What's the best secret to making sourdough starter?

Question

I'm near SF, this should be the best place to do it, but all my attempts fail.

Answer 1

Well get you a plastic ice cream bucket, either from someone
who has already eaten the ice cream or buy you some and have a summer cooler party for some friends or neighbors and their kids. Now you not only have a empty container you have some happy cooler feel people around you.LOL.

Here are two recipes for you:

San Francisco Bread Starter

1 pkg. dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 tea. sugar
2 cups dairy buttermilk (store bought ONLY)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar

Use plastic or nylon spoons to mix this or you will have to through it out. Metal spoons and mixer beaters will spoil the starter and make it metallic tasting.

Soften yeast in a cup with the 1/4 cup warm water. Stir 5 mins.

Add remaining ingredients. beat them adding yeast mix. You can mix this in the bucket and save mussing up alot of bowls.

Let stand for 6 hours: after 3 hours stir down stir down mix a few times til 6 hours are done.(using nylon or plastic spatula or long nylon spoon). During these 6 hours keep the starter out of drafts. Put it in a place where the temperature stays constantly one temperature.

For every cup you use: Add: 1 cup water
1 cup flour
1cup sugar
beat in.
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Quick N' Easy Sourdough Bread

This is your starter: 1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons (dry) instant
potatoes

1 cup warm water

Place in sealed 1/2 gal plastic
bag or container like ice cream
comes in.

Mix and let stand all day.



Bread at night: Mix and place in large greased
6 cups bread flour bowl and cover with plastic, let
1/2 cup sugar stand overnight. Knead 3-4 times.
1 tblspoon salt Separate into 3 equal parts, then
1/2 cup cooking oil knead 10-12 times more. Place in
1 cup starter 3 loaf pans and again cover with
1-1/2 cup water plastic. Let stand 5 hours, oil
top of loafs.Then bake at 325*
for 30-40 mins


Use the baking info for the first recipe and you will have bread a plenty. Enjoy

Answer 2

There are so many different starters ... there are literally dozens of recipes for sourdough starters, presumably handed down because "Grandmother did it that way", so one must assume that there isn't any single "best" recipe.
Recipe for starter
• 2 cups flour • 1 cup water • 1 cup cooled potato water (this really gets things going) • 1 package bread yeast
Mix well and allow to stand in a warm area until there are no more signs of fermentation. (The solution will separate and no more bubbles are present.) Stir well, remove 1 cup of the contents and stir in another cup of flour or flour mix and a cup of water. Do not use "self-rising" flour!
Initially, the new starter is ready to use after 2-3 days, but it will not have that typical sourdough flavor until it has acquired some weeks or months of age. After the first fermentation is established, you can use it anytime, even if it has gone "flat." Do not refrigerate! Leave it on the counter. Sourdough will not spoil due to its highly acid pH, and because of its acid pH, it doesn't require refrigeration. Think about it. Covered wagons were the 19th century version of the RV, but they weren't equipped with refrigerators to hold the pioneers' sourdough starter! It bumped along experiencing all the elements of heat and cold in a small crock or wrapped in a leather pouch! Just remember to feed the little critter about once a week if you are not using it. To speed things up on baking day, you can feed the culture the day before and it will have little "yeasties" growing like mad at the time of use. You will notice that, over a period of weeks or months, your sourdough starter will begin to ferment more quickly and more aggressively after each feeding (Whereas it required 3-4 days to complete its fermentation in the beginning, the ferment after feeding is could be almost complete in 24 hours!.)
The container: Begin with a large-mouthed container, sufficient to easily accept a one-cup measure and to hold a total volume of 5-6 cups. It can be plastic or glass, but if it has a screw-on lid, be sure to poke a small hole in the lid with an ice pick or small nail. If the lid is tight the container could explode. An old cookie jar with a smooth interior or an old ice bucket are ideal.

Answer 3

3. Make your own.
You can make your own starter and harvest the local wild yeasts with some patience. The key is the remarkable stability of the yeast-lacto bacillus pairing. If you keep almost any fermentable mixture of flour and water at about the right temperature, and when it begins to bubble, feed (refresh) it regularly, you will get the right bugs.
Some people add grapes with bloom on them (yeasts live on the surface), rye (high in enzymes), or other things, but that is mostly superstition.

How to roll your own starter

a) Mix 1 cup flour and 1 cup water to a smooth batter.

b) Cover and leave in a warm (85F/29C) place until it starts to bubble (12 hours or so but it can take several days). Don’t worry about off smells or colours at this stage. Skim any obvious muck.

c) Refresh it by adding another ½ cup of flour and ½ cup of water and stir. If the volume gets too much for your container, throw some away. Cover the rest and put it back into a warm place.

d) Repeat the last step for 4 times at 8-12 hour intervals. The starter should be active, and smell wholesome.

