March 27, 2018 - 3:43pm
Anyone tried this SD culture seller....?
Sourdoughs International
http://www.sourdo.com/our-sourdough-cultures-2/
They sell various cultures that the owner has collected and also a book
Has anyone used any of these cultures or read this book?
Would you please make a comment if you have?
Is it worth trying 'bought' SD cultures, do they actually offer unique flavors?
Thank you!
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I borrowed the book from the library, sorry don't recall much about it, though you can search the forum for book reviews. I bought the two italian starters, as well as the san francisco starter. All were revived pretty easily from the instructions. I also made my own, but since I bake mostly whole wheat, which packs a ton of flavor, not sure I am the best judge of the differences in tastes of the various starters.
Still running tests before I hang my neck out, but the fastest starter has been to take equal weights of natural raw sauerkraut juice and combine it with flour. My rye flour gave me a levain ready to use in just 12 hours overnight. I still can't believe it. Have to test with a variety of flours and bakes. :)
Or just as slow because you have made the sauerkraut, which took "x" amount of time, and used the ready made culture in the juice to inoculate the flour? A lot like mixing kefir with flour to make a pre-ferment.
Also, bubbling up can take very quick even just mixing flour and water. In the right conditions it can be 12-24 hours. Doesn't make it a starter just yet.
I also didn't plant the grain or mill the flour. But if you already have something fermenting... :)
I bought the fresh kraut with juice. Get to eat that too! No preservatives or heat processing and I'm sure it wasn't made the day I bought it, most likely last fall.
I'm not so sure what kraut has in it but I rather think it's bacteria (of the good kind) and not yeast. So inoculating some flour with it would be half done?
I've heard that kraut is very good for you but would you believe it I've never tasted it.
Warning! Learning curve about to be pushed up..... :)
So if it has lactic acid bacteria and yeast then inoculating some flour with it would just be like making a preferment rather than cultivating a starter from scratch.
What does it taste like?
Barry: Thank you for that. If you dont remember the book it probably did not mean that much to you, I would think. I think I will pass on it for now. So all those starters taste/smell the same to you, including the one you made?
Good luck Mini!