Topic: Anyone to Share their Sourdough Starter with me please?

[artichoke]

Ah, how exciting goodlife, mine looks rather like yours - but I did not pick up that you feed it twice a day. I've been feeding it with 2 tbsp rye flour every morning, plus warm water if necessary. I've been whisking it occasionally with a wooden chopstick. It had a slightly fizzy look to the surface a few hours later today, and smells floury with a slight sharpness (or is it my imagination....). Not nasty, anyway.

And I've been keeping it warm in the airing cupboard, which I now see is not necessary? It can stay in a cool kitchen?

Very good idea to lead us all through it like this......

[goodlife]

Yes it can stay in a cool kitchen..of course warm doesn't hurt but in this stage is not absolutely necessary.
Once you start making the bread then the warmth is needed as it will speed the rising process. You will se difference how the sourdough react different temperatures/ times of year as you start baking.. ;)

[artichoke]

I have always made my own bread, so understand about warmth for rising (though sometimes it is convenient to keep it cool or even in the fridge) but this sour dough starter is completely new to me, so thanks for the advice. It seems to be all right so far.

[irridium]

i've exchanged the spatula for a whisk and added more water in now, covered with a plate. sitting on the kitchen top. hopefully, it'll start activating soon... fingers crossed for me! ;D

[goodlife]

i've exchanged the spatula for a whisk and added more water in now, covered with a plate. sitting on the kitchen top. hopefully, it'll start activating soon... fingers crossed for me! ;D

Yes..lets hope best..I'm sure it will work. It is very slowly evolving process at first..but you will see some minor changes to your starter as days go by.. ;)

[irridium]

would you say i would notice a change within a few days or so? i started this almost a week ago, and it feels like i'm back to square one... ::) but hey, ho.. i'm on my way to doing it 'proper' now! just to let you know, at the start, i started sifting the flour, but realised after the 2nd day, it was just too tedious with the flour everywhere.. so gave that one up. this morning, i put the flour into kilner jars, so that will make things more practical for me..

[goodlife]

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would you say i would notice a change within a few days or so..one can be optimistic..if you do see any change, you need to be very still and keep nose really close to the starter and stare.. ;D..and if you are lucky to catch it in righ moment..something might happen on surface..like a little fizz..
Sifting is not necessary..I never do that what ever bread I make..just 'blonk it in'.. ;D

[artichoke]

Mine had a definitely fizzy surface first thing this morning, no stirring yet. I started it on Friday 9th March, so it is 9 days old now. Smells pleasantly floury.

Anyone else still comparing notes?

[goodlife]

First proper froth appeared on surface over night..! ;D But it is early days yet..if it takes whole night for that little amount of bubbles, the starter is nowhere strong enough yet.
I used half the starter for a loaf yesterday..and with help of some yeast I did well. Taste is all there although the starter is not able to raise the dough yet.
This is how my starter was looking in this morning inspection..

[artichoke]

If that photo is taken before whisking, as I assume, mine looks a bit like that too.

I am fond of small packets of ciabatta mix from supermarkets (most of my bread is made from scratch, but these can be very useful as quick pizza bases, picnic rolls etc) and am thinking of adding some of my starter to this mix - enough yeast is already in the mix.

I'm looking forward to spotting the change in flavour.

Then, if I've understood you, carry on feeding the rest of the starter until about four weeks after I began it on 9th March, ie around 9th May? It is certainly a long term project!

[irridium]

mine has sort of gone a little lighter as in more airier and also, the smell has certainly changed to a sour-kind of way, tho' as i'm not sure what it should smell of at this stage in Day 10 of making this. This morning, it looks as tho' some it the airiness has deflated somewhat, and the amount has reduced. Can that happen?? ::) i've fed more amounts this time to bring back to the same capacity as before, so hopefully, I shall carry on and see something happening soon...

[goodlife]

The last photo was taken before whisking any new food in so that is proper activity..yeast has started to grow... ;D
I doesn't look like that all the time..so yes..some times the surface looks flat (deflated) and sometimes it looks much more airy.

