Comments on: How to Acquire a Sourdough Starter http://www.breadtopia.com Bread Baking Instructional Videos and Baking Supplies. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:48:18 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Tim http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-a-sourdough-starter/#comment-38543 Tim Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:39:50 +0000 http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-your-sourdough-starter/#comment-38543 Susan: I don't know the answer to the first question, and I will be diving into the second after this soccer season.. :-) Susan: I don’t know the answer to the first question, and I will be diving into the second after this soccer season.. :-)

]]> By: VASusan http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-a-sourdough-starter/#comment-38540 VASusan Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:20:32 +0000 http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-your-sourdough-starter/#comment-38540 Tim, I hope I'm not bothering you, but I was wondering, did the Baker add the split pea mush to flour to make a starter or was the mush what he used for his starter? Did it have a strong odor? Are you having any luck with your split pea mush? Tim,
I hope I’m not bothering you, but I was wondering, did the Baker add the split pea mush to flour to make a starter or was the mush what he used for his starter? Did it have a strong odor? Are you having any luck with your split pea mush?

]]> By: Tim http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-a-sourdough-starter/#comment-38507 Tim Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:47:13 +0000 http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-your-sourdough-starter/#comment-38507 Lee: My experience has been that ...It depends on how much you use the starter- the more you use it, the stronger the yeast will become... I worked in a bakery that used a rye starter that was years old... I know that the Desem starter in Laurel's Bread Book is the very same starter that was used in the Baldwin Hill Breads, and their starter was years old and very strong. As long as I feed the grape starter and use it often it stays "sweet" I also know that Carl's is a very strong strain of yeast.... having said that, Iam sure that there are stronger and weaker strains of yeast... For example, as strong as the Desem was at Baldwin Hill, I know that they were always very careful because of the threat of contamination... Susan: re split peas starter: I don't know... BUT it was not split pea water, it was a split pea mush... re grape starter: I store 2 cups. Lee: My experience has been that …It depends on how much you use the starter- the more you use it, the stronger the yeast will become… I worked in a bakery that used a rye starter that was years old… I know that the Desem starter in Laurel’s Bread Book is the very same starter that was used in the Baldwin Hill Breads, and their starter was years old and very strong. As long as I feed the grape starter and use it often it stays “sweet” I also know that Carl’s is a very strong strain of yeast…. having said that, Iam sure that there are stronger and weaker strains of yeast… For example, as strong as the Desem was at Baldwin Hill, I know that they were always very careful because of the threat of contamination…

Susan: re split peas starter: I don’t know… BUT it was not split pea water, it was a split pea mush…
re grape starter: I store 2 cups.

]]> By: VASusan http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-a-sourdough-starter/#comment-38479 VASusan Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:20:28 +0000 http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-your-sourdough-starter/#comment-38479 Hi Tim, I have a question that you may or may not be able to answer. Did the baker in Germany used the split pea water just to <i>start</i> his rye bread starter or did he use it to <i>feed</i> the starter as well? I just used mine to begin with, then switched to water like with the grape juice recipe. There was a definite "split pea odor" to it until I fed it today, but after diluting it, it's not very noticeable now. It looks frothy today and has some bubbles. The "grape tea starter" is catching up to it and has some bubbles too. Another question, with the Nancy Silverton grape starter, how much starter does she have when she feeds it with the 1 cup ea of flour and water? <i>Store the starter tightly covered in the refrigerator where it will keep perfectly for 4 to 6 months, after which it’s a good idea to pour off all but 2 cups and give it another feeding.</i> It sounds from this that there are more than two cups that she stores in the fridge. Thanks, Susan Hi Tim,
I have a question that you may or may not be able to answer. Did the baker in Germany used the split pea water just to start his rye bread starter or did he use it to feed the starter as well? I just used mine to begin with, then switched to water like with the grape juice recipe. There was a definite “split pea odor” to it until I fed it today, but after diluting it, it’s not very noticeable now. It looks frothy today and has some bubbles. The “grape tea starter” is catching up to it and has some bubbles too.

Another question, with the Nancy Silverton grape starter, how much starter does she have when she feeds it with the 1 cup ea of flour and water?
Store the starter tightly covered in the refrigerator where it will keep perfectly for 4 to 6 months, after which it’s a good idea to pour off all but 2 cups and give it another feeding.
It sounds from this that there are more than two cups that she stores in the fridge.
Thanks,
Susan

]]> By: Annette http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-a-sourdough-starter/#comment-38469 Annette Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:04:35 +0000 http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-your-sourdough-starter/#comment-38469 Oh! And I wanted to say, "Thank YOU" for this site. My mom was a baker and had her own restaurant. She was not comfortable with making sourdough. You have made it all so enjoyable to learn about. It doesn't seem to be as trying a process as she feared it would be. Oh! And I wanted to say, “Thank YOU” for this site. My mom was a baker and had her own restaurant. She was not comfortable with making sourdough. You have made it all so enjoyable to learn about. It doesn’t seem to be as trying a process as she feared it would be.

