Thread: Sourdough starter

"zxcvbob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
>I just mixed 100 grams of rye flour with 100 ml of bottled water in a
>covered bowl on my kitchen counter. No yeast, no salt, no milk, no sugar.
>How long should it take before I see some life? (I haven't done this in a
>few years and I don't remember.) Gonna try making sourdough pizza crust;
>will switch over to wheat flour when I start feeding it.
>
> Do I need to feed and divide it a few times before I freeze some of it for
> insurance? I plan to grow it at room temperature for a few weeks, then
> move it to the refrigerator to slow it down.
>
> Bob
>
http://www.nyx.net/~dgreenw/sourdoughfaqs.html

In article <[email protected]>,
zxcvbob <[email protected]> wrote:

> I just mixed 100 grams of rye flour with 100 ml of bottled water in
> a covered bowl on my kitchen counter. No yeast, no salt, no milk,
> no sugar. How long should it take before I see some life? (I
> haven't done this in a few years and I don't remember.) Gonna try
> making sourdough pizza crust; will switch over to wheat flour when I
> start feeding it.
>
> Do I need to feed and divide it a few times before I freeze some of
> it for insurance? I plan to grow it at room temperature for a few
> weeks, then move it to the refrigerator to slow it down.

Don't know. Don't know much of anything. Not much interested in
sourdough, except eating. But I seem to
remember...yeah...rec.food.sourdough. Seems to have a FAQ and a
Welcome. Looks like it would be worth checking for those with an
interest.

Good luck!

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA
[email protected]

zxcvbob wrote:
>
> I just mixed 100 grams of rye flour with 100 ml of bottled water in
> a covered bowl on my kitchen counter. No yeast, no salt, no milk,
> no sugar. How long should it take before I see some life? (I
> haven't done this in a few years and I don't remember.) Gonna try
> making sourdough pizza crust; will switch over to wheat flour when I
> start feeding it.
>
> Do I need to feed and divide it a few times before I freeze some of
> it for insurance? I plan to grow it at room temperature for a few
> weeks, then move it to the refrigerator to slow it down.
>
> Bob

That's going to depend on what microorganisms are on your flour, on your
bowl and in the air in your kitchen. Can take several days for a new
culture to get going. What have you used to cover your bowl? I keep a
cotton tea towel specifically for baking purposes, such as covering
bowls or rising bread. It's only ever rinsed thoroughly with water and
line dried. Bound to be some 'goodies' on there LOL.


Once it gets going, freeze some without doing anything else to it. Then
feed and divide it and freeze some more. Always check how it smells as
you are growing. If it smells 'off' then dump it and try again.

On Jun 6, 8:04*pm, zxcvbob <zxcv...@charter.net> wrote:
> I just mixed 100 grams of rye flour with 100 ml of bottled water in
> a covered bowl on my kitchen counter. *No yeast, no salt, no milk,
> no sugar. *How long should it take before I see some life? *(I
> haven't done this in a few years and I don't remember.) *Gonna try
> making sourdough pizza crust; will switch over to wheat flour when I
> start feeding it.
>
> Do I need to feed and divide it a few times before I freeze some of
> it for insurance? *I plan to grow it at room temperature for a few
> weeks, then move it to the refrigerator to slow it down.
>
> Bob

I've got starter in my frig right now that I've had going for a couple
of years. It took a week or so for it to really get going if I
remember correctly, and I did the feed and throw half away at least 3
or 4 times before it got really good and sour with some
'hooch'. I didn't freeze any, I just keep it in a glass jar in the
frig and take it out and feed it the day before I'm going to use it.

I think the amount of time it takes for your starter to start working
depends on why kind of yeasty beasties you have floating around in
your area.

Good luck, nothing better than good homemade sourdough breads, IMHO.

Arri London wrote:
>
> zxcvbob wrote:
>> I just mixed 100 grams of rye flour with 100 ml of bottled water in
>> a covered bowl on my kitchen counter. No yeast, no salt, no milk,
>> no sugar. How long should it take before I see some life? (I
>> haven't done this in a few years and I don't remember.) Gonna try
>> making sourdough pizza crust; will switch over to wheat flour when I
>> start feeding it.
>>
>> Do I need to feed and divide it a few times before I freeze some of
>> it for insurance? I plan to grow it at room temperature for a few
>> weeks, then move it to the refrigerator to slow it down.
>>
>> Bob
>
> That's going to depend on what microorganisms are on your flour, on your
> bowl and in the air in your kitchen. Can take several days for a new
> culture to get going. What have you used to cover your bowl? I keep a
> cotton tea towel specifically for baking purposes, such as covering
> bowls or rising bread. It's only ever rinsed thoroughly with water and
> line dried. Bound to be some 'goodies' on there LOL.
>
>
> Once it gets going, freeze some without doing anything else to it. Then
> feed and divide it and freeze some more. Always check how it smells as
> you are growing. If it smells 'off' then dump it and try again.



