The easiest, no brainer way to start a Sourdough starter
I hope I am not breaking any taboos with this post. I asked in another forum about how to make sourdough breads and was given this link. Being not very creative I named him Seymour as in "Feed me Seymour" I started him about 5 months ago and followed directions for about 6 weeks. Got nice hooch one week, stirred it back in. Its hydration which I think means 1:1 was flour and water. I've neglected Seymour after the six weeks to the point that is it were a child, he would have been taken away from me :) Three weeks ago, I gave him a nice jolt of pumpernickel flour at about .7:1, less water.
This past week I decided to make sourdough for the first time, so I took out the amount called for in PR's ABED, except my starter was not as solid or firm as Peter wanted, but he does say, if you've got a starter going by all means use it instead of his creation. On Saturday last I took what I needed out of Seymour, replaced what it took with Sir Galahad in the mother and used bread flower as the recipe called for. Longer story short........I successfully made S.F. Sourdough with my simply started and not much attended too starter.
Did you do at least one feeding to activate Seymour before mixing him in the final dough?
Healthy starters are resilient. Maybe Seymour would have been a better performer if he'd been fed more often, but it sounds like he got the job done.
I sometimes don't feed my refrigerated starter for 2-3 weeks. It can get pretty sloppy if left longer, but it comes back strong after a single feeding. "Strong" meaning it will leaven dough. You may get better flavor from regular feedings or a couple feedings right before using the starter.
David
Indeed I did :)
Yes, they are resilient. I was so happy when my my bread tasted like Sourdough! I remember about the third week after Seymour's birth and maybe my third attempt at making any type of bread, I produced a brick worthy to be used in the construction of a building. LOL