Subject: FAQ: starter.doctor

From: [email-masked] (Brian Dixon)
Date: Tue, 9 May 1995 21:28:30 GMT

How to Tell When a Starter is a Starter
              =========================================
                         By Brian Dixon

       (Or, ALL you wanted to know about sourdough starters,
                      but were afraid to ask)

                          TABLE OF CONTENTS
                         -------------------

  I.      INTRODUCTION

  II.     STABILITY OF SOURDOUGH STARTERS

  III.    HOW TO USE THIS FAQ

  IV.     DEFINITIONS OF STARTER CONDITION

  V.      NEW STARTERS
          A. Dead Starter
          B. Flat Starter
          C. Barely Living Starter
          D. Healthy Starter
          E. "The 1-Tablespoon Method"
          F. "The 1-Cup Method"

  VI.     FRESH STARTER

  VII.    OLD STARTER

  VIII.   NON-STANDARD STARTERS
          A. Conversion
          B. No Re-Conversion Method
          C. Re-Conversion Method

  IX.     POLLUTED STARTERS

  X.      SUMMARY OF STARTER CARE AND REVIVING

  XI.     MAINTAINING AND PREPARING STARTERS
          A. Preparing starter for non-bread recipes
          B. Preparing starter for bread recipes
          C. Preparing alternative starters for bread recipes
          D. Preparing alternative starters for non-bread recipes

  XII.    USING STARTER FOR COMMERCIAL BAKING

  XIII.   RESTORING A CULTURE FROM DRIED STARTER

  XIV.    STARTING A NEW STARTER FROM THE LOCAL ATMOSPHERE

  XV.     HOME-DRYING STARTERS

I. INTRODUCTION
----------------

I've noticed that many people, including people with more
experience, still have questions about determining what the current
state a starter is in based upon visual clues.  I'm sure everyone
knows at least most of the following material, but there should be a
little something for everyone in it.  Neophyte sourdough bakers or
people starting new starters should find the most use out of this
information.  Finally, although these techniques work well and are
well-proven in my kitchen, they are by far not the only techniques
which work.  They are good guidelines though and the neophyte should
follow them *carefully* before experimenting.

I've started many starters from 'natural' yeast found in the air in
the area of the country I lived in, and have started/restarted lots
of starters from other sources, i.e. dry, fresh, 'dead', etc.  I
have also helped a number of other people get their starters
going..usually from the air in which they live.  The following
summary of information may be helpful to others going through this
experience.  That is, people with new starters, or slow rise times
>from  any starters, people having trouble determining when the proof
is done or if the starter is "fresh" or "active", or people who are
just open minded to new information.

Most books, unfortunately, do not go into nearly enough detail when
describing starters.  This includes the SI book most people are
familiar with.  The best book I've seen so far, and it's lacking
also, is the book I've refered to before called "Jake
O'Shaughnessy's Sourdough Book" by Timothy Firnstahl (San Francisco
Book Company, San Francisco, 1976 - now out of print).  As a result,
most users of starters have a limited source of information about
starters...until they have gained many years of experience.

The following text is designed to speed up the process of learning
how to judge and maintain a starter.  Maintaining and using
sourdough starter is really quite easy, once you've established an
active, fresh starter.  If you have established an active, fresh
starter, then there is never any reason to add commercial yeast as a
booster to your recipes.  Commercial yeast changes the flavor of
sourdough products.  I believe that so many books suggest using
commercial yeast for primarily two reasons, 1) the author of the
book does not trust sourdough and wants to 'guarantee' the success
of the recipes in his/her book, and 2) the author of the book does
not have a good understanding of sourdough or is lacking in the
experience of sourdough.  The same goes for starters which began
their lives as mixtures of commercial yeast and flour(s).  Real
sourdough is defined as a combination of natural (non-hybrid),
originally air-borne, yeast plus one or more other microorganisms
(lacto bacilli) living in a symbiotic relationship.  A symbiotic
relationship is one in which each element within the relationship
provides something the other elements need.  In the case of
sourdough, the relationship between the yeast and other
microorganisms result in a stable, unchanging (for the most part)
mixture of microorganisms in the starter.

II. STABILITY OF SOURDOUGH STARTERS
------------------------------------
The stability of the sourdough starter symbiotic relationship
determines the stability of the starter *in whatever location the
starter is being maintained*.  For example, if Russian sourdough is
introduced to the New York area, it will stay Russian sourdough *if
and only if* the Russian sourdough symbiotic relationship is more
stable than the mixture of the original microorganisms in the starter
and whatever microorganisms are present in the New York area.  If,
perchance, the New York area microorganisms are able to live within
the symbiotic relationship that the Russian sourdough starter
provides, then the starter will change characteristics (flavor,
usually) as the local microorganisms multiply in the starter.  Any
and all microorganisms found in your starter are open to changes in
relative concentration if the local microorganisms are 1) different
and 2) can survive in your starter.  It is even possible that the
original species present in your starter (yeast *and* the lacto
bacilli) may slowly die off, being replaced by the species in the
local area.  There is no guarantee that your starter will stay the
same as the original, but there is also no guarantee it will change.

