Seed culture is the first step in developing a starter. It starts
with a mixture of rye flour and water, in Reinhart's process, which
activates the wild yeast. On successive days the mixture is combined
with bread flour and water until the starter is ready for use. Once
the starter is ready for use the seed culture has outlived its
usefulness and does not need to be kept. From that point on it is a
process of maintaining, and using, the starter. There are many names
for the mixture of wild yeast, flour, miscellaneous bacteria, and
water. Sourdough is the term often associated with the gold
prospectors of the mid 1800's in the U.S. Starter is a term commonly
used in publications. Peter Reinhart explains in The Bread Baker's
Apprentice that his use of the term Barm is a personal one. It is an
Old English term for a sourdough type starter. So, if you are
referring to a semi fluid mixture used to provide yeast to breads and
other baked products as a Starter, Levain, Barm, Mother, Seed
Culture, or just that smelly mixture on the counter you are speaking
of the same thing.
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