Tuesday 28 July 2009

Easy sourdough starter



This is the sourdough starter I use, based on the one in By Bread Alone by Sarah Kate Lynch (recommended read, also Blessed are the Cheesemakers by the same author). Take four good sized organic apples and extract the juice from them.I don't have a juicer that would tackle them, so I grate them (skin and all) on to a piece of muslin, then squeeze the juice through. Put juice into a non-netallic bowl or jug, cover loosely and leave i the kitchen for several days until it smells tangy and yeasty, a bit cidery. Add 7 fl oz water (room temp) and 7 oz plain flour, stir well, cover and leave at room temperature. Repeat this over several days, when your starter will begin to bubble and look gloopy, the yeasts clearly starting to work. I just add some to the flour I'm making bread with, then feed it again with flour and water and set it on teh sie, loosely covered, until I need it again. It can be kept in the fridge, but will need to be got to room temp and fed again before using. The bread benefits from a slow rise, the taste is tangy and slightly sharp when baked. I usually make a load with a mixture of white and good wholemeal for this.
the pictures show the finished loaf, and it proving in its basket - the traditional way, using a well-floured linen cloth (not washed between uses, to build up its non-stickingness).
I've tried several starters over the years, but this has been the easiest and most successful for me.

1 comment:

thesnailgarden said...

Hi Mrs L, your sourdough looks delicious. My starter is beginning to smell yeasty, but still has an alcoholic smell to it. Is this okay to use now?

I clicked on your "sourdough and spangles" link - I didn't know that you made lace - any pictures? I learnt when I was 19, but haven't made much since having children.
Best wishes, Pj x