For this reason, it is suggested that if you wish to maintain a
special starter in its original form, that you immediately dry and
save much of the original starter as soon as you can after receiving
it (see NOTE below).  For example, the Russian starter mentioned
above could have been fed once, to make it fresh and active, then
dried and frozen in multiple Ziploc bags.  When it is noticed that
the flavor is drifting (or any other characteristics are changing),
then re-start some fresh starter from one of the frozen bags.  Every
so often you should replenish the freezer supply with freshly
restored starter. This technique will result in your special starter
maintaining the original characteristics for a longer time.  But,
since you do need to feed the starter at least once before drying and
freezing the stuff, and the drying starter *is* exposed to the local
(unpure) air, even this technique will not guarantee that the special
starter will *always* be the same as it was when you first got it.
The best technique is to establish a source of the special starter
>from  the original starter location, and from the same person who
maintains the original special starter.

NOTE: At this time, most home-drying methods are only successful some
of the time...more successful sometimes and less successful other
times.  "Successful" means the dried starter is restorable to an
exact duplicate of the original...in flavor and other
characteristics.  Failures usually raise dough ok, but lack the
sourness of the original due to the lacto bacilli dying in the
drying and storing process.  When I finish experiments currently
being undertaken, I will update this FAQ with more precise
instructions for successfully drying sourdough starters at home.

III. HOW TO USE THIS FAQ
-------------------------

Although I will briefly mention the reasoning behind my suggested
actions, I will not be giving any more than a brief biological
reason for the behavior of your sourdough starter.  The emphasis
will be on observable qualities of your starter which will enable
you to judge it better and consequently become better at utilizing
it.

  My suggestion is to read the definitions of terms for starters
  in different states, then from those definitions, go to the
  appropriate section of this text refering to the state *your*
  starter is in, and follow the directions given there.  For example,
  if you read the following definitions and find that your starter is
  a "Non-Standard Starter", then do a text search on "NON-STANDARD
  STARTER" and read the text supplied at that location.

Following the instructional passages below are some techniques for
using your starter which should result in fresh, active starter any
time you want it.

Also included below is a technique which should guarantee a
consistent, stable, active starter and a way to produce alternative
styles of starter on an as-needed basis.  For example, if you desire
a rye starter, or a whole wheat starter, this technique allows you
the flexibility of having those starters available when you want
them, WITHOUT having to maintain separate rye or whole wheat starters
in addition to your normal starter. This technique *does not* mean
you can convert from Alaskan to Bahrain to Russian (etc)
starters...you must maintain separate starters for that, i.e. dry the
starters you aren't currently using and restart them later.  Notice
that this technique also allows commercial production of sourdough
products since much more starter for use in recipes is produced from
a much smaller amount of starter.

IV. DEFINITIONS OF STARTER CONDITION
-------------------------------------

In all of the following text, I refer to starters using the
following terms.  These terms are not absolute, and starters can
move from one category to another depending on treatment of the
starter:

     Term               Description/Possible Cause
==============  ================================================
New Starter     Any starter started from any dry source (commercial
                or homemade) that has not qualified as "fresh
                starter" yet.  This is not the same as "old" or
                "dead" starter, because these two conditions do not
                generally follow the same sequence of "recovery
                stages".

Fresh Starter   Starter which has been recently demonstrated to be
                quite active.  Starter in this category can raise
                plain white (french or white bread) dough to a "more
                than doubled" volume in less than 2 1/2 hours after
                a single proofing period, i.e. remove the starter
                from the refrigerator and proof once, then try using
                it.  Starter which has been refrigerated for less
                than 5 days or so that was "fresh" before
                refrigerating is also "fresh starter".

Old or Dead     Starter which has been previously demonstrated to be
Starter         "fresh" but which is no longer fresh since it cannot
                be demonstrated that it can raise dough after a
                single proof as described above.  Risings which take
                longer than 2 1/2 hours indicate a starter which is
                either "new" or "old" depending on the prior life
                history of the starter.  Note that in very nearly ALL
                cases of "old" or "dead" starters, that they CAN be
                revived back into "fresh" starters using the
                techniques described below.  I have heard tell of
                starters which haven't been fed for six months being
                successfully revived using the given technique.

Non-Standard    Starter which contains ingredients other than white
Starter         flour and plain water.  Some starters do use blends
                of flours or alternative flours, that's ok. Some
                starters use other ingredients such as a spoon of
                sugar...ok, but not suggested.  Some starters use
                alternative liquids such as potatoe water or milk.