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Then, if I've understood you, carry on feeding the rest of the starter until about four weeks after I began it on 9th March, You can take some of the starter at any stage to give some flavour to you 'normal' bread dough and keep feeding as you've done so far. There is no exact time for how long it takes to get starter active..one day it just start 'brewing' and going all foamy..it all depends how the yeast will grow.
If there is some change in smell..that is sure sign that something is happening. Plain flour and water mix has hardly any 'smell' but given a bit of 'activity' and the whiff is evident... ;)

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the smell has certainly changed to a sour-kind of way  ;D that's good sign.. ;)
Sounds like each one of us mixes are going to right direction but in slightly different speed.. ;) ;D

[jesssands]

I am interested in giving this a go too.
How long roughly would it take to be ready to raise bread on its own?
If i only make bread at the weekend, do you think i'll end up with too much mix?
Ie..will i need to bake more often to use up more mix.
Would you always use rye flour?
And lastly.. 2 tablespoons flour to 1 water to start then same twice a day?

Just want to make sure i got my head round it as i am quite new to bread making but i am now getting good results and enjoying it.

[BarriedaleNick]

I started mine off from a starter bought from bakery bits - http://bakerybits.co.uk/San-Francisco-Sourdough-Bread-Starter-P388387.aspx
It took a 7-10 days to get going but I made a loaf after a week (not that good!) maybe longer if you are starting your own starter

I dont use Rye flour - I started with Wholegrain but moved to organic white flour. 

Once it is up and going what I (and others I know) do is to keep it in the fridge and use it as needed. 
I posted earlier in the thread but basically I bake bread once a week - take starter out of the fridge - bulk it up with flour and water - use half - leave the other half out for an hour or two and then put it back in the fridge till next week.  It can last several week in the fridge without being refreshed.. 

No need to keep it out and feed it every day once it is up and running.

[goodlife]

You don't have to use rye flour..any bread flour will do.
And as for the quantities..it is not exact..I started feeding mine with couple of spoonfulls of flours and drop of water couple of times a day and plenty of whisking to get air into starter.
Yes it is slow process when you start from 'nothing' and will take several weeks before it is bubbly enough to raise bread dough on its own..but even my starter is now 2 weeks old..just cupfull in 'normal' bread dough with yeast will give you the sourdough bread taste so it is not as long wait as you might think.
I have time to bake only 1 or 2 loaves in a week and don't end up too much of the starter..so it should not be a problem for you neither.. ;)

[artichoke]

I made my ciabatta dough a couple of day ago (from a supermarket mix that already contains yeast) and added half of my rye flour starter to it (about 10 days old) and I believe it has already made a difference to the flavour.

Today our lunch was two pieces of dough (one each), rolled flat, dry fried in hot frying pans on both sides until they puffed up into fat balls in a few minutes. Kept cooking them on a lower heat for a few more minutes, then slit and filled with various chopped salads, cold chopped steak leftovers, oil and vinegar (homemade blackberry) and a little mayonnaise.

Delicious and filling.

Looking forward to my remaining starter getting really frothy.....

[irridium]

the past couple of mornings, i've noticed that there's a slight film of watery liquid on the surface of the bowl. is that normal? the smell has definitely taken on a more soury flavour to it now. but i'm getting quite concerned that it hasn't starting rising yet. it's developing some bubbles for sure, but i'm not that convinced its behaving how it should be compared to yours Goodlife or Artichoke's. hmm... the plate came off the other day, and i've moved it to the bedroom again where it's warmer than the kitchen.

[BarriedaleNick]

Yeah a bit of seperation is normal - in fact it is probably a good thing as it indicates that your yeasts are eating and producing waste...

Mine does it all the time when I leave it in the fridge - I just stir it an and carry on with feeding/making bread.

I've got a sourdough on the rise at home - I'll see what it has done when I get in - it may have escaped from the bowl!!!!

[goodlife]

Yes..mine does do that watery surface too..not every day but now and then..and like mentioned already..I do too mix it back in.

[artichoke]

http://www.breadsecrets.com/sourdough_starter_recipe.html

This calls the separation "hooch".

I am a little worried that I don't see this yet.

But 2 days ago I made my ciabatta (supermarket bread mix including yeast) plus half my rye "starter" into rolls, and they were an excellent mixture of firm crust and bouncy, chewy, tasty insides. Kept me going digging on the allotment.