Sourdough starter is simply fermenting flour and water. It essentially concentrates naturally occurring yeast from the air so it can be used in baking. A truly good starter may be decades old, a continuous link to the time and person who originally started it. Most covered wagons had a starter tucked in among the supplies. It would be taken out to cook with at night and was a link between the old and new worlds. A starter can be dried and carried in a dehydrated form, and will be as good as new when water is added. Here is a basic sourdough starter recipe and instructions for the care and feeding of the starter. This recipe calls for yeast to be added, but a good starter can be had by just using the yeast that floats around in the air. Some say that the reason San Francisco produces such good sourdough is that the naturally occurring yeast in the air there is unique.
- 2 cups lukewarm water or milk
- 2 cups flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
Mix in a glass bowl.
Never use metal bowls or utensils with your sourdough. Cover and allow the mix to sit for 7 day, stirring once a day. After 7 days your starter is ready to use. Simply remove the amount asked for in the recipe and replace it with a water/flour mix in equal proportions. Allow your starter to remain at room temperature for at least 24 hours after using or feeding. If you don't use your starter at least once a week, it is necessary to 'feed' your starter. To do this, remove one cup of starter and replace it with 1/2 cup each flour and water and let it sit on the counter for a day. Your starter can be refrigerated or even frozen. Keeping your starter alive for a long time increases its potency, and thus its flavor. When you get a good starter going, you can share your starter with a friend by giving them half and 'feeding' what is remaining.
Sourdough pancakes are the best food in the world.