Polluted        Starter which contains ingredients added by you or
Starter         by nature, which are not normal to your starter.
                Examples include baking powder, salt, oils, eggs, or
                any other baking ingredients.  Also, molds and other
                dark-colored microorganisms not normal to the
                natural symbiotic relationship which your starter
                normally maintains.  These other microorganisms
                usually affect appearance, smell, and especially,
                flavor.  Normal ingredients are flour(s), water,
                potatoe water or potatoes, and possibly milk or milk
                products. Ingredients other than plain white flour
                and plain water change the habitat you are
                maintaining for your sourdough microorganisms and
                may or may not be wanted according to the
                characteristics you want your starter to exhibit.

V. NEW STARTERS
----------------
The most confusing of starters, new starters go through stages not
usually seen in well established fresh starters.  This one fact, is
left out of all books which entertain the topic of sourdough, yet it
is the most important thing a sourdough neophyte should know.  It's
usually a confusing experience when the neophyte is comparing his
starter and its condition to that of a well established starter.
Hopefully this information will help transform your new starter into
a fresh, well-established starter.

There are basically 2 ways to produce what I am calling a "new
starter".  The first is to revive a dried starter (containing dry
spores of the microorganisms) into a liquid starter (containing
living, reproducing microorganisms).  The second is beginning a new
starter from the microorganisms (yeast and lactobacilli) in the
local atmosphere where you live.  When in the situation of having a
new starter on hand, it is important to realize that it usually
takes time to transform the starter into a usable, vibrant, fresh
starter (which is much more abuse resistant and stable).  The
process is quite often reiterative, often requiring more than a week
or two and a bit of patience.  It is also important to realize that
it is best to NOT make any bread recipes with the starter until you
are SURE that you have transformed it into the vibrant starter
described. It is perfectly acceptable to use your "new starter" to
make pancakes and waffles, or recipes which use a booster such as
baking powder, i.e. most biscuit recipes, to help them out.

If you have not, at this point in time, began your new starter
(dried or from the air), instructions for doing so follow near the
end of this text.  I'm assuming that at this time that you have
already attempted to start your new starter, but it is not yet a
vibrant, fresh starter.  Note that it is best to begin a new starter
in a clear, glass bowl, so you can examine the amount of bubbles
present in the starter *below* the surface.  Also note that starters
which are proofing should be prepared so that the consistency of the
starter is not too liquidy or too thick. I like to call this the
consistency of mud since it most resembles what sloppy mud looks
like.  This is typically a little thicker than normal pancake batter,
but still liquidy enough so bubbles can pass through it with no
problems.  This thickness results in an optimum mixture of liquid
(for mobility), food, and oxygen, which the little yeasties need to
grow well.

Ok, let's get started.  Since new starters have a somewhat unique set
of stages that they go through, the first thing to do is to determine
exactly what 'new starter' stage your starter is in.  Replenish your
new starter using 1 cup of starter, 1 1/2 cups (or so) white
all-purpose flour, and 1 cup of 85 degree tap water.  Let it proof at
exactly 85 degrees for exactly 12 hours, then use the following
information to determine what stage your new starter is at.

The stages that new starters typically go through are (not
necessarily in order):

A. Dead: No visible bubbles, and you believe you killed the starter,
i.e. the starter has been subjected to temperatures in excess of 100
degrees Farenheit.  If your new starter was exposed to these
temperatures before the above-suggested 12 hour proof, it is
probably still dead.  Save this starter.  It may be revivable!

B. Flat: No visible bubbles, but you believe you have done nothing
that could have killed the yeast, i.e. the starter has not been
subjected to temperatures in excess of 100 degrees Farenheit or so.
Quite often, starter in this stage is quite sour.  And equally as
often, starter in this stage may be very mild.  The starter may have
lacto bacilli growing in it (sour smell) but yeast has not taken off
yet, or nothing is growing in the flour/water mixture yet.

C. Barely Living: Visible bubbles exist, but the starter has no frothy
layer of bubbles on the surface of the starter.  Also, bubbles
beneath the surface are not plentiful.  It's likely that a layer of
hooch formed on top of the starter, even though it was not proofed
for more than 12 hours.  Stirring the starter with a wooden spoon,
then drawing the spoon out of the starter and examining the starter
clinging to the spoon shows only a few bubbles in the starter.  Note
that one of the key symptoms of starter in this stage is the layer
of hooch which mysteriously appears "early", i.e. vibrant, fresh
starter usually requires 24 to 48 hours of proofing before any hooch
appears.  Hooch appearing after being refrigerated is another story,
so ignore refrigerator hooch for now.  Other symptoms of this stage
include slow rise times, i.e. 3-6 or more hours to raise a bread
recipe to double...if it ever does double.  Second risings are quite
often unsuccessful and the dough appears 'dead'.  The dough may have
a dead feel to it and tend to flatten out while rising even though
you kneaded in enough flour and the gluten was well formed.  The
starter itself may also have a gelatenous feel to it, rather than
maintaining a smoother, pancake-batter-like consistency.  Starter in
this stage has not stabilized the symbiotic relationship among the
microorganisms present, i.e. the ratio of yeast and the various
lacto bacilli has not stabilized and the starter is not ready to
use (except for pancakes).

