Flour Pets in Flour-Scarce Times -- Thoughts?
About once every six months I get all starry eyed and dream of starting a starter again. My sourdough baking tendencies are like my dieting tendencies, lots of dreaming, planning, and then finally execution. Then, much like a diet, I'm strong out of the gate, but after some time, my willpower to keep the starter alive dies out. It gets edged out by those pesky kids who also need time, attention, love, and to be fed and kept alive. Conveniently, I then remember how much I love ciabatta and wonder why I ever bothered with the time-suck that is sourdough.
Well, I've got the itch again. But as these are times when flour is difficult to find (I don't know where you are but in the current bleephole that is California, flour is still semi-scare) the idea of throwing out starter really bothers me.
I'm considering many approaches, including resident dabrownman's NFNM starter. But there is also the matter of getting the thing going. I attempted to activate a dried Oregon Trail starter that I sent away for about 6 months ago, but it was an absolute failure. Something was not right about the specimen I received. I don't really want to send away for a Cultures of Health starter... So, besides pineapple juice, I'm wondering if anybody has some tips on lowering flour waste in order to get this puppy going. Then, I suppose NFNM must be the way to go after that.
Any tips would be appreciated.