| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Prairie Princess |
Posted - Mar 29 2008 : 5:39:08 PM
My boyfriend's mother gave me some dried, frozen sourdough starter last weekend, and I'm going to pull it out on Friday and see what I can do with it! I'm so excited to try it! You gals have any tips or favorite recipes I should try? It's going to be trial and error for a bit, I think... I just hope I don't kill all the starter!! 
~Jodi
"Women are like teabags...you never know how strong they are until they get into hot water." Eleanor Roosevelt |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Sandra K. Licher |
Posted - Jun 23 2008 : 07:01:39 AM
Thank you Ronna! I will check it out and get back to you and let you know how I do. I am determined to get this going....I did it years ago when my kids were little but all I remember was putting cheesecloth over it and setting it outside to catch the spores and after that it is a big blank but I know I used it and was successful back then....I hope it's not "old-timers disease"! LOL! Take care and thanks again so much!
Sam in AR..... "It's a great life if you don't weaken!"
Farmgirl Sister #226 |
| Ronna |
Posted - Jun 23 2008 : 06:44:14 AM
Sandra,
I am far from an expert, but will try to help you. Did you feed the starter a few hours before using a recipe? You may want to check out the sourdough group on Yahoo; they're a great bunch of people, much more knowledgeble than me! Most always someone monitoring the posts,so you'll get answers quickly.
Sourdough@yahoogroups.com I'm on that list, but seldom post-it gets very busy at times. Keep on trying, you'll get there yet! |
| Sandra K. Licher |
Posted - Jun 22 2008 : 06:58:46 AM
I have been reading all your posts and still need some help I think but I have learned a lot. Actually, I tried MJ's recipe and got it going but when I made things with it they didn't turn out very well. I'm sure I did something wrong but nothing 'rose up"...I used her recipes too.
Has anyone tried hers or are you supposed to add yeast anyway? I used purified water from my filtered water (a Brita pitcher), I hope that was good enough and I made all 3 of her reipes...the bread, the buscuits and the pancakes and they were all pretty flat and therefore I got discouraged. Obviously MJ's works fine from the pictures in the book! Can anyone tell me what I did wrong? I would like to try it again but like a previous person said..I don't want to waste flour or money unless I can be sure it will work.
Ronna are you still "Sourdough Coaching"? LOL! Thanks y'all!
Sam in AR..... "It's a great life if you don't weaken!"
Farmgirl Sister #226 |
| Alee |
Posted - May 11 2008 : 7:02:23 PM
Well! I have made several batches of bread with the sourdough and it is working great! The first couple batches tasted almost like commercial-yeast bread, but this last batch I had neglected the starter for almost two weeks and it came out with that signature- "Sour Dough" taste so I am thinking that I need to let it metabolize all the flour before I use it if I want the sour taste and if I want a mild taste I need to use it just a few hours after I have fed it.
Thanks so much Ronna!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| Ronna |
Posted - Apr 26 2008 : 2:38:32 PM
I keep about a quart going, cause I like to add it to quick breads, pancakes or waffles, etc. And, I don't like to toss any out! If you're just adding for flavor, like those listed above, can do it without feeding. I just stir, pour out some and then put the container back in the fridge. Only if it's being used to rise a loaf of bread does it need to be fed and active. |
| Alee |
Posted - Apr 26 2008 : 08:20:08 AM
It's ALIVE!! It looks healthy and bubbly this morning! Hurray!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| Alee |
Posted - Apr 25 2008 : 9:40:44 PM
Ronna- you are such a good coach! If my camera was working I would have taken photos to help! LOL
So how many cups worth of starter do you keep active?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| Ronna |
Posted - Apr 25 2008 : 9:27:04 PM
Leave it out overnight. Only put it in the fridge if you're not going to be using it for awhile...or it's middle of summer and you don't want your house to have the scent of sourdough throughout.
Don't add flour in the morning if you're going to use it...it has to sit long enough to bubble after feeding before you use it. If you still have several cups after using it and aren't going to use it again soon, just put it in a tupperware or glass container and let it sit in the fridge. Make sure you label it to keep a "helpful" spouse or such from thinking it's something gone bad and toss it out.
I stir the hooch back in, but only just before I use it or when it's coming to room temp after being in the fridge. Yes, different opinions. I happen to like the flavor of sourdough.
Wow, this is hard, babying my starter from many miles away :)
|
| Alee |
Posted - Apr 25 2008 : 9:10:01 PM
Hi Ronna-
I pulled some of the starter out and followed the instructions on how to make "Batter B" and let it proof for close to 12 hours now. Both the mother starter and the baby starter are looking much healthier now and I had to move it to a new container (A silicon bunt pan of all things because all my other tupperware is being used). I now have a bubbly starter and am very pleased. If you are still up- should I let it proof over night again or should I put it in the fridge? I am going to make bread in the morning to test it (as I have many many cups I don't think I need to use the method to make more! LOL)
I read the book but am still a bit gun shy I guess. I will add some flour in the morning.
Some things I have read say to always stir the hooch liquid back in and some say to drain it off- what do you do?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| Ronna |
Posted - Apr 25 2008 : 7:32:55 PM
Add a bit more flour, 1/2 cup, in the morning and see if it bubbles more an hour or so after that. 2 cups water and 2 cups flour don't equal 4 cups, more like 3. The flour thickens the water. I'm a bit surprised it's doing anything, adding that much water and flour to a handful of dried starter.