D. Healthy: The starter has a nice, smooth consistency.  It is filled
with tiny bubbles throughout the starter above and below the
surface.  It typically has a layer of frothy foam on top of the
proofed starter.  The froth typically appears as early as 8 hours
into the proofing period and lasts until about 18 hours of proofing.
Stirring the starter obviously releases a lot of gas (smells good).
Examining the starter clinging to the spoon shows that the starter
is chock-full of little bubbles.  The starter quite often appears
puffed up when the proof is done and drops down to a lower level
upon stirring.  As a final check, starter that you expect to be
classified as healthy, should be able to raise plain white bread
dough in 2 1/2 hours or less.  It's probably not worth experimenting
with raising dough until all of the above characteristics of healthy
starter are present.  Congratulations!  If your starter is like this,
you can pronounce it fresh, vibrant, and healthy!  It's ready for
bread recipes and will now be much more resilient to abuse and
mishandling and should be very reliable now.  Skip the rest of the
instructions for "new starters".

What should you do if you have "dead", "flat", or "barely living"
starter?  Begin the iterative process of transforming it to a fresh,
healthy starter.  I personally do not believe in throwing away
"dead" starter, since it typically *can* be revived from the few
yeast and lactobacilli that 'probably' still exist.  If restoring dead
starter takes longer than a week to see bubbles appearing in it
(flat, barely living or otherwise) then you've probably started a new
starter from local microorganisms.  If so, and your starter was a
special strain, you'll probably want some of the original starter to
start over with rather than expecting this one to be the same as that
special starter.  Remember that you have probably *not* really killed
your starter unless you subjected it to high temperatures for long
enough to thoroughly heat the starter to those temperatures.

Here's the "get it going" reiterative process I refered to:

E.                     The 1-Tablespoon Method
                      -------------------------

1) Using 1 tablespoon of starter (discard unused portion or save a
little in the 'frige in case of an emergency), 1 cup 75 degree water,
and 1 1/2 cups all-purpose white flour, proof for exactly 24 hours at
72 to 77 degrees.  It's very important to maintain these precise
temperatures and to proof for exactly 24 hours.

2) Examine the starter to determine what stage it's at, i.e.
assuming you didn't overheat it, it should be "flat", "barely
living", or "healthy".  Remember the clues to identifying
non-healthy starter: low number of bubbles, early hooch, gelatinous
consistency, no froth on top, or any 2 or more of these symptoms.
If "healthy" you're done.

3) If not healthy yet, stir it well and refrigerate it for no less
than 12 hours.

4) Remove the starter from the refrigerator and go to step 1).  This
iterative process needs to be repeated a few times...usually around
4 or 5 times or so unless you were lucky.  A lot of the home-dried
starters revive MUCH quicker than this.

Here's an ALTERNATIVE process you can use (possibly better, i.e. if
the above process seems to be not working, try this one or
vice-versa):

F.                         The 1-Cup Method
                          ------------------

1) Using 1 cup of starter, 1 cup of 85 degree tap water (don't worry
about minerals or flouride etc), and approx. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose
white flour, proof your starter for 12 hours at 85
degrees...maintenance of temperature is very important.

2) Examine the starter to determine what stage it's at, i.e.
assuming you didn't overheat it, it should be "flat", "barely
living", or "healthy".  If "healthy" you're done.  Remember the
clues to identifying non-healthy starter: low number of bubbles,
early hooch, gelatinous consistency, no froth on top, or any 2 or
more of these symptoms.

3) If not healthy yet, stir it well and refrigerate it for no less
than 12 hours.

4) Remove the starter from the refrigerator and go to step 1).  This
iterative process needs to be repeated a few times...usually around
4 or 5 times or so unless you were lucky.  A lot of the home-dried
starters revive MUCH quicker than this.

VI. FRESH STARTER
------------------
Characterized by a nice smooth, pancake-batter-like consistency,
lots of bubbles in freshly proofed starter, froth on top of the
starter, no hooch at the end of 12 hours of proofing, and rise times
for bread recipes of 2 1/2 hours or less.  Nothing further needs to
be said.  This starter is your long term successful starter and
should be protected with your husband's/wife's life!  It is now very
abuse resistent and you can get away with, although it's not
suggested, less accurate temperature control during proofing and for
the water added to the starter, and less careful control of the
actual proofing period.  I believe that the only way to mess up a
healthy starter is to heat it up to an excessive temperature (> 100
deg) for too long.  Nearly anything else will be ok, and even if you
seem to have killed it off somewhat, a single well-controlled proof
should bring it back to life.  You can get away with feeding it only
once very 2 weeks or so too (but not suggested of course).

VII. OLD STARTER
-----------------
Characterized by a general lack of life due to poor feeding habits
or too long of a time since the last feeding.  The cure is simple.
If a single, normal proof shows no drastic improvement, do the
following:

1) Using 1 tablespoon of the well-stirred starter (discard the
remainder or save a little in the refigerator in case of an
emergency), 1 1/2 cups of 75 degree water, and 2 cups of white-all
purpose flour, proof for exactly 24 hours at 72 to 77 degrees.

