SOURDOUGH STARTER

By pbaumgartner

Dad found these sourdough recipes in Sunset magazine and he kept the starter going for a number of years when we lived on East Washington Street.

Ingredients

• 1 c. milk
• 1 c. flour

Details

Servings 2
Preparation time 5mins
Cooking time 5mins

Preparation

Step 1

To make the starter, place 1 c. milk in a glass jar or crock (nothing metal) and allow it to stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Stir in 1 c. flour. (To speed the process, cover the jar with cheesecloth and place outside for several hours to expose dough to the wild yeast cells floating in the wind.) Leave uncovered in a warm place (80º is ideal) for 2 – 5 days, depending on how long it takes to bubble and sour. It if starts to dry out, stir in enough tepid water to bring to back to the original consistency. Once it has a good sour aroma and is full of bubbles, it is ready to use.
Try to maintain about 1 1/2 c. starter.
Each time you use part of your starter, replenish it with a mixture of equal amounts of milk and flour. Leave at room temperature several hours or overnight, or until it again becomes full of bubbles, then cover and store it in the refrigerator.
The starter is best if you use it at least once a week. If you do not use it for 2 or 3 weeks, spoon out and discard about half of the starter and replenish it as described above. Given good care, a starter becomes more flavorful with age.