On 9 Mar 2002 Gene Haldas wrote:
> A bakery in my neighborhood makes excellent sourdough bread. I tried
> getting some starter from them but they told me they get their ready
> made dough in bulk. I wonder if I got a few ounces of this dough could
> I use it to make a starter?
There is a really good chance that it's not sourdough at all. Many
bakeries get dough that has commercial yeast and chemicals added to taste
like sourdough. That won't culture.
If they wrap the bread and put labels on it, you might be able to tell what
they are doing. If baker's yeast, acetic acid, malic acid, and/or lactic
acid are on the label, it's probably not really sourdough at all.
Mike