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Guess what? I haven’t ruined my sourdough starter this time!! In fact, it’s doing pretty well. See?
Are you curious what worked?
The Lesson I Learned
Yes, stirring in the hooch is definitely the answer. I still continue to do it to make sure my starter is good. Now I definitely have “lift” in my starter! It also smells nicely sour. I’m happy my starter is working well!
However. My first baking attempt did not go so well.
Baking Bread?
I decided, how hard could this be? I mixed together some starter, flour, and sea salt, kneaded it, and let it sit. This is what it looked like:
And that never changed. I poked at it about every 12 hours, but it really never looked any different. I ended up throwing it out.
So, lesson here: use tried and true recipes for initial sourdough experiments. Then, once I get the hang of it, I can branch out and figure out other projects. Sigh.
I think, despite my previous failures, I will attempt Katie’s Honey Whole Wheat Bread this upcoming week. Who wants to bake it along with me?
How’s your sourdough adventure? Any tips from more experienced bakers?
Where do you keep your starter in a cold kitchen. I dont always have a toasty warm kitchen in the winter.
Melissa Couch — I keep mine on my stove.
I almost always have a pot of stock or something on!
I had a feeling you were going to say that. I also make my own stock, about 36 quarts at a time. I can many of my foods so I dont always have a pot of stock on my stove. I think I am going to try using a styrofoam cooler with a heating pad in it or under it. Do you thin that might work?
What kind of flour are you using? I’ve only got store bought whole wheat pastry and freshly ground (by a friend) spelt. BUT I’m supposed to be getting a grain mill for my birthday next month!!
Hi Jessica, I’ve been using white whole wheat (hard white wheat) in this. I like it better than red because it’s lighter in texture and taste. You can use a variety of flours, depending on what you like. I hear rye is supposed to be excellent to use with sourdough, but I haven’t tried it.
I guess I’m wondering what exactly you did. Did you follow a recipe? The dough does look a little dry. Keep at it though!
No, I’m not smart.
I threw stuff in a bowl and figured I’d “know” the texture. Except sourdough isn’t like yeasted bread! Next time I’ll try a “real” recipe, lol, at least until I figure it out.
I have to restart mine. I left it on the counter and my 3 year old it feed it with some of his toys.
Melissa Couch — Yes, I think that would work. The top of the fridge might work too.
I’ve always heard you’re supposed to start with something a little simpler than bread, like pancakes or crepes, before you go all-out for bread. After all, baby starters take awhile to work up to full strength.
I tried this carrot cake recipe (http://44socksontheline.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/carrot-gingerbread-cake/) with my baby starter, and it turned out delicious. I’m pretty sure my starter isn’t up to bread-raising strength yet, but perhaps after a few more rounds it will be.