Slow Sourdough Starter

So as we race into our third week of minimal activity, our second week on restricted travel, and our first week of mandated “shelter in place”, I begin to feel the confines of my cage.

Time to venture into the kitchen for some long term, long planned, long talked about projects. Getting back deeply into breads. Real breads, real long ferments, long slow glorious rises, and heavenly, healthy end results.

Various members of my circle have started their own journeys down this path, and are now asking many questions about measurements, processes, reasons, etc, etc. So let’s dig out the digital scale and thermometer and begin

This is a traditional sourdough starter, and a bit of a science experiment. Do expect your kitchen will fill with rich yeasty smells, (as one of the leading indicators of Covid-19 is the loss of sense of smell…), and do expect to care for this like some form of very sticky tamagachi ..

All the hassles aside, it will alleviate some of the boredom and anxiety, as well as produce the major ingredient to some of the best bread you will ever eat

Slow Sourdough Starter

We've looked at the Fast-Path, now the slow flavor packed path

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Prep Time 7 days d

Course Ingredient

Cuisine Global

Calories 526 kcal

Equipment

• Large Glass Jar
• Tea Towel
• Digital Scale
• Digital Thermometer
• Whisk

Ingredients

  

• 75 grams Strong White Flour ~ 1/2 cup
• 75 grams Whole Wheat Flour ~ 1/2 cup
• 250 ml Bottled / Filtered Water ~ 1 cup, About 100 degrees f (NO CHLORINE)

Instructions

 

Day 1 AM

• Mix all in glass jar, whisk strongly. Looking for a thick milkshake here
• Cover with tea towel and put in warm dry place

Day 2 AM

• Add 75 grams flour, 125 ml water, whisk strongly
• Cover with tea towel and put in warm dry place

Day 2 PM

• Add 75 grams flour, 125 ml water, whisk strongly
• Cover with tea towel and put in warm dry place

Day 3 AM

• You should see evidence of fermentation, bubbles, yeast smell. If not toss and start over
• If you see evidence of fermentation, remove ~200 grams of starter, and feed as above

Day 3 PM

• Remove ~200 grams of starter, and feed as above

Day 4 AM

• Remove ~200 grams of starter, and feed as above

Day 4 PM

• Remove ~200 grams of starter, and feed as above

Day 5 AM

• This should start to smell sharp / tangy ... If not, continue to feed as above
• Remove ~200 grams of starter, and feed as above

Day 5 PM

• Remove ~200 grams of starter, and feed as above

Starter Handling

• At this point you have a active starter, one can place a lid, LIGHTLY, on top an refrigerate
• Before using, bring to room temp, and feed twice in 12 hour intervals. (I'd not remove the ~200 grams of starter during this as we'll use the extra in our bread)

Notes

This post is a add on, as some of my loyal critics have now become addicted to the white powder, and are demanding specific instructions on how to do things.  

As with all things, especially in things IT and baking related, "IT DEPENDS"..  This will depend on the flour, the day, the humidity, how attentive you are to this sticky tamagatchi ...

I intentionally shunned the various cup measures in this for metric as this will have a direct effect on the hydration of the starter and the final dough.  This will have a major effect on the quality of the finished bread(s).

 

Nutrition

Calories: 526kcalCarbohydrates: 108gProtein: 19gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 3mgPotassium: 347mgFiber: 10gSugar: 1gCalcium: 37mgIron: 3mg

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