# Sourdough starter



## TnMtngirl (Jun 30, 2002)

Can a starter be made without sugar?


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

Yes, absolutely. Sugar feeds the yeast, but so does flour -- which is converted into sugar.

I start my starter with nothing more than warm water and some unbleached all-purpose flour. I let it sit out covered by a paper towel to catch strains of wild yeast, then feed it regularly until it is going well. Takes longer, but I don't mind that.


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## TnMtngirl (Jun 30, 2002)

Raeven said:


> Yes, absolutely. Sugar feeds the yeast, but so does flour -- which is converted into sugar.
> 
> I start my starter with nothing more than warm water and some unbleached all-purpose flour. I let it sit out covered by a paper towel to catch strains of wild yeast, then feed it regularly until it is going well. Takes longer, but I don't mind that.


Thanks Raeven,was asking for a friend who is getting away from sugar.
Can you tell me how much flour & water?


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

TnMtngirl, I start with roughly equal amounts. As the starter begins to "cook," I pour off no more than half at a time and continue to feed with warm water and flour until it gets that wonderful smell, kind of beery, and forms a separate layer of liquid on top. Then it's time to use it!


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## funstuff (Sep 16, 2008)

i love my sourdough. if you add 1c water and 1c flour both morning and night you will have a continuous action. this keeps your starter fresh and active. overnight fermentation makes it ready to use first thing the morn also. doing this also means you need to use it alot so that there is not a bucket full. 

adding sugar really only speeds the yeast activity.

using quality flour that is unbleached and unbromated produces a much more pleasant flavor and consistant product. if it turns too sour in my house, the wife won't eat smelly feet. so keep it fresh and use often.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

The 1 Tbs. of sugar I use in my starter is all used up by the yeast, so even though I'm diabetic I still put it in. Potato water also helps feed the yeast. 

I got my initial starter from 1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough Preservation Society. It was free, and it's turned out to be the best starter I've ever used. Very lively and robust.


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## Fair Light (Oct 13, 2010)

I have made yeast starter using organic unwashed grapes...I'll have to look for that recipe if you are interested...


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## Packedready (Mar 29, 2011)

Belfrybat, could you share your recipe? Thanks


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

I started one with apple cider. Is you friend moving away from all sugar or just refined sugar?


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## bknthesdle (Mar 27, 2011)

What does sour dough taste like? Is it a more yeasty type bread?


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

You can make an excellent sourdough starter by boiling an Irish potato and then mashing it up really fine and using the potato water to make your starter with.

Potato water, flour, yeast. No sugar, no salt.


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

Sourdough to me isn't 'yeasty' in flavor (yuck), Sourdough is more 'tangy' (if one allows for such flavor). I can make it tangy or not, just depends on how often it is fed before baking.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

marinemomtatt said:


> Sourdough to me isn't 'yeasty' in flavor (yuck), Sourdough is more 'tangy' (if one allows for such flavor). I can make it tangy or not, just depends on how often it is fed before baking.


So how do you make it more tangy? That's what I like.

DW has some starter starting now.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

Sorry I didn't see the reply to this thread until today. I got my starter from 1847 Oregon Trail Soudough Preservation Society. It's free--just do a search. To keep it going I use 1 cup flour and water, 1 Tbs sugar and 1 Tbs potato flakes. It is the very best starter I've ever had. Really lively.

To get a starter to be more tangy than yeasty, keep it out at room temps. longer. Mine is perfectly tangy with being left out overnight in a warm place after I feed it. But if I wanted it tangier, I'd leave it out for a full 24 hours.


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## Lilycatherine (Sep 2, 2011)

I really like the King Arthur flour website and they have pages of information giving a number of methods of starting your own starter including how to "save" a starter that you may have neglected. They also give a lot of very good recipes. There are some additional sourdough recipes on my blog, thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com Both are free.


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

My starter gets fed several times before I use it.
I take it out of the fridge, allow it to come to room temp then I feed it 1/2 cup flour and enough room temp water to get the consistancy I like to work with. I feed it twice a day until I get ready to bake...it can be two days or three days from the time I place it on the counter. All depends on when the starter gets the scent I want...hard to explain, I bet other sourdougher's know what I'm saying. (baking day also depends on the house temp and weather/humidity/barometric pressure...really)


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

marinemomtatt said:


> My starter gets fed several times before I use it.
> I take it out of the fridge, allow it to come to room temp then I feed it 1/2 cup flour and enough room temp water to get the consistancy I like to work with. I feed it twice a day until I get ready to bake...it can be two days or three days from the time I place it on the counter. All depends on when the starter gets the scent I want...hard to explain, I bet other sourdougher's know what I'm saying. (baking day also depends on the house temp and weather/humidity/barometric pressure...really)


I too use the Oregon Trail recipe. I like bread a little less tangy and biscuits a little more. It can rest in the refrigerator, take it out and feed it once and let it go 24 hours to make whole wheat bread, we feed it twice for biscuits and whole wheat honey french sourdough. I know about the scent. Every time it can be a little different. Anyone use honey in their recipe? ....James


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

I'm pretty stingy with our honey, especially this year as the 'crop' wasn't what it was last year.


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