So: here is a copy of what came with your starter and what to do after day 5 and on:>
so just putting on the counter is perfectly perfect.
But if your house is really cold, find a warm place to put the starter or use a heating mat. 75-80 degrees is perfect.
We also mention pure water,,,,thats just our humor:>...all water is good unless it smells, or if your on a water softener, do not use water softener water.
Remember this is supposed to be fun
chris
NOTE: your starter is NEVER dead, email me first if you think you killed it, or if you "think" it is not alive.(REALLY IT TAKES A FLAME THROWER TO KILL MY BABIES!!!) OUR starters are very active and may need 2 feedings daily even by the fourth day.
An active starter eats up all its food and goes back to sleep, at this point it looks like smelly water on top (hooch), IS LIQUIDY and is just doing nothing, IT IS NOT DEAD, just give it a good feeding and stir it up, it awakes when you feed it again..never throw it out!! A good feeding is 1:1:1, starter flour water or 1:2:2 gives it a great kick if lazy after awhile.
oh and dont get caught up in the type of flour, my babies eat anything, and the type of water is ok too, unless you smell chemicals. NO WATER SOFTENER WATER THOUGH, THE PH IS OFF. GO WITH BOTTLED WATER IF YOUR HOUSE HAS A SOFTENER!!
In adding water we say 1/2 cup, but what your looking for is a VERY VERY thick but stirrable consistency, so maybe not a full 1/2 cup. You decide.
NOTE: WE USE BREAD FLOUR, BUT USING WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, OR RYE FLOUR ,WORKS ALSO, adding ¼ cup or more of rye or whole wheat flour to bread flour is recommended, ESPECIALLY IF YOUR NOT SEEING IT RISE, THE ADDED GLUTEN WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT. YES YOU CAN USE BETTER FOR BREAD FLOUR OR ALL PURPOSE FLOUR OR OTHER FLOURS. IF YOU DON'T SEE RISE, THICKEN UP YOUR STARTER OR CHANGE THE FLOUR. CURRENTLY ALL PURPOSE FLOUR HAS CHANGED AND ITS GLUTEN CONTENT HAS BEEN REDUCED...GO WITH BETTER FOR BREAD FLOUR OR A BLEND OF FLOURS:>
ACTIVATION INSTRUCTIONS
BTW: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ADD THE SUGAR IF YOU DON'T WANT TO, IT JUST KICKS THE YEAST UP FASTER.
First off, everywhere I read it says do not use metal bowls or utensils, well no long term contact, (days upon days) spoons for mixing are fine and so is the mixing bowl, as long as they are not old school metal, new metals are stainless steel and that's fine.
its a metal and acid thing….the sourdough has an acidic base to it..
ok now then:
Mix 1/2 cup flour, 1 tablespoon sugar (this time only) and ABOUT 1/2 cup lukewarm water, and package of starter powder in a plastic bowl OR GLASS BOWL. Cover bowl WITH PLASTIC WRAP and put on the counter if its cold find a warm place for it 75-80 degrees us perfect, You can use a heating pad under the container if you have stone counters, the cold from stone counters easily transfers to containers.
On the second day just stir it up.
On the third day add an additional 1/2 cup flour and ABOUT 1/2 cup of lukewarm water OR LESS TO MAKE THICK VERY THICK, but stirrable.
On the fourth day add 1/2 cup flour and about 1/2 cup lukewarm water, we now want the starter very very thick but stirrable.
THIS IS THE DAY EVERYONE WRITES ME AND SAYS, MY STARTER IS LOOKING SAD AND LIQUIDY! WELL THATS THE SIGN OF A VERY VERY ACTIVE STARTER AND DAY 5 WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT:>ALSO ADDING THAT RYE ,or WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR WILL ADD MORE GLUTEN AND FIX ALOT OF THINGS FOR YOU:> HOW MUCH? YOU DECIDE, ¼ CUP IS GOOD..
At day five YOU WILL REMOVE ½ OF THE STARTER AND MAKE PANCAKES WITH THAT, (SEE PANCAKE FILE)
DAMN IT JUST DO IT, DO IT NOW!!!OOPS YOU MISSED DAY 5 TAKE OFF ½ INSTUCTIONS, ITS ALL GOOD,,JUST DO IT TODAY AND FEED THE REST 1 FULL CUP OF FLOUR AND ENOUGH WATER TO MAKE VERY VERY THICK,
AFTER THAT, DAY 6 YOUR READY TO GO, FEED DAILY OR put it in the refrigerator and feed it at least once monthly. How much to feed is now up to you!
At day seven you may continue to keep your starter at room temperature feeding it daily or put it in the refrigerator and feed it at least once weekly IF USING IT, OR ONCE MONTHLY IF NOT USING IT. SAY YOU WANT TO USE IT THE NEXT DAY, TAKE IT OUT THE NIGHT BEFORE AND FEED IT, THE YEASTIES WILL BE READY TO GO TO WORK FOR YOU IN THE MORNING. Good feedings are 1:1:1 or 1:2:2, starter, flour, water.
Whats that you say, your bowl is going to overflow, pour some out you dummy. Really, do I have to
spell it all out for you, use common sense:>
WAIT A MINUTE: TAKE A 1/2 CUP OF STARTER AND PUT IT IN SOMETHING LIKE A
QUART JAR, PUNCH HOLES IN THE TOP SO IT DOESN'T BLOW UP, GAS IS A BYPRODUCT, add a 1/2 cup of
flour and some water to it and put in the fridge. This is your BACK-UP starter, the one you will start all
other batches with, IF YOU HAPPEN TO KILL OR USE ALL YOUR WORKING STARTER, feed every now and then to keep it alive.
NOTE: IF USING THE OVEN FOR A WARM PLACE, hang a red scarf on the oven and tell everyone that your baby is in there (don't put a
real baby in the oven, you will go to jail and it makes them taste funny) Learned this the hard
way, not the real baby taste thing sheesh, the sour dough starter in the bowl thing. Seems my
wife forgot and preheated the oven without looking inside, which is normal to do, even though
I accused her of trying to destroy my hobby, well, a melted plastic bowl, almost lost my starter
along with a big mess in the oven was the result. What did we learn? Hang a red scarf on the
oven handle, although she did it again a few months later and the scarf was in place. The battle
between my wife and I over this hobby is just another story.
Cheers and great bread
Christopher
p.s. I now also put tape over the oven controls!!!