My own sourdough starter

Before I found this site, I decided to start my own sourdough starter. I just combined equal parts of AP flour with water. After about 4 days it was nice and bubbly. I’ve been using this starter for about 3 months now with great results. I have also shared this starter with other’s who didn’t want to go through the process of creating their own starter.
Just wanted to share this information and to say that using pineapple juice is not necessary to begin your sourdough.

Gary

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I tried to make starter using pineapple juice and it completely failed, nothing ever happened and after about ten days I threw it out. I tried a couple other suggestions and finally bought a starter from KAF. I used it for quite a long time and then somehow killed it. Since then I have had no trouble making a starter and have made starters for friends. I just use equal parts KAF AP flour and water, by weight not volume.

I’ve made my own starter twice. Both times, I did just about everything wrong - based on the various “internet approved” methods that I read. And, both times, the result was a very active starter. For whatever reason, neither was very sour.

I started the first with Wheat Montana premium white flour. Then, after deciding to bake primarily whole grain breads, I converted the starter to whole grain Kamut. Then, I decided to make a starter beginning with whole grain Kamut. When that effort succeeded, I baked up the old starter and use the new.

I don’t remember how I did the first starter except to recall that I started baking with it too soon. The first loaf was one very sour brick - I got all of the sour and none of the leaven!

I don’t like to waste starter, or the flour used to develop it. So, when I made the second one. I began small - 15 grams of water and 15 grams of Kamut. I doubled it every 12 hours until I had 240 grams of starter. I divided that and discarded half, doubled the other half and have been using it ever since - feeding half and baking the other half.

Over the past 2-3 years I have been using SD for all baking needs. I use the left over for pancakes, waffles, muffins, bread rolls etc. At times when I use most or all of my starter like on pizza (2 1/4 C needed for 3 pizzas) after baking bread that morning. On these occasions I only had a little starter left or none at all. So when I needed to start another starter I have tried organic pineapple…it worked fine as did KA unbleached, as did several other flours and/or combinations.

I believe one starter is comparable to other starters if they are alive, fed and active. The only difference I have noticed is sometimes the flavor or intensity of SD flavor is different.

SD starters are much like our children they depend more on handling than ingredients. And they depend on the eye of the beholder. Life is good, as-well-as any active SD starter. :grinning:

I love your analogy! Thank you for the smile!

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