Sourdough Starter: Day 01

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Wholemeal and Rye mixed - just as you said.

Was wondering what make.

 

[Morning Glory]

then cut to new

?

These are the flours:

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

?

These are the flours:

View attachment 30610 View attachment 30609

They are good ones. That's probably why you're doing so well.

Presumably you've not got this far before?

I started a new one this evening as well, but couldn't source rye flour organic or otherwise, so am doing a 50:50 organic plain white: organic wholemeal spelt. Yep, spelt comes in 2 forms here, plain and wholemeal. There was no trace of any organic wholemeal flour so I've had to settle for white. It will be an interesting experiment... when I get back from the UK and have wholemeal and rye (rye in any form) I'll start a new starter.

Feed once more, then do the 1 tsp transfer (replenish) is what I had meant to say.

 

[Morning Glory]

Presumably you've not got this far before?

No I haven't. But I don't much like the way it smells today. I can't really explain it. It may just be the wholemeal flour - I actually don't like the smell of wholemeal raw bread dough anyway. Its sort of 'sweetish' smelling.

I've now fed it once more.

 

[Morning Glory]

...almost like ripe banana!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

It won't stay that way. The sour smell, vinegar and alcoholic, develops once it gets to the starving stage. It will take a few weeks to develops and a while longer to fully mature.

One thing about sourdough clubs is that they share years old sourdough mother around to keep it going. It's why I'm so darned annoyed at having lost the one I had in the fridge that was +2 years old. I'm having to start all over.

For now, it's a case with yours of replenishing it daily. I do mine when I get up and am making a coffee. Tiniest amount of old into new. Hence keeping a second jar available. The dirty was washed during the previous day and sterilized along with a teaspoon when i made my coffee.

The smell and taste comes with time. You'll be able to reduce the volume of flour used as well. No need to use 100g every day, drop to 50g when you know it's very well established, or even 25g and add less mother in accordingly. You actually need it to run out of flour to eat during the day to create that flavour. But hold fire on that for a bit yet. Now is getting it alive. It's still an infant and we need to get to being a toddler first!

 

[Morning Glory]

Now is getting it alive. It's still an infant and we need to get to being a toddler first!

I like that!

I've now posted on Sourdough Starter: Day 02

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

As a test and with brand new, organic plain white flour and an organic wholemeal spelt, I set going 2 new sourdough starters yesterday.

Less than 24hrs later after keeping them on a warm mantelshelf, I have a massive amount of activity.

The 50:50 organic plain white & organic wholemeal spelt (I couldn't obtain organic wholemeal or organic rye) the starter is very active. (50g each flour: 100g spring water)

If I look at the tiny organic wholemeal spelt I set going (25g water, 25g organic wholemeal spelt flour) you can see lots if activity and if it is turned around, a liquid on the top. This liquid tells me that the flour is spent and the starter needs feeding again. That's a really good sign.

 

[Morning Glory]

Wow! What a result.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Wow! What a result.

Thanks. The old starter actually got up and left the jar and set off across the mantelshelf. I checked them at 6am or so when I got up, then when I happened to be checking the fire around midday I found the mess! I've not had results like that before.