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Sourdough

Ritterhaus@aol.com
Tue, 28 Oct 1997 14:50:52 -0500 (EST)
v097.n067.2
Deb asked how to "move" a sourdough starter - here is my post from last
August.


Have been reading the discussion of sourdough breads and starters and thought
you might be interested to know that starter can be dried.  You might not
want to use the starter for awhile and "put it in limbo" until you want to
use it again;  you may need to move;  you may have a valuable starter that
you would hate to lose; or you may want to share your starter with someone
who lives several hundred or thousand miles away.  Sending dry starter is
just like mailing a small package of flour, you can even do it in an
envelope, as I have done.  The only caveat is that it cannot be dried in very
humid climates, and cannot be dried in a food dehydrator because the heat
will kill the yeast.  If you live in a borderline-humid climate you may be
able to dry it in cold weather when your furnace lowers humidity - it would
certainly be worth a try

                                     DRYING SOURDOUGH STARTER

Use a cookie sheet with a lip.  Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the cookie
sheet so in effect you have a "plastic pan".  Pour 1/2 cup of starter evenly
over plastic.  It should be a thin layer.  Place on top of refrigerator for
1-1/2 days.  Peel pieces of dried starter off of plastic and turn over to
continue drying other side 1/2 day.  Be sure starter is thoroughly dry or it
will mold or spoil.

When starter is dry put pieces in a blender or food processor and process
until it looks like coarse flour.  Store in an airtight container until
needed.  

                                    RECONSTITUTING STARTER

Add one cup of water, 1/2 cup flour and 1 tsp. sugar  to dry starter in a
plastic or glass container and follow directions for any starter use.  It
takes about 24 hours for starter to activate.