starter.doctor.faq courtesy of David Adams dadams@cray.com ------ 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 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! (So THAT'S how they do it in San Francisco!) 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!