Very old Sour dough starter needs some help
Hello! My parents friends gave them some sourdough starter in 1982 that had been alive in their family since at least 1872. From their words it was one that was actually used on the cattle drives in early Montana.
I am the only one in our family that has been able to keep it alive. I have been feeding it- sort of regularly since then!! But it used to make a beautiful fat loaf of sour dough bread- and pancakes. Last week after a few days of feeding and keeping warm on the counter I made a loaf of bread and they did not rise much. The pancakes were more like crepes.
I love this starter and need to give it more strength. I also feel like I am responsible for this wonderful living thing....
Can anyone of you experts advise me on how to bring my pet :) back to it's wonderful vigor?
Wow Kelly! This is definitely one for the history books! You're pretty lucky to have that starter around. Not too many around like it.
There are so many variables at play. I would suggest posting and with pictures, as much information as you can. Like your starter recipe (how much flour and water your feeding it) and feeding schedule. As well as your bread recipe. That way we can help you out as much as possible.
Who knows. It might not even be your starter.
Cheers!
Dave
I have been taking it out of the fridge to feed it for a few days before using it. Otherwise I feed it (just unbleached all purpose flour and water) and it bubbles up beautifully- gets the consistency of room temperature yogurt. I did try a new recipe last time so that could be part of the problem. I would share the starter if there was a way to get it to you. I think it is pretty cool too. I have given it to people and they throw it away because they don't want to take care of it.
Kelley
I know what you mean when you say people just throw it away. It's almost like loosing a puppy. And like a puppy, it requires maintainence.
Do you have a scale of any kind? If so, I would suggest weighing the water/flour at one to one for the feed. You would soon end up with a 100% hydration starter, which would be quite normal (altho many other hydrations are commonly used).
If you are doing it by measure, a cup of flour is about 5/8ths the weight of a cup of water, which would leave your starter more liquid (hydrated), which could lead to it being thinner than you might like. More prone to crepes rather than pancakes.
Sharing your recipe would be good, and
Good luck with it all.
dobie
I just shared the sourdough pancake recipe as well as the usual sourdough bread recipe I use. The one I used last was a new one (I didn't have any bread flour so looked for a recipe for regular unbleached flour)......... Thank you!
I think it needs to be refreshed a few times before baking again. Just keep feeding and discarding every 12 hours until it refreshes to the point of being foamy and bubbly again. It should take maybe 48 hours or so. Then you can probably bake. If you're not baking, store the starter in the refrigerator until it's ready for another feeding....If I were you, I'd make sure to feed it regularly every 10 days or so and keep it in the refrigerator between feedings. I certainly don't have a starter as old as yours, but mine's been alive for more than 10 years at this point. I bake bread every 10 days or so, when my starter is fed. I use the discard for the bread. Between loaves I may feed it to make pancakes, waffles, or flatbreads.
If you're not baking on a regular schedule, at least feed the starter and discard a similar amount on a regular schedule.
Old sourdough is wonderfully flexible. Take some in a jar on the counter and give it a feeding. Search about the 123 feeding method so you get the amounts down. After the first feeding, it should show activity and rise. Don't do the next feeding until it has risen and slightly falls. Feed it again. Notice I didn't say to discard. You want to get the yeast population up before you start discarding. Perhaps by the 3rd or 4th feeding it will show vigorous rsie. That is when you start discarding half before the next feeding. As long as you keep it on a counter at room temp (70-80F), you need to feed once or twice a day. When it is vigorous, you can put it in the refrig and feed it once a week as maintenance. You may need to re-invigorate for 1-2 feedings before baking but this is how I do it.
Have fun and find the method that best works for you. I have a 1965sourdough jack culture going. It can be done!
Hi KellyHomey and welcome to the forum.
It is incredible that you have held safe and respect that legacy.
There is no bad advice being offered so far. As I have been reminded many times, there are many ways to the same result.
And to the rest of you guys, Wow. Even 10 years is significant to my thinking. Good parenting, all.
dobie
I didn't know this forum existed! I love it. My friends don't understand my "pet" starter in the fridge. I am guessing you people get it! Thanks for the advice
the tougher...unlike the rest of us.
Do what clarzar123 says. Ones it is healthy again make sure to spread some on a pievce of parchment and let it dry. Store the flakes in a glass jar in a cool dry place. Then - no worries - you have a dried backup that will come back to life fast.
Happy baking
Really that's all you have to do????
Kelley
Yes, dbm is right. I have done it myself and it works.
Just get it healthy first.
dobie
child from neglect. I started mine in 1973 and have to tried to kill it any number of ways over the years. It is nothing like what it was back then in SF or even a year ago here in AZ. I am always making starters of one kind or another and just fold the new remains into the old one when I get tired of them or nearly use them up. It started out WW then went to white and id now a Rye Sour. Much better today and takes no maintenance, feeding or anything for 20 weeks at a time. Here is a link that explains its recent character
No Muss No Fuss Starterabout your starter all you want to, we get it. We truly do!
We love our starters and are pained when they fall ill or unresponsive!
We also have lots of pictures of them and their loaves. Welcome to TFL!
Mini :)
me of this one from you some 9 years ago where you talked about saving a starter for long term storage if you were going to travel for 6 months or so.
Traveling starterFixed the link I think
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/989/traveling-starter
I also do the spreading out of starter on trays to dry as in the comment. Much easier to hydrate.
For yearly storage I prefer to blend the healthy bake-ready starter with as much flour as I can mix into it, press the crumbs together into a ball. Roll this into more flour and place into a small jar and store in some remote corner of my refrigerator. There are dates, description and warning labels on it (curses for those who open, warm up or forget to protect it while cleaning the fridge.) :)