[Sca-cooks] researching recipes

[Kerri Martinsen]

What should the consistency of the starter be?  Doughlike?  Paste like?
Soupy?  I've only ever worked with the "Amish Friendship Bread" type of
starter before, so I'm not sure I'm doing it right.

Also - How long until it is ready to use? I've got about 2 weeks to play
with this before I *really* need it. (Although I would like to make a sample
at least once.. :)

Thanks for your help.  I'm learning lots!


--
Lady Hrosvitha von Celle
Per pale sable and gules, a fret and on a point pointed argent a pair of
shears inverted sable.


> There is no period recipe for starter.  There are only about six European
> recipes for bread from the Middle Ages and Renaissance and Platina's is the
> only one I remember which uses sourdough.
>
> My recommendation would be mix 1/2 cup of water and 1 cup of flour
> (approximately 4 ounces each of water and flour) in a bowl, cover it and let
> it stand on the counter for a couple days, then feed it twice a day until
> you have enough starter to work with.  The more things you put in the
> starter, the further you get from the basics.
>
> Flour isn't sterile, so you will usually find yeast and lactobacilli in it.
> Mixing the flour and water starts an amylase reaction which breaks down some
> of the starch into simple sugars to feed the yeast which in turn helps to
> feed the lactobacillii.  You may not get San Francisco sourdough (whose sour
> taste is often produced chemically these days), but you should get a
> reasonably flavorful bread.
>
> Use about 1 cup of starter per pound of bread.  Simply forget about the
> yeast, and reduce the recipe by 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of flour to begin
> and return them if you find you need them.  Do break up the starter in the
> remaining liquid in the recipe before adding the flour.  This helps
> distribute the starter evenly through the dough.
>
> Bear
>
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