The sourdough Starter Thread

[Jeanied]

Oh my that is an interesting link Barley Sugar! I am now going to get some proper organic flour and feed my resurrected starter mix with that. I was getting fed up with heavy bricks and the birds seem to have left the last lot!

[ladylottie]

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

HFW Sourdough

Hi - I think I'm going to give this a try today, but I don't have any rhubarb. Will it matter if I omit it? What does it do for the dough anyway?

[ChrisB]

ChrisB welcome to the thread

Thank you for the welcome.

I'm one of those lurkers who sometimes pops their head above the parapet and actually says something

[Bren In Pots]

From what I read its to help the starter be more acidic some use fruit juice instead of the rhubarb.
It was January when I made my starter and my rhubarb was just peeping above the soil so I only cut off an inch long piece, not sure if it made any difference to the finished starter though.

[ladylottie]

From what I read its to help the starter be more acidic some use fruit juice instead of the rhubarb.
It was January when I made my starter and my rhubarb was just peeping above the soil so I only cut off an inch long piece, not sure if it made any difference to the finished starter though.

Thanks Bren, perhaps I'll see how it goes without the rhubarb, if there's no movement I'll add a drop of orange juice.

I started it off an hour ago!

[Bren In Pots]

Best of luck getting the starter going is the hardest part about make sourdough loaves.

[northepaul]

Best of luck getting the starter going is the hardest part about make sourdough loaves.

Yep...I'd agree with that!

[Bren In Pots]

I've gone over to using Canadian flour and it really makes my starter bubble.

[ChrisB]

This had better be worth it.

Already my starter is developing bubbles on top (day two) so that is good, but ..........

somebody near and dear keeps saying how it can make the house smell and the bread isn't too wonderful.

I'm deciding whether the starter or himself will reside in the utility until I can make a loaf.

How long before I can use the starter?

[Jeanied]

At least a week ChrisB - why not whet his appetite by getting a sourdough loaf from the shops? I found one in Morrisons the other day - clearly it is becoming trendy!

My starter is very lively now, and I have chucked out the instructions - I am going in blind! I am using Aldi's strong white bread flour for feeding and the sponge - after a starter culture of organic stoneground wholemeal. I got the dough ready for the second proving but got a bit busy so it is happily sitting in the fridge till I get time. I have high hopes this time

[ladylottie]

No signs of any bubbles yet (just over 24 hours since I started it and the room isn't baking hot).
It seems to have separated - there's a clear liquid at the top now - is that ok? Should I stir it in?

[Jeanied]

I would give it a vigorous whisk up LL - by aerating it you give the yeasts in the air and on the flour a chance to get established. At least that what I gather from Dan Lepard's link posted earlier!

[Bren In Pots]

somebody near and dear keeps saying how it can make the house smell and the bread isn't too wonderful.

How long before I can use the starter?

Mr Pots thinks it smells nice just like beer brewing he says

About making your first loaf I made my sponge on day 6 then baked the loaf the next evening.

[Bren In Pots]

No signs of any bubbles yet (just over 24 hours since I started it and the room isn't baking hot).
It seems to have separated - there's a clear liquid at the top now - is that ok? Should I stir it in?

L/lottie that liquid on top is normal it happened to mine and google said it was ' hooch' so if your starter was very runny you could pour it off otherwise stir it in.

[BarleySugar]

My sourdough has taken back seat for a little, while I'm trying to get to grips with being back at work. I'm planning to get the starter going again tomorrow ready for the weekend. Hopefully going back to Asda for my flour will get my loaves back on track too.