]]> By: Annette http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-a-sourdough-starter/#comment-38468 Annette Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:02:10 +0000 http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-your-sourdough-starter/#comment-38468 Hi, Had to taste the starter on day one, day two, day three. I noticed that when I fed it, it was sweeter than the taste it had sitting around neglected. It had a strong, beer-like taste prior to feeding. I wondered if something was wrong. In mixing flour, yeast, water, and sugar, (I used King Arthur's recipe for this one), can I produce something that will kill someone before a loaf is made? In all the reading I have done, there appears to be no worry to leaving it out and letting the starter do it's thing. I also have read a lot of different ways to use the discard in pancakes and biscuits. I greatly appreciate everyone's input! How long can I keep a starter out of the fridge, letting it ferment? Some recipes call for three days, and others for ten. Thanks in advance! Hi,

Had to taste the starter on day one, day two, day three. I noticed that when I fed it, it was sweeter than the taste it had sitting around neglected. It had a strong, beer-like taste prior to feeding. I wondered if something was wrong. In mixing flour, yeast, water, and sugar, (I used King Arthur’s recipe for this one), can I produce something that will kill someone before a loaf is made? In all the reading I have done, there appears to be no worry to leaving it out and letting the starter do it’s thing. I also have read a lot of different ways to use the discard in pancakes and biscuits. I greatly appreciate everyone’s input! How long can I keep a starter out of the fridge, letting it ferment? Some recipes call for three days, and others for ten.
Thanks in advance!

]]> By: Lee Smith http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-a-sourdough-starter/#comment-38463 Lee Smith Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:34:21 +0000 http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-your-sourdough-starter/#comment-38463 Thanks, Tim How about the second part of my question? Do these starters retain their uniqueness over time, or are they overwhelmed and conquered by the local resident yeasts. There seems to be some question about the local yeast story, anyway, so the answer to the question is good data toward resolving that issue. As an aside I was on vacation for 16 days, so while I'm rejuvenating my starter I baked a recipe for French Honey Bread from The Bread Machine Cookbook, but not in the bread machine. I used a bread pan, and it is turning out to be a good interim bread craving solution. Thanks, Tim
How about the second part of my question? Do these starters retain their uniqueness over time, or are they overwhelmed and conquered by the local resident yeasts. There seems to be some question about the local yeast story, anyway, so the answer to the question is good data toward resolving that issue.

As an aside I was on vacation for 16 days, so while I’m rejuvenating my starter I baked a recipe for French Honey Bread from The Bread Machine Cookbook, but not in the bread machine. I used a bread pan, and it is turning out to be a good interim bread craving solution.

]]> By: Tim http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-a-sourdough-starter/#comment-38461 Tim Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:48:10 +0000 http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-your-sourdough-starter/#comment-38461 I do not know the chemistry, all I know is that the different yeasts produce different tastes. For example, the San Francisco & Carl's (from the free starter website) starters produce sour sourdough loaves. Nancy Silverton's grape starter produces a sweet sourdough loaf. The split pea sourdough rye loaves I had in Germany were complex and sweeter than other sourdough rye I have had. The most amazing Desem bread in the Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book defies description- it is neither sweet nor sour, it tastes like nothing except maybe maybe essential wheatness... I know this is not much help... for me, it is just different yeasts = different tastes I do not know the chemistry, all I know is that the different yeasts produce different tastes. For example, the San Francisco & Carl’s (from the free starter website) starters produce sour sourdough loaves. Nancy Silverton’s grape starter produces a sweet sourdough loaf. The split pea sourdough rye loaves I had in Germany were complex and sweeter than other sourdough rye I have had. The most amazing Desem bread in the Laurel’s Kitchen Bread Book defies description- it is neither sweet nor sour, it tastes like nothing except maybe maybe essential wheatness… I know this is not much help… for me, it is just different yeasts = different tastes

]]> By: Lee Smith http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-a-sourdough-starter/#comment-38460 Lee Smith Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:21:20 +0000 http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-your-sourdough-starter/#comment-38460 Re: Recent starter discussions What is the difference in various starters such as grape and split pea vs. "normal" starter? Do these retain any unique qualities, or do they revert to becoming local yeast starters? Re: Recent starter discussions

What is the difference in various starters such as grape and split pea vs. “normal” starter?
Do these retain any unique qualities, or do they revert to becoming local yeast starters?

]]> By: VASusan http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-a-sourdough-starter/#comment-38457 VASusan Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:38:20 +0000 http://www.breadtopia.com/acquiring-your-sourdough-starter/#comment-38457 Thanks for that information, Tim. I saved it and might try using her method next summer. The water covering the split peas did get a layer of froth in about 12 hrs, so I mixed some of the liquid with flour. It already has some bubbles so I fed it. I did the same with the grape leaf tea which also has some bubbles, but not as many as the split pea/flour mixture. It seems that the boiling water in both cases would kill off the wild yeast. I wonder if it works (if it actually <i>does work</i>) by killing off other bad bacteria so the good things can have a chance to grow there. Thanks for that information, Tim. I saved it and might try using her method next summer.
The water covering the split peas did get a layer of froth in about 12 hrs, so I mixed some of the liquid with flour. It already has some bubbles so I fed it. I did the same with the grape leaf tea which also has some bubbles, but not as many as the split pea/flour mixture. It seems that the boiling water in both cases would kill off the wild yeast. I wonder if it works (if it actually does work) by killing off other bad bacteria so the good things can have a chance to grow there.

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