2) Examine the starter to determine if it is healthy and fresh or
not.  Refer to the section on "FRESH STARTER" or the table of
starter stages above for a description of fresh, healthy starter.
If the starter is healthy, you are finished.

3) If the starter is not healthy yet, stir well and refrigerate for
no less than 12 hours.

4) Remove the starter from the refrigerator and go to step 1).  Old
starter may need to go through this process as many as 5 or 6 times
before it becomes healthy again...don't give up even if it takes
longer than this.  There are very few starters that cannot be
restored from this type of abuse.

VIII. NON-STANDARD STARTERS
----------------------------
If you have a non-standard starter as defined above, and it's
healthy, then keep on keepin' on.  You're doing fine.

A. Conversion:
If you have a non-standard starter which is not healthy.  Then
convert the starter to a standard starter by using the "Sweetening
the Pot with 1 Tablespoon" method below to create a standard,
white-flour-only starter.  Use 1 tablespoon of your nonstandard
starter to begin the process.  If the starter is not very healthy
after a single treatment, then refrigerate the starter for no less
than 12 hours, and sweeten the pot again.  If the starter is very
unhealthy, you may have to repeat the process up to 5 or 6 (or more?)
times.  Each time you repeat the process, use 1 tablespoon of starter
>from  the last run and discard the rest.

Once you've restored the health of your starter by converting it to a
standard starter as described, you may pursue either of 2 methods for
converting back to the nonstandard starter that you started with:

B. No Re-Conversion Method:
In the first method, you never really do convert back.  Rather, you
just maintain your standard starter using standard replenishing
techniques as described below.  Then when you wish to have that
special starter for a particular recipe, then use 1 tablespoon of
your standard starter and follow the directions for sweetening the
pot, BUT instead of using plain, white flour and plain water,
substitute your special flour(s) and liquid(s).  For example, a rye
starter can be made in one day by taking a single tablespoon of
standard starter and mixing it with 1 1/2 cups rye flour and 1 cup
water and proofing for 24 hours at 72 to 77 degrees.

C. Re-Conversion Method:
In the second method, you use 1 tablespoon of the newly-refreshed
standard starter, then blend it with your special flour(s) and
liquid(s), and proof for 24 hours at 72 to 77 degrees.  THEN from
this time on, continue to feed and replenish your special starter
with your special ingredients.  If your starter should ever get
unhealthy again, then just follow the above procedure to revive it
again.  Try to determine why your starter is becoming unhealthy.  Are
you carefully controlling the proofing temperature so the proof is
not actually under/over proofing the starter?  Underproof prevents
the maintenance of high levels of yeast and lacto bacilli in your
starter.  Overproofing results in yeast and lacto bacilli dying from
too much alcohol or acidity in the starter.  Are you adding sugar(s)
or other simple carbohydrates that cause the microorganisms to grow
to fast?  Growing to fast would cause the starter to need shortened
proofing periods, hence normal proofing periods are actually
overproofing the starter.  If your starter care passes these tests,
then you may consider the possibility that the mix of flour(s) and
liquid(s) that you are using are not sufficient for long-term
maintenance of your nonstandard starter.  In that case, I suggest the
first method (above) for maintaining your nonstandard starter.

IX. POLLUTED STARTER
---------------------
Polluted starter can be revived, even though it may be all dark,
super moldy, or whatever (yum!).  DO NOT STIR polluted starter.  If
mold exists, carefully scrape or spoon as much off as you can.
Remove a couple of tablespoons of the best part of the starter to a
clean, scalded container.  If you plan to use the original container
for starter again, wash it thoroughly with warm soapy water and
carefully scald it inside and out by pooring boiling water into and
on it.  Be careful to prevent burns!  Hot pads or gloves soak up
boiling water and hold it on your skin *even longer* (youch!)!  If
your starter only qualified as "polluted" due to the inclusion of
any of the baking ingredients listed above, it will only be
necessary to wash the starter container with warm, soapy water.
Scalding never hurts (unless you scald yourself!), but it's more
optional in this case.  In any case, follow the following directions
to restore your starter:

1) Using 1 of the 2 tablespoons you rescued from the polluted
starter, add 1 cups 75 degree water, 1 1/2 cups all-purpose white
flour, and proof for exactly 24 hours at 72 to 77 degrees.

2) Refrigerate for no less than 12 hours, then repeat step 1).

3) The proof-refrigerate cycle should be repeated at least once.
Use your own judgement.  If the starter was unusually dark or
contained mold, I'd suggest doing it at least 4 or 5 times to be
sure the offending organisms are irradicated.  If the starter merely
contained other baking ingredients, then a single 24 hour proof is
probably enough.  Each cycle is started by using 1 tablespoon from
the last cycle.

