Alton Brown’s AP Sourdough Starter: Opinions?
Alton Brown has resurrected his “Good Eats” show and it includes an episode titled “Wild Yeast Risin’” which is, yes, about sourdough starter.
Having spent the last six months deep in sourdough land—including this forum—studying up on starters and hydration and such, I found myself a little taken aback when it he created this starter not from rye, not from wheat and not with bread flour but from...All Purpose? (Blink, blink)
Yes, there are plenty of similar recipes, so, clearly, not unusual or unheard of; and I’m sure this starter works well as any. But of all the flours I’ve seen used for starters in videos and discussed on bread forums, AP is, well, rarely mentioned. It’s not even commonly used for flouring the baskets. And as this new Good Eats isn’t shy about recommending rarified ingredients , I found it odd that he went for ubiquitous AP instead of, well, whole wheat or at least bread flour.
So, now I’m curious. Have you ever made a starter with AP flour? How did it turn out? Alternately, do you know anyone with an AP starter? How does it compare to starters made with rye, wheat or bread?