SOUR-START(B)            USENET Cookbook            SOUR-START(B)

SOURDOUGH STARTER

     SOUR-START - Starter culture for making sourdough bread

     Many people think of sourdough as something from the Gold
     Rush days.  Not so!  Sourdough was the first way raised
     breads were made.  "Way back then," there was no such thing
     as active dry yeast, and all breads (along with a number of
     other goodies) needed sourdough starter to rise.

     There are a number of recipes for sourdough starter, but
     this is one I've used, and it works fairly well. It came
     originally from the cookbook The Complete Sourdough Cookbook
     by Don Holm.

INGREDIENTS (makes 3 cups)
     2 cups    warm water (about 110 deg. F)
     2 1/2 cups
               flour
     1 pkg     active dry yeast (optional)

PROCEDURE
          (1)  Get a container for the starter.  Crockery is
               best, but just about anything can be used, except
               metal.  Try to get something with a lid.  I use a
               vinyl plastic food-storage container.

          (2)  Mix flour and water (and optionally yeast).

          (3)  Let the starter sit (uncovered or loosely covered)
               in a warm place until bubbly and sour, about 3-5
               days.

NOTES
     If you do a lot of bread baking, there will probably be
     enough yeast spores floating around your kitchen so that the
     added yeast isn't needed.  The less yeast you add to the
     starter, the more "authentic" the flavor.

     If the starter starts turning orange or green, throw it
     away.  Other nasty things have started growing in it!

     After the starter is ready, it can be used immediately.  Try
     to use some of the starter once every few days, or it will
     start to die.  The starter can be refrigerated to last
     longer (use at least every other week).  Make sure the star-
     ter is at room temperature before using.

     After using some of the starter, replenish what you take
     with equal amounts of warm water and flour.  Let the starter
     sit until nice and bubbly before using again.

     Usually, the first starter made will need a while to "come
     up to strength." Best bets for first recipes are ones that
     don't require much raising, such as pancakes, or ones that
     have additional yeast.

RATING
     Difficulty: easy.  Time: 5 minutes preparation, 5 days
     waiting.  Precision: no need to measure.

CONTRIBUTOR
     Bill Turner
     Hewlett-Packard Personal Software Division, Santa Clara CA
     {hplabs!}hppsdc!bill
     Path: decwrl!recipes
     From: andrew@stc.uucp (Andrew Macpherson)
     Newsgroups: mod.recipes
     Subject: RECIPE: Sourdough cake
     Message-ID: 
     Date: 17 Apr 87 05:40:12 GMT
     Sender: recipes@decwrl.DEC.COM
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