Sourdough Starters

A good friend asked me why my current sourdough isn't a patch on the first sourdough loaf I baked years ago. I explained it was because my original starter was a local wild variety, which did taste good but seemed to be lacking in its ability to double a loaf effectively.

Sourdough yeast isn't something you can just go down to your local supermarket and buy, it's something you have to grow and cultivate. That seems to scare most people away from giving it a try.

The internet has introduced a whole range of options for the hobbyist baker. If you simply Google "Sourdough Starter" you will see a wide range of options.

From the free Oregon Trail Sourdough

To the world traveling collection.

The King Arthur Flour variety.

I picked up mine from www.sourdoughbreads.com.



If you are adventurous and want to try your own here are a few sites to explore:
http://www.breadtopia.com/make-your-own-sourdough-starter/
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/233
A short video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cusjbAtGzvg

Remember - once you have a sourdough starter you must feed it to keep it alive. You can hibernate it in your refrigerator, but you have to take it out a few days ahead of when you want to use it again.

-Matt the Weekend Baker