X. SUMMARY ON STARTER CARE AND STARTER REVIVING
------------------------------------------------
I have personally tested many different techniques in replenishing,
reviving, and starting new starters, and have found the above
techniques to be the most universally successful and easy to
perform.  The only problem I've had is that sometimes summer
temperatures prevent maintaining approximately 75 degree
temperatures for a full 24 hour proof period.  In that case, the
next best thing to do is to follow the same iterative process, but
use the 1-Cup Method and 12 hour proofs at 85 degrees instead.  If
it's even warmer than that...have fun!

XI. MAINTAINING AND PREPARING STARTERS
---------------------------------------
Always cover proofing bowls with plastic wrap and poke a couple of
holes in it so gases can escape.  Always use non-corrosive bowls,
containers, and utensils (glass, wood, stainless steel).  If the
temperature in the proofing are varies much at all, wrap the proofing
bowl in a towel to help maintain an even temperature *and* try to
find a better place to proof the starter.

A. To prepare starter for use in non-bread, i.e. pancakes, waffles,
or muffins, recipes, here are 2 practical methods:

- Combine 1 cup starter, 1 cup 80-85 degree water, and 1 1/2 cups
white all-purpose flour in a non-corrosive bowl.
- For recipes requiring greater lift from the yeast, proof for 8 to
12 hours at 85 degrees.  For non-critical recipes (pancakes &
waffles) or recipes using the starter only for flavor, proof at 85
degrees for 8 (mild flavor, more active) to 48 (strongest flavor,
weaker action) hours.  For the non-critical recipes, you may proof at
cooler temperatures, i.e. 72 to 80 degrees, if that is more
convenient.  Pancakes work fine using even the longest proofing
period.
- Concurrent to the above proofing, replenish the remaining starter
in the starter container by adding 3/4 cup 80-85 degree water and 1
cup all-purpose flour and mix well.  Proof at 80 to 85 degrees for 8
to 12 hours.  Refrigerate.
- Note that this method allows the creation of alternative or
'special' starters for use in individual recipes, i.e. throw some
cracked wheat into the starter for the recipe, but replenish the
starter in the starter container with plain white, all-purpose flour
as usual.

    -> OR <-

- Combine 1 cup starter, 1 1/2 cups 80-85 degree water, and 2 cups
white all-purpose flour in a non-corrosive bowl.
- Proof at 85 degrees for 8 to 12 hours.
- Return approximately 1 cup of the starter to the starter container
before using the starter in a recipe.  Refrigerate the starter in
the starter container.
- Note that this method does not allow making alternative starters
for individual recipes since the addition of alternative ingredients
to the starter (for the recipe) would pollute the starter going back
into the starter container.

B. Preparing starter for use in bread recipes:

- If the starter has not been used in more than 3 or 4 days, you may
wish to replenish the starter once (1 cup starter, 1 cup water, 1
1/2 cups flour, 12 hours at 85 deg) to ensure the starter is really
fresh before preparing for a bread recipe.  Most healthy starters
are fairly flexible though.
- Use the following table for amounts, and blend together the
starter, BREAD flour, and 80-85 degree water.  Measure the starter
and water carefully.  The suggested amount of flour is only a
guideline.  Blend enough in to make the starter the consistency of
'mud' (a little thicker than pancake batter):

            BREAD
 Loaves     Flour      Water      Starter
--------   --------   --------   ---------
   1        1 1/2 c.   1 c.       1 Tbs
   2        2 1/2 c.   2 c.       1 Tbs + 1 tsp
   3        3 1/2 c.   3 c.       2 Tbs

- Proof for exactly 24 hours at 72 to 77 degrees.
- Concurrent to the above proof, replenish the original starter by
combining 1 tablespoon (discard most of the rest), 1 cups warm
water, and 1 1/2 cups ALL-PURPOSE flour in another bowl or in the starter
container itself. Proof for 24 hours at 72 to 77 degrees.
- Refrigerate the starter in the starter container.
- Note that the "1-Tablespoon Method" described allows the instant
creation of 'special' starters such as whole wheat or rye (etc).  See
"Creating Alternate Starters" below.

  -> OR <-

- Combine flour, water, and starter using the amounts in the
following table according to the size of the recipe you are going to
make.  Note that because I suggest using ALL-PURPOSE flour in the
following proof, that you should use BREAD flour for the rest of the
flour in the recipe (not counting non-wheat flours).  Again note that
the starter and water should be measured carefully, but the amount of
flour suggested is only a guideline.  Blend in enough to make the
starter the consistency of 'mud' (a little thicker than pancake
batter):

         ALL-PURPOSE
 Loaves     Flour      Water      Starter
--------   --------   --------   ---------
   1        1 1/2 c.   1 c.       1 c.
   2        2 1/2 c.   2 c.       1 c.
   3        3 1/2 c.   3 c.       1 1/2 c.

- Proof for 12 hours at 85 degrees.
- RETURN about 1 cup of the starter to the starter container before
using the starter in a recipe.
- Refrigerate the starter container.
- Note that this method does not allow the creation of alternative
starters on an as-needed basis.

