5. New Starters
Description
This article is from the Sourdough Starters FAQ, by Brian Dixon briandixon at hotmail.com.
5. New Starters
The most confusing of starters, new starters, go through stages not
usually seen in well established or fresh starters. This one fact is
left out of every book I've seen which entertain the topic of
sourdough, yet it is the most important thing a sourdough neophyte
needs to know! It's confusing for a neophyte to have to compare a
new starter to a set of standards written for well established
starters. The least we can do is provide some information that'll
help him/her understand where their starter is, and how well it's
doing!
There are basically 2 ways to produce what I am calling a "new
starter." The first is to revive a dried starter (containing dry
lacto-bacillus and yeast spores) into a living liquid starter. The
second is beginning a new starter from the microorganisms in the
local atmosphere where you live. When in the situation of having a
new starter on hand, it is important to realize that it usually takes
some time to transform the starter into a usable, vibrant, fresh
starter (which is much more abuse-resistant and stable). The process
is quite often reiterative, often requiring more than a week or two
before it can be used, and possibly months before it is truly robust,
vibrant, and abuse resistant. But just be patient. Very little
effort is required on your part. It's primarily just a waiting game!
It is also important to realize that it is best to not make any bread
recipes with the starter until you are sure that you have transformed
it into the vibrant starter described. But it is perfectly
acceptable to use your "new starter" to make pancakes and waffles, or
perhaps recipes which use a booster such as baking powder to help
raise them, i.e. most biscuit recipes.
If you have not yet begun your new starter (dried or from the air),
instructions for doing so follow near the end of this text. I'm
assuming that at this time that you have already attempted to start
your new starter, but it is not yet a vibrant, fresh starter. Note
that it is best to begin a new starter in a clear, glass bowl, so you
can examine the amount of bubbles present in the starter below the
surface. Also note that starters that are proofing should be
prepared so that the consistency of the starter is not too liquid or
too thick. I like to call this the consistency of mud since it most
resembles what sloppy mud looks like. This is typically a little
thicker than normal pancake batter, but still liquid enough so
bubbles can pass through it with no problems. This thickness results
in an optimum mixture of liquid (for mobility), food, and oxygen,
which the little yeasties require to grow well.
Ok, let's get started. Since new starters have a somewhat unique set
of stages that they go through, the first thing to do is to determine
exactly what stage your starter is in. Replenish your new starter
using 1 cup of starter, 1 1/2 cups (or so) white all-purpose flour,
and 1 cup of 85 degree tap water. Let it proof at exactly 85 degrees
for exactly 12 hours, then use the following information to determine
what stage your new starter is at.
The stages that new starters typically go through are (not
necessarily in this order):
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