After I posted this, I added a crushed vitamin C tablet (to acidify
it a little until the bacteria take hold) and a little more bottled
water because the dough seemed too stiff.

It's in a Rubbermaid measuring cup with a snap-on lid that can leak
a little so it doesn't build up pressure and blow off. I want to
keep flies and fruitflies out of it.

I stirred it this morning, and again when I got home tonight. It
hasn't actually risen any yet, but it does have bubbles in it. It
just smells like dough at this point. And it has thinned out a
little, but no hooch on top yet obviously.

Bob

"zxcvbob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> Arri London wrote:
>>
>> zxcvbob wrote:
>>> I just mixed 100 grams of rye flour with 100 ml of bottled water in
>>> a covered bowl on my kitchen counter. No yeast, no salt, no milk,
>>> no sugar. How long should it take before I see some life? (I
>>> haven't done this in a few years and I don't remember.) Gonna try
>>> making sourdough pizza crust; will switch over to wheat flour when I
>>> start feeding it.
>>>
>>> Do I need to feed and divide it a few times before I freeze some of
>>> it for insurance? I plan to grow it at room temperature for a few
>>> weeks, then move it to the refrigerator to slow it down.
>>>
>>> Bob
>>
>> That's going to depend on what microorganisms are on your flour, on your
>> bowl and in the air in your kitchen. Can take several days for a new
>> culture to get going. What have you used to cover your bowl? I keep a
>> cotton tea towel specifically for baking purposes, such as covering
>> bowls or rising bread. It's only ever rinsed thoroughly with water and
>> line dried. Bound to be some 'goodies' on there LOL. Once it gets going,
>> freeze some without doing anything else to it. Then
>> feed and divide it and freeze some more. Always check how it smells as
>> you are growing. If it smells 'off' then dump it and try again.
>
>
>
> After I posted this, I added a crushed vitamin C tablet (to acidify it a
> little until the bacteria take hold) and a little more bottled water
> because the dough seemed too stiff.
>
> It's in a Rubbermaid measuring cup with a snap-on lid that can leak a
> little so it doesn't build up pressure and blow off. I want to keep flies
> and fruitflies out of it.
>
> I stirred it this morning, and again when I got home tonight. It hasn't
> actually risen any yet, but it does have bubbles in it. It just smells
> like dough at this point. And it has thinned out a little, but no hooch
> on top yet obviously.
>
It's time to add some organic* white flour to the mix. I keep mine at about
a 60% hydration, i.e., 60ml/gr water to 100g flour or ~1/3 cup water to ~1/2
cup flour. Of course, if you are making a batter-type SD starter, use equal
parts water and flour.Rye dough doesn't rise much as there is no gluten to
trap the gas.
*No bleaching additives.
Graham

Arri London wrote:

> zxcvbob wrote:
>
> > I just mixed 100 grams of rye flour with 100 ml of bottled water in
> > a covered bowl on my kitchen counter. *No yeast, no salt, no milk,
> > no sugar. *How long should it take before I see some life? *(I
> > haven't done this in a few years and I don't remember.) *Gonna try
> > making sourdough pizza crust; will switch over to wheat flour when I
> > start feeding it.
>
> > Do I need to feed and divide it a few times before I freeze some of
> > it for insurance? *I plan to grow it at room temperature for a few
> > weeks, then move it to the refrigerator to slow it down.
>
> > Bob
>
> That's going to depend on what microorganisms are on your flour, on your
> bowl and in the air in your kitchen. Can take several days for a new
> culture to get going. What have you used to cover your bowl? I keep a
> cotton tea towel specifically for baking purposes, such as covering
> bowls or rising bread. It's only ever rinsed thoroughly with water and
> line dried. Bound to be some 'goodies' on there LOL.


Actually, I use sheets of newspaper to cover my bowl...easily
disposable and cheap...

:-)


>
> Once it gets going, freeze some without doing anything else to it. Then
> feed and divide it and freeze some more. Always check how it smells as
> you are growing. If it smells 'off' then dump it and try again.


Sage advice...

:-)

--
Best
Greg