Subject: Starter Doctor 1/2

From: [email-masked] (Wolf)
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 09:43:49 PST

The following was put together by Brian Dixon of (Say where is 
        your .sig Brian?)

               How to Tell When a Starter is a Starter
              =========================================
       (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