Uil, help please re sourdough starter

try to get going a rye sourdough starter but I think it is too cold still (in Christchurch ) to get one started. I have been using quantity rye flour from Piko
Have you any tips for getting one going or will it be best to wait until it is a bit warmer?
Thanlks
Pam

Pam, what I used to do is give it a hot water bottle. Sounds funny but there you are.

I never "made" a new one in winter, but if I got mine out of the fridge and it was not warm enough I would use a big chilly bin, add a soda bottle full of hot water (or you can use a real hot water bottle) and a thermometer. Leave for half an hour and check the temps. It should not be over 30 degrees C.

Then put in your fed sourdough (make sure it is not touching the hot water, just partaking of its warmth) for whatever length of time your recipe says and it will work fine.

I use the German 3 step method when I bake sourdough which has different dough consistency and temp for each step - first to encourage the sour bacteria, then to encourage the yeasts that leaven the bread and last a mix of both which I do over night to ripen the dough for baking the next morning.

Hope that helps.

thank you, will try the hot water bottle idea. Can you post the German 3 step method?
Pam

Here we go:

Freshly milled grains (if you have a mill - otherwise buy in an organic shop) - or use what you have.

Rye is best to start as it will make a very stable sourdough from which you can make wheat offshoots for Christmas "stollen" or other lovely things like Panettone.

Freshly milled grains work better because you have all the yeasts and bacteria from the outside of the grain in your flour. Not if you use white flour from the supermarket.

Do not be fooled by what your supermarket calls "wholegrain" - it is white flour mixed with bran. Not wholemeal at all - as that would go rancid within 2 to 3 weeks on the shelf.

So you start with 50g flour and 50 ml warm water - mix and keep at approx 25°C to 29°C for about 24 hours. After that time it should smell a little sour and have some bubbles. If not - feed it again with some flour and water. Try to keep the temp in that range and wait another 24 hours.

Step2: another 50g of flour and 50ml of water and another 24 hours.

Repeat for step3 and by that time you should have an active sourdough.

When you bake for the first time DO make sure you keep some away for the next time (put into a jar in the fridge) and then add some yeast to the dough as well as your sourdough, as it takes much longer to cultivate the yeasts that rise your bread than the sour bacteria which will give the taste, structure and shelf life. Later on you will not need the addition of yeast.

This is just the "starter" instructions to "catch" a nice sourdough out of fresh air and some flour and water.

The long term care is a bit more diverse. But I thought i give you the starter first - then we can see how you go on.

Good luck!

thank you again will pop to Piko Wholefoods in the weekend to see what milled grains they have and go from there . Will keep you informed