The sourdough Starter Thread

[northepaul]

Here it is!



Post here with successes, failures and support, recommendations or general sourdough gossip!

I am going to be starting one again at the end of the week when I go shopping. At the moment I only have white strong flour that the family (with no imagination, only eat white loaves and rolls) like.

[Bren In Pots]

This is the recipe I'm going to be following :-

HFW Sourdough

[northepaul]

Hmm interesting idea adding rhubarb!

[Bren In Pots]

I've started mine

I'm using half wholegrain spelt flour with half strong bread flour and I dropped in a small piece of rhubarb.

[kfan]

Ha, very exciting to hear how you get on with the rhubarb, never tried that before!

[BroadRipple]

a)can someone explain to me how this thread/sticky is different from normal threads? i know it's excitingly posh that we have one, b ut there my forum-knowledge ends...
b)mine is still only bubbling a bit. Kfan, our resident expert, is this bad? shd I add fruit juice/yoghurt? how often shd I be feeding it? and I wonder if the jar should be fuller - it's prob about 1/3 of a pint at the moment...any thoughts, team?
exciting!

[Bren In Pots]

BR I can't help with you sourdough Q but a sticky means this thread will always be at the top in the Off topic Grapes Recommendations part of the forum.

[BroadRipple]

oho. thank you! and i love your Sourdough Support Group thingy...support group is spot on! xBR

[kfan]

[b)mine is still only bubbling a bit. Kfan, our resident expert, is this bad? shd I add fruit juice/yoghurt? how often shd I be feeding it? and I wonder if the jar should be fuller - it's prob about 1/3 of a pint at the moment...any thoughts, team?
exciting![/QUOTE]

When did you start it? I take it only a few days, then a few bubbles are perfect. I would feed it according to the room temp. in my kitchen its around 16 dc so I feed it once a day now, when its warmer (around 20 dc) I would feed it twice a day (and don;t forget to take half out before you feed, I forgot to mention that initially I think :O). You have to be patient! No need to add anything. If you want more (check your recipe how much of a starter you need) then just feed slightly more each time then you have in the jar. Hope this helps...

[salome2001]

I make it occasionally but just use a bog standard recipe from the BBC
BBC - Food - Recipes : Irish soda bread

Just realised that soda bread may not be the same as sourdough bread....

.... whatever. it works really well, so well that a class of Year 5 primary school kids all managed to make it and succeed

[kfan]

Sodabread has bicarb of soda as a leavener whereas sourdough uses natural airborne yeast. So to cultivate the yeast in a starter is a bit of a longer process. But both are lovely nothing better than the smell of home baked bread

[BroadRipple]

Kfan, it was a few days ago, can't remember when...about a week, mebbe? am feeding once/twice a day, but just can't tell when it's READY. the recipe I read (Riv Cot) made me expect serious frothing, but it's more like a bit of light bubbling i.e. if you keep watching, pathetically, you see the odd tiny bubble b ut they're hard to spot...what do you reckon?

[kfan]

What does it smell like? I would be tempted to keep on going until it really bubbles a bit more. You should not expect foam like when washing up, but there should be obvious bubbles, the starter should be very light and smell like a combi of citrus fruit and earth/ compost. It sometimes takes longer than the recipe indicates, it really depends on the flour you use and the place you are in. Maybe you have a picture so I can help you a bit more? Its hard to judge not seeing/ smelling it...

[Bren In Pots]

I 'think' mines on its way

There were bubbles this morning so its had its first feed and I put a bit of tape on the jar to check its growth.

[BroadRipple]

I want you to be its cybergodparents...I've started a loaf! read in the Moro cookbook that if you taste it and it's a bit fizzy, it's working, so i did and it was and now I'm proving it (Daniel STevens/Riv Cot method) and will let you know results. Thanks for description Kfan that was v encouraging...think I was confused by references to it bubbling fiercely, when mine was more...thoughtful.
How are you doing, others? Anyone else want to join in? it's weirdly addictive...