'soured'?? :hmm:

 

[boar]

My starter was started in 1982. Made biscuits today. They would drink the liquid the will come up on top after its sets awhile,called houch. I started mine with just Ipkg dry yeast,flour and water. I cup of starter will work a barrel of flour and water. It makes the best fry bread you ever ate. I keep over 2 cups in frig at all times. Just put in glass and put in warm water till it starts to bubble and use. The grandson and I take dough with us and wrap around a stick and cook by fire. Dilly

 

[lakota]

Thanks fellas

 

[xxgrampa]

greetings lakota,

if you want a starter the old fashion way. put a small bunch of unwashed grapes in a glass of room temp milk. leave it on the counter over nite. next day, use the milk instead of yeast. shold give you a true sourdough taste to the bread.

for differant taste bread, use grapes from differant locations. easy to do nowadays. as grapes are shipped in from all over the world..

it's the white coating on the grapes that makes the yeast.

good luck and ..ttfn..grampa.. :grin: :grin:

 

[chipper]

The yeast is converting the sugars in the mix to booze. You can do the same thing with any fruit juice to make hooch. I have 7 gallons brewing at home.
I allways leave my sour dough mix out on the cubbard in a crock. As long as you use it often it will keep going. The only thing I do different is, I use the sour dough for flavoring. Your supposed to leave your bread over night to rise. I still mix up my bread with yeast. It doesn't get as sour but has a real nice mild flavor and it takes a fraction of the time to make.
Here's my recipe that was handed down from my Grandma who was born and raised on the Pine Ridge in South Dakota. She would remind me... the key to making bread in dryer western climates is using wet dough to start with so it can rise better.
3cups flour
2 Tbs sugar
1 tsp yeast
1/4 cup oil
1/4 tsp salt (add this to the flour. it will kill yeast)
1 cup very hot water
1 cup sour dough starter
mix the hot water, yeast and sugar up to proof the yeast.
dump everything into the pan and start mixing.
The consistancy should be almost like pancake batter. Let it rise, beat it down and add flour until it starts acting like bread dough, not sticky. Roll it out into the shape you want, let it rise again. Bake it at 375 until it's done. Rolls about 30 min. bread about 40 min.
If you use whole wheat, add a couple of eggs to the original mix.
Enjoy..
Loyd Shindelbower
Loveland Colorado

 

[wildeagle]

Question - Anyone ever heard of using taters. Soaking cubed taters for the white sediment. Is it starch ?? that causes the dough to work???

 

[xxgrampa]

greetings wild eagle,

that white stuff is just starch. it's the yeast that makes the dough stand at attention :grin:

..ttfn..grampa..

 

[lakota]

Thanks to all. I made my first loaf the othernight and it turned out pretty good. My dogs sure seemed to like it as one of them jumped up on the counter and dragged half of it onto the floor and ate it! :cursing:
A few more questions- Do you refrigerate your starter or leave it out? Should I coverthe jar with the screw on lid or cover it with somthing like cheesecloth?

Thanks again-
Scott.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

You add whole eggs to the 'starter' if using whole wheat flour? I figured maybe wheat gluten, I ain't got a clue in what quantity and when. I know whole wheat will make sourdough 'rolls' or 'biscuits' of a sort. glad to see this palaver - sourdough pancakes are really good, thick sliced bacon and berry preserves, yummmm.

 

[boar]

I keep mine in half gal plastic ice cream jug with holes in lid in refrigeator. I use white flour in my starter as wheat gets to black. Dilly

 

[pondoro]

I was into making sourdough bread a few years back and the smell made my wife's beagle crazy! Had to keep he starter and the finsihed product far out of reach.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

Another question - what quanitity of starter is used with whole wheat flour for say - rolls?. Or is it even practical? Wheat gluten is added - am I right??

 

[Homesteader]

These days I'd make real certain of the origin of the wheat gluten before I'd add it to my food. Hate to wind up like those poor dogs & cats...

 

[bnail]

I don't have a clue but when you find out how it's done maybe ask how whole-wheat flour can be 'soured'?? :hmm:

Either the 1st or 2nd book of buskskinning has a very simple sourdough starter recipe. it involves plain flour water and, IIRC, salt. the yeast tis absorded from the air. I made two loaves from this recipe and it worked very well.
of course, from what I understand, there are good and bad yeast so it's a crapshoot as to what your starter may pick up. I got lucky and had a good batch the first attempt. I hear that the ambient yeast count is what makes San Francisco sour dough so good.
I reckon as long as you don't self rising any type of flour would work.

 

[BaronBrian]

For storing your starter you can just leave it out on the counter covered with some cheesecloth but you will have to be using it a lot (every day or every few days) or it becomes a bit of a pain to maintain. If you put it in the refrigerator it'll make the yeast go dormant and then it's not as much of a problem if you're only using it every once in a while.

Try making it without the yeast next time. Just leave it out uncovered for a few days and then cover it up. It should start bubbling and showing signs of yeast activity after a few more days. It takes longer but the flavor is better (in my opinion).

As to flour, most will work as long as you don't drift too far into the "exotic" varieties. Even those may work but you run a higher chance of getting something really odd.