River Cottage did bread last night. In it he made a starter using flour, water and a piece of rhubarb. I gotta admit I thought that a very 'novel' idea. In my thread Sour dough - Success At Last, I got a lot of requests from people asking me if they could use all sorts of fruits to make their starter with.
I have no idea about using fruits or juices to make a starter. The risk of it being tainted by the fruit or juice going rotten in the initial stages seemed not a risk I would be prepared to take.
Another suggestion is for you to pop into your library's on-line catalogue and look for a suitable book to help you. I have all of Dean Brettschneider's books and each book gives good instructions on making starters.
In fact I have two of his books entitled "Baker". I recommend his books in particular as he also has a couple of good recipes for sour dough, along with expert information.
carter19,
May 11, 11:21pm
Thank you so much for your help. I will check out the libarary, and I am getting some starter from a friend of a friend who takes bread making classes. It is refreshing to have help instead of being shouted down as on some of the boards!
buzzy110,
May 11, 11:23pm
It's all true. Take a look at grapes and observe that they have a white coating on them. Everyone thinks it is some sort of spray but it is really yeast. I assumed that about the rhubarb too, as it is a fruit, not a vegetable. My main concern is that people will not take it out in good time and end up with a rotten, toxic starter and get disheartened.
The yeast on apples is what I used to make my cider. I was told that I needed some sort of commercial yeast but boy, my juice went off like a rocket within hours of going into the demi-john. I wish I'd bottled it at the first rack rather than continuing on with the fermentation process. Still I was aiming for vinegar, not cider, so I shouldn't complain.
nauru,
May 11, 11:49pm
Buzzy110 - Can you please post the Quick Pickled Onions recipe, thanks!
buzzy110,
May 12, 12:08am
You are lucky to have those books. Dean is brilliant and full of really interesting information. I see you live in Masterton. Recently I helped out a poster from Masterton who had managed to kill a starter she was looking after for absent friends by sending her my starter. I could put you in touch with her if you like and maybe she will be able to give you some to get you started. Once you have a starter it only takes 1Tblspn full every week, along with a cup of flour and a cup of water, to keep it fed. I have left mine for over two weeks with no ill effects and another poster left hers for many months and it 'fizzed' up beautifully after a couple of feeds.
buzzy110,
May 12, 1:42am
Why thank you knowsley. I guess I'm not allowed to make any mistake ever. Lucky you are around to dispute everything I say.
Now please, why not tell carter exactly why her bread is cakey rather than bready, and save us all a great deal of angst.
wildflower,
May 12, 10:44pm
Ahhh and the thread was going so well ;)
I won 'The Baker and The Cook' co-written by Dean, that's where I was reading about the gluten etc recently.I'll check out your link too Buzzy.Don't know if I have the patience to try a starter but I keep thinking about it.
wildflower,
May 12, 10:57pm
Thanks buzzy, at the moment I'm enjoying a non sourdough bread I make that's all wholemeal flour, linseeds, pumpkin, sunflour, sesame and rolled oats.I'll stick with that for now but I'll get back to you if/when I'm ready to give it a go.Thank you though.I'm sure it would be lighter for my digestive system!
malcovy,
May 12, 11:30pm
Carter, are you using eggs in the mix?
buzzy110,
May 13, 12:08am
You are lucky to have those books. Dean is brilliant and full of really interesting information. I see you live in Masterton. Recently I helped out a poster from Masterton who had managed to kill a starter she was looking after for absent friends by sending her my starter. I could put you in touch with her if you like and maybe she will be able to give you some to get you started. Once you have a starter it only takes 1Tblspn full every week, along with a cup of flour and a cup of water, to keep it fed. I have left mine for over two weeks with no ill effects and another poster left hers for many months and it 'fizzed' up beautifully after a couple of feeds.
wildflower,
May 13, 10:57pm
Thanks buzzy, at the moment I'm enjoying a non sourdough bread I make that's all wholemeal flour, linseeds, pumpkin, sunflour, sesame and rolled oats.I'll stick with that for now but I'll get back to you if/when I'm ready to give it a go.Thank you though.I'm sure it would be lighter for my digestive system!
malcovy,
Sep 13, 2:08am
Carter, are you using eggs in the mix!
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