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Starters: Sourdough Starter

Source of Recipe

Internet


List of Ingredients

2 cups white flour
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. dry yeast
2 cups warm water



Recipe

With a wooden spoon, stir dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add the warm water to the bowl and stir until mixture resembles a smooth paste. Cover the bowl with a towel and set it aside in a warm place (about 85 degrees F - 30 degrees C.) Stir mixture several times a day with a wooden spoon. In 2 or 3 days sourdough will be ready. Store in a heavy plastic container, with a hole punched in lid to allow gases to escape.

To make a batter for a favorite sourdough recipe, take out 1 cup sourdough starter and combine with 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup lukewarm water. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Don't worry about lumps in mixture, fermentation will dissolve them within a few hours. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm location several hours or overnight. Before adding additional ingredients to recipe, return at least 1/2 cup of mixture to sourdough container stored in refrigerator to replenish starter.

If starter is not replenished in this manner at least once a week, add 1/2 cup each of lukewarm water and all-purpose flour to container of sourdough. Mix together; leave out of refrigerator overnight, covered with a towel or plastic wrap. Next morning stir down mixture, cover with lid and return to refrigerator until needed.

Occasionally pour all of sourdough starter out into a mixing bowl. Wash container to remove flour buildup. To replinish, add equal portions of flour and water, cover, let stand in a warm - 85 degree F. - location overnight.

If starter does not seem as bubbly after continued use, sprinkle with small amount of dry yeast and mix well. This is also recommended if thawed frozen starter does not resume its former bubbly appearance. If clear liquid forms on top of mixture, simply stir down and continue to use as needed.