Alaska Dough Starter 1 package Yeast 1 tablespoon Vinegar 2 1/4 cups Warm water 1 teaspoon Salt 2 tablespoons Sugar 2 cups Bread flour Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Add sugar vinegar,salt,all purpose flour. Add remaining water until a creamy batter is formed. Place in a glass bowl,cover and let sit until it starts to ferment. About 3 days. It will take on a powerful boozy smell. Stir again until creamy and measure out what is called for in the recipe. Replenish starter with equal amounts of flour and water. Store in the fridge and bring to room temp before using. It says to allow to ferment for one week between uses but I don't.I do let it sit out overnight after I feed it. This starter took about 1 1/2 months to become really sour. ===================================== Barm Sourdough Starter Day 1: 1 cup whole wheat flour, organic if possible 1 Tbsp diastatic malt 1 tsp honey 1 cup raisin water (To make raisin water, soak raisins 15 to 20 minutes in 1 1/2 cup water, then discard raisins.) Mix all ingredients until they form a smooth sponge. Cover loosely and allow to ferment at room temperature (65 to 75 F) for 24 hours. Do not cover too tightly as it will form lactic acid. Also do not cover too loosely. Day 2: 1 cup unbleached bread flour, organic if possible 1/2 tsp diastatic malt 1 tsp honey 3/4 cup water Add day 2 ingredients and mix well, making certain that all the flour is wet. Cover again and allow to ferment at room temperature for another 24 hours. Day 3: 2 cup unbleached bread flour, organic if possible 1 tsp diastatic malt 1 1/2 cup water You should be seeing some signs of activity by the third day. Add the day 3 ingredients and mix well. Don't worry if the previous day's sponge has separated. Cover again and allow to ferment at room temperature for another 24 hours. Day 4: 2 cup unbleached bread flour, organic if possible 1 1/2 cup water There should be definite signs of fermentation in the form of bubbling and a faint smell of vinegar. Discard half the starter. Refresh with the day 4 ingredients as on the previous days. Cover again and allow to ferment at room temperature for another 24 hours. Day 5: 2 cup unbleached bread flour, organic if possible 1 1/2 cup water Discard half the barm. Repeat the day 4 refreshment instructions. You may begin building a sourdough loaf on day 6. The next day (of the rest of your life): Follow the basic refreshment pattern of one cup flour to 3/4 cups water for every two cups of barm. You always want to approximately double the barm to ensure that the yeast has plenty on which to feed. After a refreshment, allow the barm to remain at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours, and then refrigerate until the next refreshment. Refresh the barm every day or every other day, whichever pattern you find works best. Some claim that better, more complex flavors come from a two day refreshment cycle. You will have to refresh the barm on any day that you make bread in order to rebuild your maintenance volume. You should keep enough barm to be able to make bread and have two cups left over. When building a dough, it is recommended to remove the barm from the refrigerator one to two hours before you begin to allow the yeast to reawaken. Catch the barm before it falls to make tomorrow's starter. Never try building a dough from a barm that has just been refreshed. Always allow the barm to ferment four to six hours (and preferably refrigerate it overnight) before beginning. On a day when you are not building a dough, but need to refresh the barm, discard to about half of your maintenance level and refresh as usual. On a day when you begin to build a loaf, the discard goes toward the build (firm starter). If you neglect the barm for four or five days to a week, discard all but a cup of barm and rebuild over two to three days of refreshment. The barm may be considered neglected if there is a greyish liquor (known as "hooch") floating on top. A healthy barm will have a definite feeling of life when you put your hand in it; a neglected barm will not. It will feel like a flat pancake batter. You may freeze barm for up to six months and refresh it (at least) three feedings to bring it back up to strength. If you want to leave the barm unattended for a period of time, feed it and leave it for three hours at room temperature, then refrigerate it. ============================================== Biga Bread Starter 1/2 tsp Dried yeast 1/2 cup Warm water 1 1/2 cup Water at room temperature 3 3/4 cup Unbleached all-purpose flour Stir the yeast into the warm water and let proof for 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining water and then the flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon for 3 or 4 minutes. Leave the