Starters can be kept in a closed jar in the refrigerator for months. They may separate into two layers, but just stir them together before use. They will, of course, keep best if used and refreshed regularly. If the starter seems sluggish, refresh it a couple of times (step c above) before use.

Starter doesn’t freeze well, but can be dried for a reserve supply. If you need to ship it, make some into a lasagna sheet, or stiff dough.

For best results always use the same flour, so the bugs can get used to it. Some people keep separate starters for white, rye and for wholemeal (whole wheat). I use white unbleached flour, which has added Vitamin C as an improver. As mentioned above, if your flour does not already have Vitamin C in it, you can add 1/2tsp Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) but it is not critical.

Answer 4

The simplest way to make a sourdough starter is to mix milk with flour and let it sit exposed to the air overnight, then very lightly cap it, and continue to let it sit in a warm place for another night or two. Check on it every day visually and by smelling it. It should be bubbly without any discoloration and should smell slightly sour. The best way to mix it is to use two cups of flour with just enough milk to make it slightly less thick than a pancake batter. It should be slightly sticky and stiff when you start, but will turn more liquid due to the yeast action that will come about from airborne yeast entering the dough. I have made the starter in glass and in stainless-steel containers and not noticed any difference in flavor. Never use more than half of the starter at once and always replace with at least the like amount you used, if not more in case you're going to need more for another project. Keep the starter in a sealed jar or container in the refrigerator and try to refresh it at least monthly. You refresh it by using or discarding half of the starter and replacing it as described for making it.

Good luck and enjoy. I used this method for years.

Answer 5

“HERMAN” SOURDOUGH STARTER
A sweet sourdough-starter known as “Herman”. There are a number of things that can be made from it. DO NOT USE METAL UTENSILS OR BOWLS! It will take 15 days for the starter to mature & be ready to use the first time you make it. After that it can be ready for use every 10 days. Prep Time: approx. 30 min. Ready in: approx. 166 hrs, 40 min. Makes 4 cups. Serves 8.

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
2 c. flour
2 c. warm water (110 degrees F. or 45 degrees C.)
1/4 c. white sugar
1 c. white sugar, divided
2 c. flour, divided
2 c. milk, divided

1.) In a large glass or plastic container (qt. jar), dissolve the yeast in warm water. Stir in the flour & sugar, mix until smooth.
(DO NOT USE A METAL SPOON)! Cover loosely, & store in a warm place overnight.

2.) Next day: stir & refrigerate.

3.) Stir once each day for the next 4 days. On the 5th day, stir, & then divide in half. Give half away with feeding instructions.

4.) Feed starter with:
1/2 c. white sugar
1 c. flour
1 c. milk
Stir until smooth. Cover & place in refrigerator. Stir once each day for next 4 days.

5.) On the 10th day feed again with:
1/2 c. white sugar
1 c. flour
1 c. milk
Return to refrigerator & stir once each day for the next 4 days.

6.) On the fifteenth day it is ready to be used for baking.
Reserve 1 c. of the starter in the refrigerator, & continue to follow the stir & feed cycle (Stir once a day for 4 days, stir & feed on the 5th day, ready for use on the 10th day.)

HERMAN BISCUITSDorothy (Tice) Cole-Baker
This is a great biscuit recipe for using the Herman sourdough starter. Prep Time: approx. 15 min. Cook Time: approx. 30 min. Ready in: approx. 2 Hrs. Makes 1 dozen (12 servings).

1 c. Herman Sourdough Starter
1 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring Herman Starter to room temperature. Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt. Stir flour mixture & oil into Herman Starter. It will form a soft dough. On a lightly floured surface knead dough until smooth. Pinch off small pieces of dough & shape into balls OR roll dough out & cut with a biscuit cutter. Place biscuits onto a greased baking sheet, cover & let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. Bake about 30 min. or until golden. Serve warm.

HERMAN CINNAMON ROLLS
Another recipe for the Herman Sweet Sourdough Starter in case you're having trouble giving it away! Try finishing these rolls with your favorite glaze!
Prep Time: approx. 20 min. Cook Time: approx. 25 min. Ready in: approx. 1 hr. & 30 min. Makes 15 to 20 cinnamon rolls (15 servings).

2 c. Herman Sourdough Starter
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. butter
1 c. white sugar
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 T. raisins (optional)
2 T. walnuts, chopped (optional)

In a large bowl combine Herman Sweet Sourdough Starter, flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder & eggs until well blended. Knead dough in bowl for 5 to 7 min., or until mixture is smooth. Let rise in warm place until doubled. Punch down. On a lightly floured surface, press dough into a 10”x20” rectangle. Combine melted butter, sugar & cinnamon in a small bowl. Spread mixture over dough. Sprinkle with walnuts or raisins, if desired. Starting on long side, roll up dough, “jellyroll” fashion. Press ends together to make a seam. Cut in 1” slices & place in an ungreased 11x14” cake pan. Allow rolls rise to double their size. Bake in a preheated 325 degrees F. oven for 20 to 25 min., until lightly browned.