Making sourdough bread

"Michael Rolfe" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a stupid question:

All the sources say tell you how much starter to use, and
how much flour and water to use at each refreshment, and so
on, and end up telling you to use half and through, or give,
the result away.

So, the stupid question is, "Why not use half quantities and
use everything?"

If you are making sourdough bread just once your idea makes sense. But most
people keep a starter going, sometimes for years. You use half, add flour
and water to the remaining starter and save it for next time.

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.

On Wed, 9 Feb 2005 14:35:58 +0200, "Michael Rolfe" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I have a stupid question:

All the sources say tell you how much starter to use, and
how much flour and water to use at each refreshment, and so
on, and end up telling you to use half and through, or give,
the result away.

So, the stupid question is, "Why not use half quantities and
use everything?"

Starter refreshment is not difficult to do, nor does it have to be
wasteful. If you'd like some of the basics, start here:

http://www.nyx.net/~dgreenw/sourdoughfaqs.html

Then drop into rec.food.sourdough with any questions you have. There
are a number of fine, experienced sourdough bakers there who can offer
you good advice. I do recommend the faq, first, though, as many of
your questions may be answered. The above link will connect you to a
faq specifically about starters.

Boron

"Michael Rolfe" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a stupid question:

All the sources say tell you how much starter to use, and
how much flour and water to use at each refreshment, and so
on, and end up telling you to use half and through, or give,
the result away.

So, the stupid question is, "Why not use half quantities and
use everything?"

1. I think this is the best site for SD Bread.
http://joejaworski.com/bread/bread1.htm

2. The object is to keep the starter Alive ergo you need sufficient
bacteria to keep the culture going. The belief is that the culture will
improve with age therefore "keep it going".

3. The assumption is that once you have a decent tasting starter you'll
want to keep it going "forever".

4. Starters can gather wild yeast(s) from the air and every time you make
a starter is CAN have different mix of bacteria.

Dimitri

Dimitri said:

"Michael Rolfe" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a stupid question:

All the sources say tell you how much starter to use, and
how much flour and water to use at each refreshment, and so
on, and end up telling you to use half and through, or give,
the result away.

So, the stupid question is, "Why not use half quantities and
use everything?"

1. I think this is the best site for SD Bread.
http://joejaworski.com/bread/bread1.htm

2. The object is to keep the starter Alive ergo you need sufficient
bacteria to keep the culture going. The belief is that the culture will
improve with age therefore "keep it going".

3. The assumption is that once you have a decent tasting starter you'll
want to keep it going "forever".

4. Starters can gather wild yeast(s) from the air and every time you make
a starter is CAN have different mix of bacteria.

Dimitri

One thing that site neglects to mention is you don't really need a
starter; if you mix water and flour (especially rye flour) and let it
sit, you will get a sourdough starter -- it will take several feedings
to stablize, and you never know if it will be a good starter or not
until you use it a few times. But you will get something usable.

Do a search for "Carl's starter" if you want a known good one.

Ignore any sourdough starter recipes that have you add baker's yeast or
milk or sugar (a pinch of suger might be OK).

Best regards,
Bob

"zxcvbob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Dimitri said:

"Michael Rolfe" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a stupid question:

All the sources say tell you how much starter to use, and
how much flour and water to use at each refreshment, and so
on, and end up telling you to use half and through, or give,
the result away.

So, the stupid question is, "Why not use half quantities and
use everything?"

1. I think this is the best site for SD Bread.
http://joejaworski.com/bread/bread1.htm

2. The object is to keep the starter Alive ergo you need sufficient
bacteria to keep the culture going. The belief is that the culture will
improve with age therefore "keep it going".

3. The assumption is that once you have a decent tasting starter
you'll want to keep it going "forever".

4. Starters can gather wild yeast(s) from the air and every time you
make a starter is CAN have different mix of bacteria.

Dimitri

One thing that site neglects to mention is you don't really need a
starter; if you mix water and flour (especially rye flour) and let it sit,
you will get a sourdough starter -- it will take several feedings to
stablize, and you never know if it will be a good starter or not until you
use it a few times. But you will get something usable.

Do a search for "Carl's starter" if you want a known good one.

Ignore any sourdough starter recipes that have you add baker's yeast or
milk or sugar (a pinch of suger might be OK).

Best regards,
Bob

I would suggest a search for "Lactobacillus sanfrancisco" it is a very
interesting mechanism.

The rye starter is different slightly different "
Spicher in Germany characterized German sour rye. He found the dominant
yeast species were Candida krusei, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia saitoi
and Candida milleri. The Lactobacilli included L. brevis, casei, fermenti,
pastorianus, bucheneri, delbrueckii, leichmannii, acidophilus, farciminis,
alimentarius, brevis var.lindneri, fermentum, fructivorans and Pediococcus
acidilactici! (This zoo of organisms present naturally in Rye flour is the
reason why it is so easy to start a good sourdough culture from rye for
example see "manuels starter" in the Laurel's Kitchen bread book.)

From

http://www.nyx.net/~dgreenw/whatisthemicrobiologyofsan.html

Dimitri

Dimitri said:

"zxcvbob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

snip

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Do a search for "Carl's starter" if you want a known good one.

Ignore any sourdough starter recipes that have you add baker's yeast or
milk or sugar (a pinch of suger might be OK).

Best regards,
Bob

I would suggest a search for "Lactobacillus sanfrancisco" it is a very
interesting mechanism.

Dimitri,

Carl's Starter was (is) a very well-known starter. It used to be widely
written about several years ago. There was a group that used his starter
and was sending out free, dried, samples in a self-addressed stamped
envelop (SASE). I believe the originator, Carl, died and this was a way
his friends and starter users could perpetuate his work.

I used to have an address for it, but have misplaced it over the years.

So, the OP's suggestion is still a very good one for someone that wants
a well-known and well-tested starter and doesn't want an academic
treatise on it.

jim

Dimitri wrote:

Re my previous reply,

Here are a couple of newsgroups that may have some other information
vis-a-vis Carl's Starter:

rec.food.sourdough
net.food.bread

as well as in this ng's archives.

In fact, doing a fast search on the sourdough faq:

Carl Griffith's 1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough Starter (Carl's Starter) is
now distributed from a commemorative web site. Carl's tradition of
returning a dried starter to any one who sent him a self-addressed
stamped envelope is continued.

http://home.att.net/~carlsfriends/

jim

"Michael Rolfe" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a stupid question:

All the sources say tell you how much starter to use, and
how much flour and water to use at each refreshment, and so
on, and end up telling you to use half and through, or give,
the result away.

So, the stupid question is, "Why not use half quantities and
use everything?"

Try rec.food.sourdough for more information
Also alt.bread.recipes

Free Carl's starter here http://home.att.net/~carlsfriends/ send a SASE for
the starter. It would be nice if you would send a dollar or two to help
keep the Friends of Carl going. I'm not associated with Friends of Carl in
any way.

You've already been given the link for the FAQ for rec.food.sourdough

Janet

"JimLane" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Dimitri wrote:

Re my previous reply,

Here are a couple of newsgroups that may have some other information
vis-a-vis Carl's Starter:

rec.food.sourdough
net.food.bread

as well as in this ng's archives.

In fact, doing a fast search on the sourdough faq:

Carl Griffith's 1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough Starter (Carl's Starter) is
now distributed from a commemorative web site. Carl's tradition of
returning a dried starter to any one who sent him a self-addressed stamped
envelope is continued.

http://home.att.net/~carlsfriends/

jim

I just have to say....I guess the Newsgroups have been around a whole lot
longer than we suspect... ;->

Bret

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