C. Preparing alternative starters for bread recipes:

- If the starter has not been used in more than 3 or 4 days, you may
wish to replenish the starter once (1 cup starter, 1 cup water, 1
1/2 cups flour, 12 hours at 85 deg) to ensure the starter is really
fresh before preparing for a bread recipe.  Most healthy starters
are fairly flexible though.
- Use the following table for amounts, and blend together the
starter, BREAD flour (if wheat) and/or other flour(s), and 80-85
degree liquid (water, milk, or whatever).  Measure the
starter and liquids carefully.  The suggested amount of flour(s) is only
a guideline.  Blend enough in to make the starter the consistency of
'mud' (a little thicker than pancake batter).  It is better to add
the specific amount of non-wheat flours that you intend to use, then
use wheat flour to adjust the consistency:

 Loaves     Flour(s)     Liquid     Starter
--------   ----------   --------   ---------
   1        1 1/2 c.     1 c.       1 Tbs
   2        2 1/2 c.     2 c.       1 Tbs + 1 tsp
   3        3 1/2 c.     3 c.       2 Tbs

- Proof for exactly 24 hours at 72 to 77 degrees.
- Concurrent to the above proof, replenish the original starter by
combining 1 tablespoon (discard most of the rest), 1 cup warm
water, and 1 1/2 cups ALL-PURPOSE flour in another bowl or in the starter
container itself. Proof for 24 hours at 72 to 77 degrees.
- Refrigerate the starter in the starter container.

D. Preparing alternative starters for non-bread recipes:
- Combine 1 cup starter, 1 cup 80-85 degree water, and 1 1/2 cups
ALL-PURPOSE flour and/or other ingredients, i.e. throw in some
cracked wheat, or substitute part of the flour with cornmeal or rye,
etc.
- Proof the starter for 8 to 12 hours (mild flavor, more active) or
up to 48 hours (strongest flavor, weakest action) at 85 degrees.
Recipes requiring the yeast action should either use shorter proofs,
or cooler (72 to 80 degrees) proofs if proofing for a longer period.
- Concurrent to the above, replenish the starter in the container
with 3/4 c. 80-85 degree water and 1 cup ALL-PURPOSE flour.  Proof
for 8 to 12 hours at 85 degrees.  Refrigerate.

XII. USING STARTER FOR COMMERCIAL BAKING
-----------------------------------------
Preparing starter for use in a commercial kitchen, i.e. volume
production (use a similar technique for preparing volumes of
alternative starter types):

- If the starter has not been used in more than 3 or 4 days, you may
wish to replenish the starter once to ensure the starter is really
fresh before preparing for a bread recipe.
- For EACH 2 loaves of bread to be baked:
  Combine 1 tablespoon starter, 1 1/2 cups 80-85 degree water, and 2
cups BREAD flour in a non-corrosive bowl.  Remember to measure the
starter and water carefully and then to add enough flour to make the
starter the consistency of 'mud'.  The amount of flour suggested is a
guideline for planning purposes.
- Proof for exactly 24 hours at 72 to 77 degrees.

With the original starter,
- Concurrent to the above proof, replenish the original starter by
combining 1 tablespoon (discard most of the rest), 1 1/2 cups warm
water, and 2 cups all-purpose flour in another bowl or in the
starter container itself.  Proof for 24 hours at 72 to 77 degrees.
- For maintaining larger amounts of starter, use multiples of the
above amounts for replenishing the starter.  For example, if you
normally use 64 tablespoons (4 cups) of starter to produce enough
starter for 128 loaves of bread, then you need to maintain at least 4
1/2 cups of starter, so you'd be best off to triple the above
replenishing procedure, i.e. use 3 tablespoons starter, 4 1/2 cups
water, and about 6 cups flour.  That's a LOT of bread from only 4
cups of starter!

XIII. RESTARTING A CULTURE FROM A DRIED STARTER
------------------------------------------------
Restarting a starter from a dried culture (Note that this qualifies
the starter as a "New Starter"...refer to the appropriate section
above after following the procedure below):

- In a 1 cup measuring cup which has been warmed to around 90
degrees by flowing water, combine 1 cup of 90 degree water and the
dried culture (1 or 2 tablespoons of powder, more is not necessary).
- Mix well and let the dried culture soak for about 30 minutes.
- Add 1 1/2 cups all-purpose white flour and mix well being sure to
incorporate as much air into the mixture as possible.
- Proof for 12 to 18 hours.
- Refer to the section above on "NEW STARTERS" to judge the state of
your newly revived starter and follow the directions found there.

