I have a love-hate relationship with sourdough starter. I love sourdough bread! I hate it when I neglect my starter and it dies.
I killed my last starter about six month ago, and just went without it all summer. It’s been a long time since that tangy bread has been around and I was missing it. It was time.
This morning I started another batch. I just use a simple recipe. Mix 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water in a half-gallon mason jar. I did add a wee bit of yeast this time around, to help it get off to a good start.
You are supposed to avoid metal lids with sourdough starter. The starter can react with this material. Since I don’t yet have any plastic lids for my jars, I used a napkin held on with a jar ring. I can easily swap out the rings if any starter gets on them, and give them a good wash. In the past I’ve used cheesecloth with a rubber band. I might switch back to that. We’ll see.
Now before I make the bread I’ve been missing (and pancakes…yum!) I need to feed this daily for five days. Then it’ll be ripe and ready to roll–I mean rise. Hopefully I’ll manage to keep this one alive for a while.
Have you been successful with sourdough starters? Any tips or recipes you’d like to share would be greatly appreciated.
