[Sca-cooks] bread starter

[John Kemker]

Actually, while they'd be descendants of the original starter, they
wouldn't BE the original starter.

Yeast mutate.  Quickly.  This is why they are so popular with geneticists
for testing.  The only way to get a yeast strain that is truly period is
to find a dormant cell in a verifiable period piece of pottery/etc.
(Yes, yeast DO stay dormant for that long.  They've found period beer
yeast dating back to the ancient Egyptians.  And brewed beer with it.)

BUT, you'd be a heck of a lot closer than using a New World starter.

--Cian O'Madadhain
mka John Kemker


On Mon, 16 Dec 2002, Kirsten Houseknecht wrote:

> i was reading the book "Classic Sourdoughs" by Ed Wood....
> <yes, Devra, of Poison Pen Press, probably has my credit card number
> memorized by now>
>
> anyway his comapnay "Sourdough international" sells sourdough starters
> gathered from all over the world.  i was wondering what any of you thought
> about it... some of the cultures may well be *identical* to ones available
> in period... one of the bakeries he got his from has been in continuous
> operation. using the same starter strain since 1670 something.....
>
> http://www.sourdo.com/index.htm
>
> Kirsten
> kirsten at fabricdragon.com
> http://www.fabricdragon.com
>
> "Did you vote?  No?   Then don't come whining to me...."
>
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