Easy Cultured Sourdough Starter

By chelyc13

For best results use a 14 day old starter for a tangy loaf

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose white flour, plus more for daily maintenance "feedings"
• 1/8 teas instant, fast rising, or bread machine yeast
• 1/3 about 1/3 cup room temperature bottled spring water or other chlorine free water, plus more for daily and maintenance "feedings"

Preparation

Step 1

TO START THE STARTER:

In a medium glass bowl or large, wide mouth jar, thoroughly stir together the flour and yeast. Stir in 1/3 cup water or enough water to yield a gravy like consistency. Loosely drape a clean tea towel over the top. if possible, stir the mixture with a clean spoon once in a while; aeration causes more rapid development. You'll probably see bubbling whenever you stir. let the mixture stand overnight at room temperature.

TO FEED THE STARTER:

For the next 3 or 4 days, stir in another 1/3 cup of flour and 1/4 to 1/3 cup more spring water daily, stirring once in a while if possible. if the mixture seems to be getting thicker, add the larger amount of water at the feeding. if it's becoming thin, add the smaller amount of water to maintaina gravy like consistency. The mixture will gradually become more sour tasting and smelling, and may have the aroma of alcohol, too, this meand it's maturing.

On the fourth or fifth day pour off and discard about a third of the mixture before feeding the starter with the usual amount of flour and water. then continue to feed the same way as before, every day for 4 or 5 more days. Allowing the quantity of starter to build up again. At this point there will be plenty to bake with and a sufficient maintenance amount left over to store.

TO LIVEN AND REFRESH THE STARTER FOR BAKING:

Pour off a third of the mixture, then stir in 1 cup flour and 1/2 to 2/3 cup water. Let the starter stand for at least 4 hours until very bubbly before using it. Then stir it down and measure out the amount you need.

TO MAINTAIN THE STARTER:

Replenish the remaining starter by stirring in the usual 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup water or enough to maintain a pancake batter consistency. It's a good idea at this point to transfer the mixture to a large, clean container. Loosely cover it; don't use a tight lid. Once it is bubbly again, transfer it to the refrigerator.

After about a week, stir; then pour off about a third of the mixture; then feed the remainder by stirring in teh usual 1/3 cup flour and 1/4 cup water. Return it to the refrigerator for another week, and repeat this maintenance feeding weekly.

TO REVIVE A REFRIGERATED STARTER:

If left unfed for a long time, the refrigerated starter can become very sour and separate into layers. (You may also find that your sourdough loaves actually come out too sour.) Pour off most of the liquid on top, then give it a feeding (adding extra water if necessary), stir well, and set it out at room temperature. If it doesn't bubble at all, also add a tiny pinch of commercial yeast. repeat the feedings each day for several days, pouring off some of the buildup,until it is bubbly and less sour again. the revived starter can go back in the refrigerator and kept indefinitely on its weekly maintenance feeding schedule. Pour off some of the old amount every time you feed so the quantity doesn't become too large. it's very rare for a starter to spoil even over years, but if it smells very unpleasant or moldy or has an orange color, it's time to discard it and start fresh.