XIV. STARTING A NEW STARTER FROM THE LOCAL ATMOSPHERE
------------------------------------------------------
Starting a new starter from the local atmosphere (try it, you'll like
it!):

- Combine in a GLASS bowl, 1 1/2 cups warm water (80-85 degrees) and
2 cups of white all-purpose flour.  Use no sugars and especially, use
NO commercial yeasts!  Mix well being sure to incorporate a lot of
air into the mixture.  Commercial yeasts merely result in the
cultivation of commercial yeasts!  It won't be sour (unless you're
quite lucky) and it won't behave like normal sourdough so none of the
above starter usage and maintenance instructions will apply!  Some
people have reported that their commercial-yeast started starters do
get sour eventually, but that just means the starter has finally
converted to the natural microorganisms (including the slower growing
natural yeast)...so why not start it out right in the first place and
avoid months of using so-so starter while you're waiting for it to
"get good"?
- Place the bowl in an 80-85 degree location.  Leave uncovered so
the natural microorganisms can settle on the surface.  Fan air onto
the surface using a magazine or something similar.  This helps to
drive more microorganisms (yeast and lacto bacilli) into the
surface.
- Let the mixture proof for 24 hours.  Stir the mixture well once or
twice during the 24 hour first proof.  Before and after each
stirring, fan the surface with air again.
- At the end of the 24 hours, examine for bubbles (use a glass
bowl).  It's unlikely that there will be any yet, but you never
know.  Stir well and fan again.
- Repeat the 24 hour proof as described, including the brisk
stirring and fanning.
- At 48 hours total time, once again examine, stir, and fan the
mixture.  Continue to leave uncovered.  Any skin that forms should
be stirred back in *as soon as* it is noticed so no microorganisms
will be kept out of the starter by the dry skin.  Remove 1/2 cup of
the starter, and replace it with 1/2 cup warm water and about 2/3 cup
white all-purpose flour.
- Continue this 48 hour cycle very carefully until it's obvious that
the first bubbles are definately appearing in the starter.  Then,
refer to the section entitled NEW STARTER for further instructions.
It typically takes from 3 to 7 or 8 days for the starter to begin to
work.  Late spring, summer, or early fall are best times to do this.
Winter air may not contain enough spores to get it going, but it's
always fun to try.  Don't count on having starter for bread when
starting a new starter like this because it takes about 3 or 4 weeks
MINIMUM for the entire process of developing a vibrant, healthy
starter suitable for your recipes.

XV. HOME-DRYING STARTERS
-------------------------
Drying starters results in a powder suitable for long-term, no-care,
storage of starters, or for convenient mailing to friends or
relatives.

Dried starters may be kept for long periods of time outside the
freezer, and even longer when stored in the freezer.  The freezer is
the best place for dried starters.

Since yeast has the natural survival mechanism of being able to
sporulate upon drying or refrigeration, it tends to survive quite
well when stored in this manner.  The 'sour' in the starter though,
is from lacto bacilli.  Lacto bacilli do not have a natural
mechanism for surviving drying or refrigeration (or freezing).

Before relying on any dried starter for maintaining the original
starter and all of it's characteristics, it is best to test it.  That
is, dry enough starter so you have numerous 2-tablespoon packets of
dried starter, then restore one of the packets and compare it's
qualities to the original...taste and smell should be good enough
tests.  No need to prepare an entire recipe.  If the 'sour' is
missing, or the powder doesn't easily restore, then another try at
drying is in order.  Once you've successfully dried the starter,
place it in the freezer or mail it immediately.

As more and better information becomes available to assist the art of
drying starter successfully, this FAQ will be updated to reflect
those changes.  The following technique is though to work in most
cases.  Note that the technique may actually diminish yeast
concentrations while at the same time maximizing lacto bacilli
concentrations.  This is purposeful since it will also maximize the
chance that the lacto bacilli will survive the drying process.

Here's what to do:
- Using 1 cup of your starter, replenish this starter as described in
the instructions above, but rather than proofing for only 8 to 12
hours, proof the starter for about 18 hours at 85 degrees.
- To restore the starter in the starter container, just follow the
normal, unmodified, replenishing directions above.
- Tear off a piece of wax paper about 3 feet long, and lay it on your
working surface making sure the WAX side is UP.
- Place a few tablespoons of the overproofed starter on the wax paper
near one end and spread thinly across the wax paper using a dough
blade or flat knife.
- Allow to dry at room temperature overnight.
- When dry, the wax paper will probably have curled up.  Just press
the wax paper flat to free the dried starter from the paper.  Place
the freed dry starter into a bowl.  Scrape or crack-off any remaining
starter into the bowl.  Using your fingers, crunch up the starter
until it is a fine powder.
- Place 2 tablespoons of the dried powder in plastic bags.  I prefer
the zip-type sandwich bags available at most grocery stores.
- Test the newly-dried starter by restoring it as described above.
If it resembles the original starter fairly closely, then you're in
business...store the rest of the packages in the freezer.  If the
starter does not resemble the original, repeat the drying process and
try again.

TH' TH' TH' THAT'S ALL FOLKS!

--
Brian Dixon, Machine Vision Engineer, Hewlett Packard (Corvallis, Oregon)
503-715-3143 (wk), [email-masked] (email). "Opinions & attitudes are mine!"