Hi All -
As a few might know, I've recently returned to baking, which is a first love, after many decades steeped in the world of stocks, butchery, and the like; baking was my first foray into cooking, as a child, but I haven't done it in many decades.
has anyone ever used spelt flour to make a starter? i read somewhere that whole wheat and organic flours are usually best. i have some left over spelt and would like to use it before it expires. i am starting my sourdough education next year, so just wanted to know if spelt flour is recommended or is a big NO, or "it don't really matter what flour you use"?
anyone?
Hi All -
Fantastic site, just wanted to say hello. My story is that I began life as a kid cook close to 40 years ago, by first baking and pastry making, then, with the seed given as a present by way of Jacques Pepin's La Technique, working it cover to cover, I began a life in French cooking. (few pics):
How to tell if a sourdough starter is still alive? If a sourdough starter is dead, is there anyway to rescue it? What happen if use dead sourdough starter in bread?
Hello!
I was wondering if anyone could help me figure out how to reconstitute a dried starter. I dried my white starter and rye starter a while ago and I would like to use it soon. Do you have to soak it before you feed it?
Thanks!
Leah
Ok, I’m a newbie here, so a little back ground is in order. I’ve tried to get a sourdough starter going three or four times in the past. With less then good results, I used dehydrated starters and they appeared to be going good but when I tried to make bread things fell apart. Ok that’s in the past and truly I couldn’t tell you what steps I took back then.
Usually when I get it in my head to cobble together a formula based on two or three things I've seen mentioned on this forum, two more in my head, and a bit of whimsy, the results are not pretty. Especially when it comes to baguettes. The last two or three times I've tried to make baguettes, they've come out flat, with closed crumb and, with the sourdough versions, crust that provides a thorough jaw workout.
But not this time, oh no! This time I tasted victory. Victory, and some very yummy bread.
Here's what I was trying for:
I have a starter born this past May that, all summer long, reliably tripled at its peak. Around mid-August - BEFORE the weather got appreciably cooler - it started to peak at lower and lower levels, until now I'm lucky if I can get it to double before collapsing. It seems to be raising my bread just about as well as it did in the summer, but I'm worried about the downward trend. My living quarters are supposedly temperature-controlled at about 72 degrees F, though I'm sure it's not as stable as my thermostat claims it is.
It has been an interesting project. Greetings, all. I'm a brand new poster here, although I have been reading for a couple of months now. What a wonderful treasure trove of knowledge and gracious help. Thank you to you all.