Suggestion...read the book I sent you. I know that starter is strong, but I think you gave it a huge task to conquer. |
| Alee |
Posted - Apr 25 2008 : 6:40:19 PM
Well, with adding 2 cups water and 2 cups flour- I still only have 4 cups. Since I have been stirring it I have no idea if it is done bubbling or not. It is about the consistency of pancake batter- maybe a bit thinner. I just don't want to kill it now that I have got it rehydrated! LOL
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| Ronna |
Posted - Apr 25 2008 : 3:12:22 PM
Use it when it's active and bubbly. Don't add any more anything to it; let it try to do it's job. Do you have it covered? A light skin is normal, a crust shouldn't form unless it's not covered. Not tightly, give a bit of room for the gasses to escape. I use tupperware and leave the lid slightly open. Can use plastic wrap, leave a corner open like for microwaving. Even a clean dish towel (no terry cloth, trust me you don't want starter in terry cloth).
I think since you're in a big hurry to use it, would be just as well to add a 1/2 cup or so to a yeast bread recipe and let the starter sit in a safe corner and work. When it no longer bubbles, it's used up all the "food", the flour and can add some...How much starter do you have now and what is the thickness of it? |
| Alee |
Posted - Apr 25 2008 : 12:25:47 PM
Oh an yesterday there was a crust on the top- some of the water had evaporated- should I add more water?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| Alee |
Posted - Apr 25 2008 : 12:24:57 PM
ROFL! Okay I will leave it alone :D I just want it to be ready to make bread!! LOL How soon can I go ahead and use it to make bread with and how will I know when to feed it again?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| Ronna |
Posted - Apr 25 2008 : 12:09:00 PM
Alee, if you stir it, you've interupted the bubbling action. Then it has to build up enough strength to form the gasses that make it bubble again. Put it in a warm spot and leave it alone for a day and see what happens....70-72 is fine. It probably shudders and tries to hide when you see it coming with a spoon :) If you're getting bubbles, it's alive, just trying to do it's job. |
| Alee |
Posted - Apr 25 2008 : 11:03:19 AM
Ronna!! It has given me a few bubbles but isn't "bubbly" like I thought it would be. Should it be making the creamy foam that you see before you add flour to make bread? How bubbly should I expect?
Also I have been stirring it every couple of hours- should I just leave it alone? My house is between 70-72 degrees- is that to cool?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| Ronna |
Posted - Apr 24 2008 : 10:06:34 AM
Alee, I answered your private email, but not sure what you mean by "revived". Had you dried it or was it in the fridge waiting to be brought out and fed? If it has just been in the fridge, after it comes to room temp, has been fed and bubbles nicely, you can use it. If you try to use it before it's bubbly, it won't be able to do it's job in rising the dough and you'll have a brick. With the price of flour going up along with everything else, wasting the flour to make a doorstop probably isn't what you want :) |
| Alee |
Posted - Apr 24 2008 : 08:56:52 AM
Ronna- so when it is bubbling it ready to be used in a sourdough recipe- right? I have the book you sent me "Adventures in Sour Dough" and want to make some bread today but only revived it this morning. Do you think I can make bread this afternoon?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| 4forMe |
Posted - Apr 20 2008 : 12:56:52 PM
Thanks for the link Ronna, I will try them.
Sewing, knitting, gardening mom of 4. |
| Ronna |
Posted - Apr 20 2008 : 12:43:01 PM
Here's the link for the recipe I just used for sourdough english muffins. Good site with lot of sourdough info, too. I'm still not 100% happy with the muffins, but will try again and let them rise longer, also roll thinner if I do that, so they'll fit in the toaster.
http://tinyurl.com/3pasff |
| 4forMe |
Posted - Apr 20 2008 : 05:03:24 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Ronna
You'd think this was pricey stuff, they way I hate to waste any :)
I know what you mean, when I was pulling some off after feeding to grow, I had to rack my brains on who to give it to, as I didn't want to throw it away. I remember the only other time I felt this way was when I was breastfeeding, I hated to dump breastmilk as it was like liquid gold in my opinion and yet it was free.
Sewing, knitting, gardening mom of 4. |
| Ronna |
Posted - Apr 17 2008 : 7:44:37 PM
I have a lot of mine dried, but have never revived any of it. Guess I should try to do it and then can toss it in with the wet stuff. I'll do that tomorrow. When I transfer to a clean Tupperware, I let the little bit left dry out and bag it up. You'd think this was pricey stuff, they way I hate to waste any :) If it doesn't revive, let me know. I have some wet in a bag now, in a box being sent to the farm with Idaho quilt magazine articles. You could likely get some of it if needed. I messed around and didn't make the english muffin bread today, will do it tomorrow. |
| Alee |
Posted - Apr 17 2008 : 6:57:52 PM
Thanks Ronna! This is your starter so I am sure it will "behave" itself :D
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| Ronna |
Posted - Apr 17 2008 : 6:17:33 PM
Add a small amount of warm water to hydrate the starter, making a paste. Gradually add more water and flour, starting with maybe a tblsp of each, letting it sit between feedings. As the amount is increased and you see signs of bubbling, you can build it up to enough to use and have some left for feeding again. I like my starter fairly thick, like waffle or pancake batter, but that's just my opinion. When not being used frequently, or when it gets hot weather, it will sit and wait in the fridge without being fed until you're ready to use it again...or at least my starter is that way. |
| Alee |
Posted - Apr 17 2008 : 4:32:13 PM
Ronna-
Can you share your instructions on how to revive your starter again? I have a bag of the dry starter that needs some attention but I don't want to kill it!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
