Few
things in life are better than a fresh loaf of baked bread. In
particular I am partial to breads made from a sourdough starter, but
how do you get a starter if you do not already have one?
Well,
the most common way most of use acquire our first sourdough starter
is to find a family member or friend who already has one. Most people
who love baking with sourdough love to have company and are more than
willing to share not only their experiences, but their starter with
new sourdough bakers.
However,
if you do not know of any baker's or have access to a sourdough
starter, short of buying one off the internet, you have only one
option left and that is to make your own by capturing the wild yeast
that already resides in your own kitchen. Capturing wild yeast is of
course free, allows you the satisfaction of knowing how you pioneer
ancestors felt, and it can be kinda of fun to say “hey, look what I
did!” The downside to capturing your own yeast culture is that the
results can be a somewhat unpredictable depending on your location
and time of year. Most people seem to have the best results in the
summer and fall when there are more wild yeasts floating around in
the air.
If
you are already an avid baker, there may be enough wild yeast in
hanging around in your kitchen to activate a starter. I suggest that
everyone try this at least once, heck I know many sourdough bakers
that will only bake with these homegrown cultivated starters. So if
you have the afford the time and feel like walking on the wild side,
go for it. This is the way I acquired my first sourdough starter and
it never let me down. When you’ve captured some wild yeast
successfully, you’ll feel very accomplished. Here’s how to set
your trap.
In
the beginning, I use stone ground whole wheat flour as whole grains
generally have up to 200 times the amount of microorganisms as white
flours. I also choose to use unsweetened pineapple juice as opposed
to water to start my wild cultures because the acid in the pineapple
juice encourages the growth of desired bacteria and yeasts, while
discouraging the growth of bad bacteria and yeasts. Pineapple juice
is naturally sweet, unsweetened pineapple juice simply means that it
is 100 percent juice with no add sugars. I use the the Dole brand 6
ounce cans of 100% unsweetened pineapple juice, but any brand will
do. According to Wink, Oftentimes, a new culture will appear to start
off very strong, only to die a day or two later. The early expansion
is caused by a prolific gas-producing bacterium which many mistake
for yeast. Pineapple juice can be added to flour instead of water at
the beginning, to insure against unwanted bacteria and the problems
they leave in their wake. It doesn't change the end result, but it
does seem to keep things on the track to finish on time.
Sourdough Starter Recipe
To
set your sourdough trap, add to a clean bowl, one cup organic whole
wheat flour, and ¾ cup unsweetened pineapple juice. Cover the bowl
with a clean tea towel and place on your kitchen counter. Many books
tell you to place your starter in an area where in which you think
there is the highest concentration of airborne yeast as well as the
warmth that is needed to begin fermentation. If I knew where such a
place was I would tell you, but as I am no clairvoyant, I just leave
mine on the counter and it always seems to work. Stir your starter 2
to 3 times a day to help aerate the yeast and cover it back up with
the tea towel. You probably won't see any activity out of the starter
for the first two days, but have patience, if you follow these steps
this will work.
- 1 cup stone ground whole wheat flour.
- ¾ cup unsweetened pineapple juice.
Starter After three days. |
On
the third day, add another cup stone ground whole wheat flour and ¾
cup pineapple juice. Stir to incorporate completely and cover with
the tea towel and place it back on the kitchen counter to allow the
yeasts and bacteria to multiply for two more days. After the fourth
day you should begin to see a few small bubbles appearing on the
surface of your starter. Stir your starter 2 to 3 times a day to help
aerate the yeast and cover it back up with the tea towel. If you are
seeing quite a bit of activity then that's great as well; each
environment is different so just follow the plan, your almost there.
- 1 cup stone ground whole wheat flour.
- ¾ cup unsweetened pineapple juice.
On
the fifth day, you should see a light to moderate amount of bubbles
on the surface of your starter. Now we are going to feed the starter
and kick it into gear. Remove on cup of the starter and place in a
clean bowl. Add 1 ½ cups each stone ground whole wheat flour and
water. Stir to incorporate completely and cover with the tea towel
and place it back on the kitchen counter to allow the yeasts and
bacteria to multiply for one more day. After the starter has been
feed for 12 to 24 hours it is ready to be used.
- 2 cups stone ground whole wheat flour.
- 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups lukewarm water.
Starter after five days. |
So
that's all there is to making your first whole wheat sourdough
starter. If you want a white flour starter, all you have to do is
substitute the two cups of whole wheat flour on day five with bread
flour. Then each time you feed your starter simply use a bread or
all-purpose flour. The only reason we used the whole wheat flour to
start with was to gain the advantage of the extra microorganisms
found in the stone ground wheat flour. Once you have a good supply of
yeast, the type of flour you use is a matter of personal preference.
Generally,
I can have a full blown ready to bake with starter in five days using
this method during the spring and summer months. However, I bake
quite a bit and I may have more wild yeasts in my kitchen than the
average person. I cannot prove this, but it's a working theory. Don't
worry if it takes a bit longer for your starter to get going. When
it’s developed a yeasty, sour aroma, put it in a clean jar with a
lid and refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it. If the surface
of your starter begins to look dry during the for the fermentation
process, give the mixture a stir, if necessary add 1 tablespoon
water.
If
for some reason you decide to forgo the initial use of pineapple
juice and use water to create your starter and you mixture begins to
mold or develop a strange or peculiar color or odor instead of a
“clean, sour aroma,” then throw it out and start again. It's very
possible that you have inadvertently acquired a strain of bacteria
that could cause your food to have an unpleasant taste and possibly
cause you or your loved ones to become sick. It is for this
particular reason that I use the pineapple juice in my wild yeast
starters.
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The Humble Sandwich Loaf
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