<ansleyrc@juno.com> asked:
>If anyone would be so kind as sending an extreme beginners version
>of how to make and keep a starter, I would be very appreciative.
After making a few important points, I'll provide pointers to two
good web sites, one of which is my own.
The first thing to understand is that a sourdough starter only needs
flour and water to start. It does not need, and should not have,
grapes, cabbage leaves, bakers yeast or anything else. Just flour and water.
The next thing to understand is that you aren't, romance aside,
catching a starter from the air. The yeasts and bacteria are already
on the flour you start the starter with. As a result, using a stone
ground, organic, whole grain flour helps start a starter. You may
use either wheat or rye flour, and then switch to an all-purpose
wheat flour once the starter gets going.
The next thing to understand is that while using cabbage leaves,
grapes, bakers yeast or other things to kick-start a starter seems to
work - the starter does take off faster. However, because the yeast
and bacteria are already on the flour, and because the yeasts in the
cabbage leaves and/or grapes and/or bakers yeasts are the wrong
kinds, you don't get a stable starter until the yeasts and other
critters provided by these unneeded and unwanted additions die
off. It takes less time to get a good starter if you don't use the
cabbage leaves, grapes, and/or bakers yeast.
The last thing to understand is that a starter must be fed two or
three times a day when it is at room temperature. Further, it must
be fed enough to double it's size. And it must be fed a good mix of
flour and water. One person wrote to ask me why his starter was thin
and weak. He fed it with a cup of water and a tablespoon of
flour. It just wasn't getting enough food.
That out of the way, a good friend has an excellent web site,
http://www.samartha.net once there, click on "sourdough for
starters". My own web site is at http://www.sourdoughhome.com Both
sites give instructions on starting a starter and have a number of
good recipes.
Mike