biga in the mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at cool room temperature for anywhere between 6 and 24 hours. The starter will triple in volume and then collapse a bit. It will also be wet and very sticky when it is ready to be used. Cover and refrigerate if not using at once. To use the biga, scoop out the needed amount while it is cold. ======================================= German Sourdough Starter 2 cups Lukewarm water or milk 2 cups Bread or unbleached all-purpose flour 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast Mix together in a GLASS or PLASTIC BOWL the above ingredients. Do not use metal utensils. Cover the bowl with a tight fitting lid and allow to sit in a warm, draft-free location for 4 to 7 days, gently stirring once a day. You may use your starter after 4 days. To use your starter, simply remove the amount called for in the recipe and add to the other ingredients. Replace the amount removed with equal amounts of water/milk and bread/unbleached all purpose flour. I always used bread flour. After feeding your starter, leave on counter for 24 hours. At the end of that period you may refrigerate your starter. You must refeed at least once every 7 days, so I use my starter once a week. If you do not plan to use it, then take one cup out and throw away and feed. If you will be away on vacation you may freeze your starter, thaw it in the refrigerator upon your return. As soon as it is thawed, remove at least one cup and feed as above. ============================================ Instant Potato Starter 1 tsp baker's yeast 3 Tbsp instant mashed potato flakes 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup lukewarm water Every week (or even every few weeks will work), take your starter from its habitual resting place in the refrigerator, let come to room temperature, and add the above mixture (no further yeast needed). Let stand several hours (or overnight). It should get very bubbly. ============================================= Potato Sourdough Starter 2 cup unbleached flour potato water Boil some potatoes for supper, save the potato water, and use it lukewarm with enough unbleached flour to make a thick batter. without yeast. This is a good way to make it in camp, where you have no yeast available and want fast results. This is also the way most farm girls made it in the olden days. Let stand a day or so, or until it smells right. All containers for starters not using yeast, must be carefully scalded before use. If you are careless or do not scald them the starter may fail. ========================================== Whole-Wheat Sourdough Starter 1 teaspoon Active dry yeast 1 1/2 cups Whole wheat flour 1 1/2 cups Lukewarm water In a glass or ceramic bowl or jar that has been scalded, combine flour and yeast, add water and blend well. Cover with plastic wrap and pierce with fork to release gases. Place in a warm, draft-free location at an even 85F for 18-24 hrs; stir several times daily. Refrigerate until ready to use. If you have several starters, keep whole wheat separate from others to preserve its own distinctive flavor. Whole wheat starter does not have as much rising action as that made with white flour; you may have to plan longer rising times. To replenish, always use whole wheat flour. ======================================= Wild Grape Starter Use unwashed, organically grown red or purple grapes for this recipe. The white powder found on the skins of the grapes is yeast. If you wish, you can switch to bread flour on the 5th day. The starter is fully active and ready to use in 9 days. " 1 pound grapes 1 cup whole wheat flour Stem grapes into a medium mixing bowl. Crush with hands. Cover with cheesecloth, and set aside for three days at room temperature. After three days there should be bubbles in the grape juice, indicating fermentation has begun. Strain liquid, and discard skins. Return to bowl, and stir in 1 cup whole wheat flour. Set aside for 24 hours at room temperature. Measure 1 cup starter, discard any extra, and transfer to a 1 quart glass or ceramic container with a lid. Stir in 1 scant cup bread flour and 1 cup water. The mixture should resemble a thick batter; add more water or flour if necessary to achieve this consistency. Cover loosely with lid. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Repeat the following day. Some activity should be noticeable: the mixture should be starting to bubble. Repeat twice more. You will need to discard some of the mixture each day. 4 Starter should be quite active. Begin feeding regularly, every 4 to 6 hours, doubling the starter each time. For instance, if you have 1 cup starter, add 1 cup bread flour and 1 cup water. Alternatively, store in the refrigerator, and feed weekly. Makes 1 cup starter