SOURDOUGH STARTER "CREATING A BASIC "STARTER" FROM SCRATCH"
Prep/Cooking Time: Longer Than 120 Minutes
Ingredients
- 100g Strong Flour (as un-refined as possible)
- 100g Bottled "still" mineral water (whichever type you have)
Instructions
- Place an equal quantity of the flour and water into a steel or plastic mixing bowl
- Mix together so a thick batter consistency is acheived
- Transfer into a plastic or glass container at least 10 times larger than the volume of mix
- Cover with a cloth or some perforated plastic
- Leave the mix out at room temperature (between 22-28c)
- Each day for the following week add to the mix 100g of the same flour and 100g of the same water
- Repeating the same process as the first day by mixing together in a steel or plastic bowl then transfering to a clean container and covering
- As each day passes the mix will begin to form bubbles and will grow and drop each day
- After 1 week the bacteria will be strong enough that when when new flour and water is added the live bacteria will grow the mass which will show that the yeast is live.
Once the bacteria is prevalent within the starter it will need to be fed each day.
If the starter is to be used each day it can be kept at room temperature, however if it is to be used infrequently it can be stored in the fridge till needed which will slow the growth of the starter.
You will still need to continue to feed the starter but once per week will be fine.
Prior to using it you will need to bring it out from the fridge for at least 12 hours prior to use to get the bacteria active.
Remember that the starter is now a living thing and as with all living things it will need FOOD, WATER and OXYGEN to survive.
Although the starter will be a small amount it has the ability to grow extremely quickly if allowed
Example, if you need to make 20 * 1 kilo loaves you will need 6 kilo of starter.
Take the small amount of starter that you have and add it to 3 kilo of bottled water and 3 kilo of flour.
Mix together well and leave in a warm place as close to 34c as possible. Stiring occasionally you will see that within as little as 3 hours the new mix will be taken over by the bacteria and the mix will begin to form large bubbles.
Once the mix is visually alive and slow bubbles are moving within the mix it is ready to use.
ALWAYS REMEMBER NEVER USE ALL THE STARTER AS YOU ALWAYS NEED A LITTLE TO CONTINUE THE STARTER. Otherwise you will need to do the whole process again.
