The most exciting bubbles I know of are ones that I cultured myself! I know that natural yeasts cultivated into a sourdough starter are much preferable to commercial yeast, so earlier this summer I carefully grew a starter out of sprouted spelt flour.
About naturally grown sourdough starter from the Weston Price website:
Of course the sourdough fermentation of flour from whole wheat and rye to make bread has strong traditions in several countries of the world, whether the breads are leavened, oven-baked loaves or flat leavened breads cooked over hot coals. This method is time-consuming and–even more problematic for the modern age–requires the careful maintenance of a culture medium, the sourdough starter, which is a stable relationship of a family of wild yeast fungi and several strains of local lactobacilli. Rather like the carefully nurtured cultures and caves that produce delectable fermented cheeses, sourdough bread cultures are a product of place and the people who care for them and use them. They are all different, produce flavors and rates of fermentation peculiar and beloved unto themselves, require temperatures and other conditions known intimately and respected by the baker. Commercial baker’s yeast, on the other hand, is a monoculture of just one single variety of yeast, grown to be a consistently fast and vigorous replicator and producer of carbon dioxide, but incapable of developing grain flavors (the lactobacilli are best at that). Sourdough cultures produce reliably leavened and complexly flavored breads via the alchemical communion of the culture microorganisms, flour, water, fire and time–plenty of time.
To make the starter, I started with just a couple tablespoons of sprouted spelt flour, mixed with filtered water to form a paste, placed in a small bowl and covered with a towel to leave on the countertop. Every couple days I added another tablespoon of flour and water, and not even a week later I saw bubbles, meaning the starter was doing what it should be. As the starter outgrew the custard cup that it was in, I put it in an A&W mug; its tall so it holds a lot, but doesn’t take up much room on my counter. I’m too nervous to transfer my sourdough down to the basement with the other ferments, I’m afraid I’d forget about it and kill it, so I let it take up precious counter space.
I used sprouted spelt flour as my starter just because I had it on hand, good quality whole wheat can be used as well. I had followed sourdough starter recipes in the past (usually with white flour) and it seemed like an awful lot of waste if they didn’t work out, so I started small, only using a couple tablespoons until I saw bubbles, which meant that my starter was working and fermenting properly.
I continue to feed my starter 2-3 times a week; more if I need it to grow more so I can use it to make bread, less if I’m not making bread that week. I’ll tell you how I make my sourdough bread next.
Do you make sourdough? Do you like sourdough?
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I love sourdough! I started a starter last weekend from a book my Grandmother gave me. It starts with potato water, flour, sugar and water. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s going too well…I’m giving it a few more days, and if it isn’t doing what I think it should (or start smelling better), I’m dumping it and doing it your way! Do you know if the starter can go bad, and if so, what are the signs?
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I have a question…I tried to make the sourdough starter as you suggested above. I used rye flour and it started bubbling within 24 hours but after feeding it once 48 hours after making it, when I went to feed it again, it was crusty on top and there was some white fuzzy mold growing in large patches across the top. Can you tell me what I did wrong? I initially just scraped the crusty moldy part off and added a bit more water & flour to what was underneath (mixing it well) but it grew more mold within another 48 hours. Should I be mixing it more often?
I was like you and was hesitant to try to make the typical starter since it seemed like such a waste to throw away so much if it went wrong. I’m kinda glad I tried your way first since I did end up having to through it away. Any advice would be much appreciated!
Thanks a lot! I’ve been enjoying your blog as I’m a recent convert to traditional foods (via reading Nourishing traditions).
That’s exactly why I don’t do a ton at a time! What happened is that some mold got in there, and started to colonize. I wouldn’t worry about it being crusty on top, but if there’s any mold it has to be thrown away. I keep my sourdough starter away from my fruit bowl (the most likely place to have mold in my kitchen) and I think that helps keep the mold out. If you line dry the cloth you use to cover your starter, I wonder if it could pick up molds from outside there? Maybe run it through the dryer, or boil it to sterilize it and let it dry inside away from potential mold spores. Cultures for health sells starters that are already colonized with the good stuff (and thus should be able to ‘fight off’ the mold from colonizing) if you were interested in that route. https://healthhomeandhappiness.com/resource-page#starters
Oh is that the difference with buying a pre-cultured starter?!..I was wondering what exactly it accomplished since I had read it still takes a week or two to re-activate. I think I’ll try sterilizing my covering cloth and see how that works…thanks for the advice..it’s very helpful! Also, you know how when you make Amish Friendship bread you keep it in a ziplock bag and you squish it regularly..do you think you could make a sourdough starter like that too? Other than not wanting your dough to be in constant contact with plastic, would there be any other reason it could not work, in theory? Just curious :)
I’m not sure! I wonder if the sourdough needs access to air, since it’s usually not in an air tight container?
I’m so appreciative to have finally found someone who has knowledge of and had success wtih sprouted flour sourdough starter. I’ve been searching for about 2 weeks and today…I’ve found your site…Yipee!! I’m going to try your method right away and I’ll let you know how it goes….thanks, so much….Curlygirl
I started a starter four days ago and still nothing. No bubbles at all. It looks just as it did 96 hours ago. I used white spelt flour and pineapple juice according to the method specified on breadtopia.com It is winter and I have kept it near the radiator where it is warmer. Any idea what is going on? Should I throw it away and start a new one? Does the size of the container matter? Mine holds about two cups.
This blog is great!!! Totally got me in the mood to bake up a delicious loaf of bread! I am going to bake it with my new starter from Sourdo.com my order just came in the mail today! : )