posted by RisaG 02-11-100 5:27 PM
* Exported from MasterCook *
Reba's Sourdough Starter
Recipe By : Reba/ABMtalk List
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Sourdough
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour -- divided
1 tsp. active dry yeast
2 cups hot water (between 120 and 130 degrees)
1 cup lukewarm water (between 100-115 degrees)
Day 1 (A.M.):
In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cups of the flour and yeast. Make a well in the center of the flour / yeast mixture and, whisk in the hot water. Continue stirring until the mixture is blended but not completely
smooth. It is not necessary to, smooth out all the lumps; they will dissolve, as the mixture starts to ferment.
Cover the, bowl with a clean towel and let the mixture sit at room temperature. Over the next 24 hours, the mixture will rise, be come very bubbly and then start to recede.
Days 2 and 3:
Stir the mixture twice, once in the morning and once in the evening to invigorate the yeast and to expel the alcohol .Towards the end of the second day the mixture will start to thin and the surface of the starter will
be covered with lots of tiny air bubbles.
By the evening of the third day a thin layer of yellow-brown liquid may form on the surface of the
starter. It is simply the alcohol given off by the yeast cells as they feed on the carbohydrates in the flour and multiply.
Refresh the starter by stirring in 1 cup lukewarm (100° F) water and the remaining cup of flour. Stir until
blended, but do not worry about any small lumps.
Day 4:
The starter is now ready to use, or it may be poured into a
sterilized 2-quart glass or ceramic covered crock or casserole, or a glass jar with a non-metal lid and refrigerated.
Sourdough Starter Maintenance:
Using and maintaining a sourdough starter is a cyclical process; you must always replace what you remove from the crock. If well maintained, a sourdough starter will last a life time. Each time you take a portion of
the starter for a recipe, replace that amount with equal quantities of water and flour. For example, if you remove 1 cup of starter to make Sourdough Country Bread, you must replace it with 1 cup of lukewarm (100°F) water and 1 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour.
Whisk these ingredients into the starter until blended, but not completely smooth. Any remaining lumps will dissolve as the mixture ferments. Cover and leave the starter at room temperature for at least 12 hours or overnight. The starter is now ready to be used again or can be refrigerated.
Use a 2-quart non-metal crock or bowl to store the starter. This way, the replenishing starter ingredients can be mixed directly in the storage container.
Maintain the starter by stirring it at least once a week. This invigorates the yeast and expels some of the alcohol. If you do not use the starter every two weeks or so, refresh it by removing 1 cup of the starter (give
it to a friend or discard it), and adding 1 cup of lukewarm (100°) water and 1 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour. Whisk until blended. Cover and leave the starter at room temperature for 12 hours or overnight before returning to the refrigerator.
If you plan to be away or know that you will not use the starter frequently, freeze it in a sterilized, airtight freezer container. Thaw the starter two days before you plan to bake with it, transferring it to a sterilized 2-quart non-metal storage container.
Refresh the starter with 1 cup each of water and flour. Cover and leave it at room temperature for 12 hours or overnight before using. It's a good idea to freeze the starter in two containers; you can keep the second one frozen indefinitely to serve as a backup should anything happen to the thawed starter.
Should the starter become overly sour, discard all but 1 cup and refresh it with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of flour, leaving it at room temperature for 12 hours or overnight. Every month or so, remove the sourdough from its storage container and sterilize the container with boiling water.
Yield: Approx 4 cups.
PREPARATION: l0 minutes.
Allow at least 4 days for the starter to ferment before using SOURDOUGH STARTER.