Starting a Natural Sourdough Culture
The lure of creating your own sourdough culture from scratch is strong in
most dough-heads. It's not all that difficult. But it's a darn sight
harder if you don't have a clue as to what you're doing.
I can not too strongly recommend
that sourdough beginners DO NOT ATTEMPT to grow their own cultures!
But, if you simply must grow your own, at least keep some of these simple tips in
mind.
- The culture is a symbiotic mixture of wild-yeasts and lactobacillus (one
of thousands of lactose feeding bacteria). In order to keep from
accidentally inoculating your culture with something you don't want,
cleanliness and care in preparation is vitally important.
- The yeasts and bacteria you need might float around "in the air"
but that's just happenstance. They actually already exist in the flour
that you're using. Rye flour is particularly well known for having
lots of both. That's why rye is the recommended starting flour.
- There are 10's of thousands of strains of similar bacteria, as there are
many hundreds of yeast varieties. Only SOME can enter into a symbiotic
relationship with the other. The starting process is designed to find
and nurture these relationship pairs. It is possible to end up with
nothing, or a combination that doesn't taste good or work well--or most
likely both.
- Rye flour is used because it's the best starting medium. You may
choose to stay with this 100% rye culture, especially so if you're going to
make mostly rye breads. But after SUCCESSFULLY starting their
culture, most users convert their starter to using plain, unbleached white
flour instead of the rye. It's more versatile and more easily used
across a wider variety of recipes.
Okay, you've been warned and here we go...
What you'll need:
Several pounds of full grain rye flour. Purchase ready made if you
must, but freshly ground or milled from fresh, whole rye grain is best.
Remember, cleaner is better! So take extra care with it.
Next, you'll need about a gallon of clean, pure water. Distilled or de-ionized
is a good bet because it's relatively germ free. However most any good
water can be used...even tap water. Just keep in mind that "city
(tap) water" most often contains chemicals that are designed to kill little
critters. So you're going to have to keep that in mind as well.
That's why I recommend bottled water.
Next, you'll need a glass or plastic container. Most anything between a
pint and a quart will do. While it must be able to be covered, having
"see-through" visibility and a wide-mouth for easy cleaning is a plus.
Next, something to measure your materials is necessary. Professional
bakers and pro baker wanna-be's use scales. They are the best and most
accurate method. However, I and most other less pretentious folks use a
simple set of measuring cups.
Next, locate a place that's relatively dark, and can be made to hover between
75-85 degrees Fahrenheit. A stove turned off is a great place.
Besides, most stoves have a light--this helps in looking in on your
culture.
Finally, don't start this process unless you're willing to devote 5-10
minutes, several times a day for the next 3-14 days. While skipping a step is
by itself not a fatal flaw, it does nothing to promote good growth and a healthy
culture. Remember, this is the most crucial step in making sourdough
culture. You really should make sure that you do at least this step well.
Here's how:
- START HERE: Measure and mix together a slightly
rounded 1/2 cup of
your fresh rye flour and a little less than 1/2 cup water (metric: about 50 grams of each). A few
lumps are not a problem. Stir, and store in your warm, dark place.
- Take a peek at your culture after 8-12 hours. With any success, you
should be able to find a few very tiny bubbles--or not!
- If, after about 12-hours or so, you DON'T FIND any tiny bubbles:
check the temperature. It's important to keep your starter around 80F
in that 75-85 degree range. If the temp's okay AND you were using tap
water, change your water source. Dump the mix. GOTO:
START HERE.
- If you DID FIND bubbles, mix in another slightly rounded 1/2 cup of flour and
a little less than 1/2 cup of water.
- Do this process about every 12-hours or so. Dumping excess mixture
in order to keep your container less than 1/2 full and in no danger of
overflowing.
- As the culture matures, it will bubble-up, expand, and rise. Usually
the culture will collapse by itself, but if it gets too high, deflate it by
stirring.
- Repeat the bubble-check and feeding each 12-hours or so for 2-more days.
Your culture is now ready to be used. Keep in mind that "wild
cultures" are notoriously unreliable. They may work/taste
exceptionally well, or they may be utter garbage. Only you and your taste buds
will know...
Lifted, and considerably massaged, from one of Samartha's better pages--Ed.